Yes. You can receive US Social Security while living in Portugal. Eligible retirement, survivor and disability benefits can continue, and Portugal supports Social Security International Direct Deposit.
| If you live in Portugal | 2026 rule |
|---|---|
| Receive benefits? | Yes, if you remain otherwise eligible |
| Portuguese bank account? | Yes, with SSA-1199-PE |
| Scheduled payment date abroad | Usually the 3rd of the month |
| Portugal tax resident? | Report foreign pension income in Portugal |
| SSA-7162 in 2026 | Many SSNs ending 00-49 are in the even-year cycle |
| Work before full retirement age | The 45-hour foreign work test can apply |
SSI is different. Supplemental Security Income generally cannot continue simply because you move to Portugal. This guide is about Social Security retirement, survivor and disability benefits.
For the wider relocation sequence, see moving from the US to Portugal.
Can you apply for Social Security from Portugal?
Yes. SSA’s international-services page says people living abroad can use online services and apply online for retirement or disability benefits.
For a foreign mailing address, SSA tells users to create or access my Social Security through ID.me. A US mailing address is no longer required for many online services.
Use ID.me rather than trying to force a US-phone-number workaround.
From Portugal, the account can be useful for checking earnings, benefit estimates, application status, benefit-verification letters, tax statements and online notices.
There is one important limit: SSA says changing direct deposit is not available through its overseas online services. For a Portuguese bank account, use the Portugal direct-deposit process below.
Can Social Security go directly to a Portuguese bank?
Yes. Portugal is an International Direct Deposit country. The country form is SSA-1199-PE.
The process is short:
- Complete and sign Section 1.
- Ask your Portuguese bank to complete Section 3.
- Provide the IBAN and SWIFT/BIC.
- Mail the completed form to the Federal Benefits Unit at the US Embassy in Lisbon.
The receiving account must be in euros. SSA-1199-PE says the US payment is automatically converted to euros at the daily international exchange rate before deposit.
If you change banks later, do not close the old account until payments have started reaching the new account. SSA puts that warning directly on the Portugal form.
You can also keep receiving Social Security into a US account. See the US bank-account guide for Americans moving to Portugal if you are deciding between the two setups.
What date does Social Security arrive in Portugal?
A Social Security beneficiary living in a foreign country is generally paid on the 3rd of the month, rather than the normal US birth-date Wednesday schedule.
If the 3rd falls on a Saturday, Sunday or US federal holiday, payment is scheduled for the preceding business day.
Treat the 3rd as the scheduled payment date, not a promise that your Portuguese banking app will show the money that morning.
SSA-1199-PE says the payment will usually reach the Portuguese account shortly after the regular payment date. International processing and the receiving bank can create a short delay.
For a Portugal-specific payment problem:
Federal Benefits Unit, US Embassy Lisbon
Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1600 Lisbon
FBU.Lisbon@ssa.gov
+351 217 273 300
SSA-7162: check the year before waiting for the form
SSA uses the Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire to confirm facts that can affect benefits paid abroad.
Portugal is on the biennial schedule for many beneficiaries receiving their own benefits:
- SSN ending 00-49: generally even-numbered years, including 2026
- SSN ending 50-99: generally odd-numbered years
- beneficiaries age 90 or older and some other cases: annual contact
- representative-payee cases use a separate questionnaire and are generally handled annually
SSA normally sends Foreign Enforcement Questionnaires in May or June. The first response window is 60 days. If there is no response, SSA sends a follow-up, and continued non-response can eventually suspend benefits.
International mail is exactly why this section matters. Keep your Portugal address current and keep a copy of anything you return.
Does Portugal tax US Social Security?
A US citizen who becomes a Portuguese tax resident should not assume Social Security disappears from the Portuguese tax return.
The US-Portugal income-tax treaty says US Social Security paid to a Portugal resident or a US citizen may be taxed by the United States. Portuguese residents, meanwhile, report worldwide foreign income in Portugal. AT identifies foreign pension income in Anexo J, Quadro 5.
Where both countries tax the same income, Portugal’s foreign-tax-credit rules are used to provide the applicable double-tax relief.
That is different from saying “the treaty makes Social Security tax-free in Portugal.” It does not give you a reason to leave the benefit off the Portuguese return.
For the detailed treaty mechanics, use the US and UK pension tax treaty guide. For the separate US reporting side, see FATCA Portugal for Americans.
How much can the US tax?
Under US domestic rules, up to 85% of Social Security benefits can be included in taxable income. That does not mean an 85% tax rate.
The main combined-income thresholds remain:
- $25,000 single, head of household or qualifying surviving spouse
- $32,000 married filing jointly
- above $34,000 single or $44,000 joint, up to 85% of benefits can be taxable
If Social Security is your only income, you may not have a US federal filing requirement.
Working in Portugal before full retirement age
Do not apply the normal US earnings limit automatically.
If you are under full retirement age and work more than 45 hours in a month outside the United States in employment or self-employment that is not subject to US Social Security taxes, SSA can withhold that month’s benefit regardless of how much you earned.
SSA says this foreign work test can apply even where the work is exempt from US Social Security because of an international agreement.
If the Portugal work remains covered by US Social Security, the normal 2026 annual earnings test can apply instead:
- under full retirement age all year: $24,480, then $1 withheld for every $2 above the limit
- reaching full retirement age in 2026: $65,160 for earnings before the FRA month, then $1 per $3 above
- from the FRA month: no earnings limit
This section is about retirement benefits. SSDI uses different work rules.
US-Portugal Totalization: which system do you pay into?
The tax treaty and the Totalization Agreement do different jobs. The tax treaty deals with income tax. Totalization coordinates Social Security coverage and benefit eligibility.
For work performed in Portugal:
- ordinary employment: Portuguese Social Security normally applies
- temporary US assignment: a qualifying employee sent by a US employer to Portugal for an expected period of no more than five years can remain under US coverage, subject to the agreement and a certificate of coverage
- self-employment: when both systems would otherwise cover the work, a self-employed person residing in Portugal is assigned Portuguese coverage
- split career: periods from both countries can be combined when necessary to qualify for a benefit
For US totalization, SSA says you still need at least six US credits before Portuguese coverage can be used to help establish entitlement to a partial US benefit.
If you freelance after moving, see the recibos verdes guide.
Will a Portuguese pension reduce US Social Security?
Not through WEP or GPO for benefits payable from January 2024 onward.
The Social Security Fairness Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset. A Portuguese pension from work that did not pay into US Social Security therefore no longer triggers those reductions for months covered by the repeal.
Frequently asked questions
Can I receive US Social Security while living in Portugal?
Yes. Eligible retirement, survivor and disability benefits can generally continue while you live in Portugal, and Portugal supports International Direct Deposit.
Can I start a Social Security claim after moving abroad?
Yes. SSA says overseas users can apply online for retirement benefits. For a foreign mailing address, use ID.me to access my Social Security; the Lisbon Federal Benefits Unit handles Portugal-specific overseas cases.
Does Portugal tax US Social Security?
A Portuguese tax resident should report foreign pension income in Portugal rather than assuming US Social Security is US-only. The treaty allows US taxation, while Portugal applies its rules and the relevant double-tax relief where both systems tax the same income.
Can I use a Portuguese IBAN for Social Security?
Yes. SSA-1199-PE is the Portugal direct-deposit form. The receiving account must be in euros and the bank completes the IBAN and SWIFT/BIC section.
Does the 3rd-of-month schedule apply in Portugal?
Beneficiaries living abroad are generally scheduled for the 3rd of the month. A weekend or US federal holiday moves the scheduled date earlier, while the Portuguese bank may post the international deposit later.
How often is SSA-7162 sent in Portugal?
For many beneficiaries receiving their own benefits, Portugal is on a biennial schedule: SSNs ending 00-49 in even years and 50-99 in odd years. Some beneficiaries are contacted annually.
Can I work in Portugal while collecting retirement benefits?
Yes, but before full retirement age the foreign work test may apply. More than 45 hours of non-US-covered work in a month can cause that month’s retirement benefit to be withheld even when earnings are below the normal US annual limit.