If you’re suffering from a disabling condition, traveling or living abroad may help. But can you still receive SSDI or SSI benefits even when abroad?
Well, you may still receive SSDI payments depending on the country you’re in. But SSI benefits are a different story.
As it happens, SSDI and SSI travel restrictions differ. If you’re receiving SSDI, you can travel to certain countries without losing your benefits. But if you’re on SSI, you cannot be out of the country for too long. Else, you’ll lose your benefits.
To help you understand where you can travel without sacrificing your social security benefits, we created this quick guide.
As mentioned, you can receive SSDI benefits while abroad as long as you are qualified. However, it still depends on the country you’re traveling to.
If you’re a US citizen, you can receive SSDI payments as long as you’re in a country where the SSA can send payments. According to their site, the SSA can send payments almost anywhere EXCEPT:
Just to be clear, if you’re residing in these countries, your benefits will still continue as long as you remain eligible. But you can only receive your benefit payments once you move to a country with no payment restrictions. This includes accrued benefit payments the SSA has withheld while you are still in one of the countries listed above.
The SSA, however, can make special payment arrangements for residents of these countries (except Cuba and North Korea). To qualify for this, you will need to:
The FSP or FBU will not release your check to anyone unless you have a qualified representative . If you fail to appear at the FSP or FBU every six months or become unable to manage your own benefits, your payments will stop.
Since you are a US citizen, your SSDI benefits may also be subject to income tax wherever you are in the world.
Like US citizens, qualified non-citizens can also receive payments anywhere EXCEPT in countries with payment restrictions.
However, their benefits will stop while they are living in the countries listed above. Meaning, they cannot receive accrued benefits even when they move to countries where the SSA can freely send payments.
In addition, if you are receiving benefits based on your own earnings, you can only continue to receive benefits abroad if you are a citizen of:
But if you are a citizen of the following countries, you can continue to receive benefits abroad regardless of whose account you’re receiving benefits on:
You can also check your eligibility based on the SSA’s Payments Abroad Screening Tool .