Your Social Security Benefits Will Be Suspended If You Leave The Country For This Long

According to the Alliance for Lifetime Income, 2025 promises to have the biggest increase of Americans turning 65 years old in history. While the last decade had an average of 10,000 Americans turning 65 years old, now 11,200 people turn 65 every single day. This means that 4.1 million Americans will turn 65 every year through 2027 presenting more Americans with retirement options than ever before. With that said, more and more people are exploring nontraditional retirement options — such as retiring abroad. In fact, more than 760,000 Americans already receive their Social Security benefits overseas every year — the equivalent of $7.5 billion each year. 

According to the National Council on Aging, 17 million Americans 65 years of age and older are living on or below the poverty line in 2024 — roughly $30,000 or less a year. Of that, 2.4 million seniors living on Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, receive an average of just $575 per month, with 7 million considered food insecure. These are just some of the reasons why retirees might be looking for cheaper countries to retire abroad in. There can be a lot to explore when it comes to nontraditional retirements, and this is especially true for those considering retiring abroad. While the good news is that there's one specific Social Security benefit for Americans retiring abroad that can make the process easier, the bad news is that, for anyone who isn't a U.S. citizen, leaving the country for too long can actually cost you your benefits.

Before retiring to a cultured (and cheap) European country, it's important to realize exactly how the move could jeopardize your benefits. Per the Social Security Administration (SSA), if you are a non-U.S. citizen retiring abroad, you can lose your monthly benefits after six consecutive months outside of the U.S. The SSA gives you 30 days from the time you leave the country before they begin the countdown, so if you leave the U.S. on January 12th, February 12th is considered your first month completed. 

You may be eligible for an exemption if you can convince the SSA you qualify, however, returning to the U.S. before the end of your six months, and staying in the country for 30 days before returning to your chosen country of retirement is your best bet. You may also need to provide proof that you were in the U.S. for the full month, beginning the first minute on the first day of the month, and ending the last minute of the last day of that month.

The SSA will stop paying benefits to non-citizen beneficiaries if they fail to return to the country for the necessary 30 day period. They will also stop paying if the beneficiary fails to prove they were physically present for the entire 30 days, or if they simply fail to provide that proof within the six month deadline provided. However, it's important to know that even if this happens, you can still reclaim your Social Security benefits after physically returning to the U.S. for a full 30 day period. After which, your benefits will restart and your six month clock will reset.

Another way to lose your Social Security benefits, whether a U.S. citizen or non-citizen, is to retire to a SSA prohibited country. For instance, the SSA isn't allowed to pay benefits to retirees residing in North Korea or Cuba, and places limits of benefits for those in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan without an approved exception. In the case of North Korea and Cuba, it's important to know that U.S. citizens may be able to claim the benefits that were withheld during their time in either country. On the other hand, non-citizens cannot.