Can I Still Pay into My Pension if I Now Work Abroad?

I’m now working overseas but plan to return to the UK at some point in the future. Am I still able to pay into my UK pension?

Question asked by Emma Douglas
17/09/2019

Yes, you can live and work abroad and still pay into UK pension scheme. However, you might not be eligible for the same amount of tax relief that you would be if you were working in the UK.

To qualify for tax relief on your pension contributions, you would normally have to be a UK resident.

However, depending on your employer and employment status, you may be eligible for tax relief if you live overseas. For example, if you work for the Armed Forces you would retain membership in the Armed Forces Pension Scheme when on military service abroad.

Bear in mind that when you want to receive your pension benefits, your pension provider won’t normally pay them into an overseas bank account. This means you may have to transfer the money from a UK bank account to where you live abroad, and there will be transfer fees to pay as well as exchange rate fluctuations to factor in.

Our Services & Tools

See Your Financial Future
Find > Organize > Simplify
We exist to improve your financial wellbeing

We use clever technology to bring your financial future to life

  • Find, organise and simplify your Pensions, ISAs and other investments.
  • Plan your financial future and put a strategy in place to achieve this.
  • Regularly review how you are doing to make sure you stay on track.

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us

Head Office & Pensions and Investments
Senator House
85 Queen Victoria Street
London
EC4V 4AB
Personal Insurance & Accounts Payable
Telecom House
125-135 Preston Road
Brighton
BN1 6AF
Drewberry London Office MapDrewberry Brighton Office Map

If you are unhappy with our service, we have a complaints procedure, details of which are available upon request. If you are unhappy with how your complaint has been dealt with, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS website is www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.

Drewberry Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Companies House No. 06675912

Drewberry Ltd registered office: Telecom House, Preston Road, Brighton, England, BN1 6AF. Telephone 0208 432 7333

Drewberry Ltd (Financial Conduct Authority No. 505473) is an Appointed Representative of Quilter Wealth Limited and Quilter Mortgage Planning

Limited, which are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Cookies

Drewberry™ uses cookies to offer you the best experience online. By continuing to use our website you agree to the use of cookies including for ad personalization.

If you would like to know more about cookies and how to manage them please view our privacy & cookie policy.

Deny
Approve