Social Security While Living Abroad (2026): Payments, the WEP Repeal & Medicare
Short answer: yes — US citizens can collect Social Security in most countries indefinitely; only Cuba and North Korea are off-limits outright, with nine more countries restricted. Two things changed recently that most retire-abroad guides haven't caught up with: the Social Security Fairness Act (January 5, 2025) repealed WEP and GPO, restoring full checks to expats whose benefits were docked for foreign pensions — retroactive to January 2024 — and SSA's international direct deposit now reaches local banks in dozens of countries. The two perennial catches remain: Medicare stops at the border, and the SSA-7162 proof-of-life form suspends your payments if you miss its 60-day window.
Can you collect Social Security while living abroad — and where?
Almost everywhere, indefinitely, as a US citizen. SSA's rulebook for beneficiaries overseas is Publication 05-10137, "Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States": retirement, survivors and disability payments continue in most countries with no time limit. Before booking anything, run the Payments Abroad Screening Tool — two minutes, your exact citizenship/benefit combination.
| Status | Countries | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Payable, no time limit | Most of the world — incl. Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Greece, Costa Rica, Panama, Thailand | Benefits continue as normal; choose your deposit route below |
| Prohibited (Treasury) | Cuba, North Korea | No payments can be sent at all; US citizens can claim withheld months once in a payable country |
| Restricted (exceptions possible) | Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan | Payments generally withheld unless you qualify for an exception via SSA's country rules |
Did the WEP repeal raise benefits for Americans abroad?
Yes — and it's the change most expat guides still get wrong. The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82, signed January 5, 2025) repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, retroactive to benefits payable for January 2024.
The expat angle: WEP used to cut the US benefit of anyone who also drew a pension from work not covered by US Social Security — which included foreign pensions earned working abroad. That reduction is gone. If your benefit was WEP-reduced because of a Portuguese, Spanish, German or any foreign pension, SSA adjusted payments and issued retroactive money — by July 2025 it reported 3.1 million payments totaling $17 billion. If you never claimed because WEP made it look pointless, re-run the numbers; if you were WEP-docked and saw no adjustment, contact SSA or your Federal Benefits Unit.
How do you actually get paid overseas?
Pick one of three deposit routes, then protect the lifeline: the proof-of-life form.
- US bank account — simplest if you keep one (our guide to keeping US banking abroad); spend via a fee-free debit card or transfer in bulk.
- International Direct Deposit (IDD) — SSA deposits straight into a local bank in participating countries (Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Italy and many more), in local currency, no US account needed. Enroll with the country-specific SSA-1199 form.
- Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) — US embassies host SSA service desks for claims, address changes and problems; find yours via ssa.gov/foreign.
What happens to Medicare when you retire abroad?
It stays home: Medicare generally pays nothing outside the US. Medicare.gov is explicit — outside the 50 states and territories, coverage applies only in rare border-case exceptions. The decision is what to do with each part:
| Part | Keep or drop? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Part A (hospital) | Keep — premium-free for most | Costs nothing if you have 40 quarters; covers hospital care on US visits |
| Part B (outpatient, ~$185+/mo) | Depends on return plans | Dropping saves premiums but re-enrolling later costs a permanent 10% penalty per full 12-month gap — moving abroad is not a qualifying exception |
| Part D / Advantage | Drop — they require US residence/networks | Plans are tied to US service areas |
| Actual coverage abroad | Buy separately | International or local health insurance — compared in our expat health insurance guide |
The honest framing: a healthy 67-year-old staying abroad 10+ years saves ~$22,000 of Part B premiums by dropping — but pays a 100% premium penalty for life if they move back at 77. Plan B around your realistic return odds, not the optimistic ones.
Do foreign work years count toward your benefit?
Only where a totalization agreement is in force — 30 countries, and the list doesn't match the popular nomad map. Totalization agreements let SSA combine US and foreign credits so split careers still qualify for a benefit (and they assign self-employment tax to one system — the working-years angle in our Tax Burden Index). Status for the destinations we cover: in force — Portugal (1989), Spain (1988), Italy (1978), Greece (1994); not in force — Mexico (signed 2004, never ratified), Costa Rica, Panama, Croatia, Estonia, Thailand (none). In no-agreement countries your local work years build nothing toward US Social Security — factor that into a long stay.
Retiring abroad is a system, not one form
Payments are the easy part — the same move also decides your health coverage, your US banking and your state-tax exit. Start with where your income goes furthest.
Best countries for American expats →General information, not legal or benefits advice. Every rule above links to SSA or Medicare directly — confirm your individual case with the screening tool or your Federal Benefits Unit before relying on it. No link on this page pays us.
Frequently asked questions
Can I collect Social Security in Portugal, Spain or Mexico?
Yes — all three are fully payable, and all three accept international direct deposit to local banks. Portugal and Spain also have totalization agreements in force; Mexico does not.
Are my benefits taxed if I live abroad?
The US taxes Social Security by its normal rules wherever you live, and some treaty countries tax it instead or as well — Portugal, for example, can tax US Social Security as resident income. See our country tax guides and the expat tax overview.
What happens if I miss the SSA-7162 form?
SSA suspends payments after the follow-up goes unanswered. Restarting means contacting SSA or your embassy's Federal Benefits Unit and returning the questionnaire — faster than re-applying, slower than never missing it. Treat it like a tax deadline.
Did the WEP repeal apply automatically?
SSA reprocessed affected benefits automatically through 2025, with retroactive payments to January 2024. If your record involved a foreign pension and you saw no adjustment, contact SSA — automation handled the bulk, not every edge case.
Can my non-citizen spouse receive benefits abroad?
Often yes, but non-citizen rules add residence tests and country conditions that citizens don't face — the six-month absence rule can suspend non-citizen payments. Run the screening tool for their exact citizenship and country.
Related guides
Sources
- SSA: Publication 05-10137 — payments outside the US · Payments Abroad Screening Tool · country restrictions
- SSA: Social Security Fairness Act (WEP/GPO repeal) · totalization agreements · US-Mexico agreement status
- SSA: international direct deposit countries · Federal Benefits Units & SSA-1199 · Form SSA-7162
- Medicare: coverage outside the US · Part B late-enrollment penalty