If you’re considering a move abroad, you’re certainly not alone. For the first time in 90 years, the U.S. experienced negative net migration in 2025 — and it’s a trend expected to continue.
In other words, more people left the U.S. last year than settled here, including American citizens. The last time this happened was in 1935, at the height of the Great Depression, when more than 100,000 Americans emigrated to other countries in search of work. Today, the reason people are leaving is not quite so straightforward. While some are leaving for political reasons, others simply want to experience something different.
If you’re retired and considering moving outside the U.S., it’s natural to wonder if doing so will impact your Social Security benefits. The answer is, it depends on where you’re moving. Here are three things you should know about relocating abroad while receiving Social Security benefits.
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You will likely remain eligible for benefits
If, as you planned for retirement, you factored in Social Security benefits, you’ll be glad to know that most U.S. citizens can continue to receive Social Security benefits while living in nearly any country. That’s not true of every country, though. U.S. Social Security payments are generally prohibited in Cuba and North Korea, and restricted in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan unless you receive a special exception.
This Social Security screening tool makes it easy to ensure your benefits will be available to you after the big move.
Work credits from another country may make you eligible
Let’s say you spent time working in another country. It’s possible that you don’t have enough Social Security credits to qualify for retirement or disability benefits. The good news is that it’s possible to count your work credits from another country.
Here’s why: In the late 1970s, the U.S. established agreements with other countries that integrate the U.S. Social Security program with similar programs in those countries. The Social Security Administration (SSA) keeps a list of the countries with a bilateral Social Security agreement with the U.S.
You can apply for and manage benefits from outside the U.S.
You can apply for Social Security benefits directly online. Once you begin receiving benefits, they can be electronically deposited into a financial institution in the U.S. or in the country where you’ve settled. However, benefits can only be deposited in a bank in your new country if that country has an international direct deposit agreement with the U.S. To find out, review the official list of countries and territories that allow direct deposit payments from the SSA.
Most U.S. retirees consider Social Security a key factor in their post-retirement financial life. If your monthly benefits are important to you but you’re dreaming of a life outside U.S. borders, it’s important to know you can count on continuous, regular deposits.