Find out if you can get OAS while living outside Canada

If you're living outside Canada, you can have your Old Age Security (OAS) pension paid to you there if one of the following applies:

• you've resided in Canada for at least 20 years with legal status, since you were 18 years old
• you've lived or worked in a country that Canada has a social security agreement with, and with the agreement, your years residing in Canada equal 20

If the above don’t apply to you

If the above don't apply but you'd be able to get OAS if you were living in Canada, you can collect your OAS from outside Canada for:

• the month you leave, and
• the 6 months after that.

Leaving Canada

If you plan to be away from Canada for more than 6 months, you must call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 and let them know. If you don't tell them and continue getting OAS while you're outside Canada, after 6 months you may have to:

• pay back the money you were not supposed to get, and
• pay a fine or penalty.

You also need to call Service Canada when you return to Canada so you can start getting your pension again.