Where should one claim their UK state pension, is it through Spain or from the country where you are previously employed?

Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi

Question

Can anyone help with a UK state pension, I am due to claim mine this year. I am a Spanish resident but with only a few years paid into the Spanish system, the majority paid into the British system. Do I claim through Spain or the UK?

Answers

These are the answers of some Facebook group members:

“I claimed through the UK ,go on gov website you can get a forecast. I put my claim in over the phone 2 months before the due date. Had no problems they were very helpful. I got mine in Jan”

“I believe that you should claim through the country you last worked in. They then will claim the years from the UK and add them to the Spanish years accumulated. We are due to do ours next year. They will then pay you your pension.”

“You claim your UK pension from the UK Department of Works and Pensions, quoting your National insurance number. Your Spanish pension from the Spanish Seguridad Social, quoting your Número de la Seguridad Social. That is what my Dad did. Good luck.”

“I had to claim from three countries, UK, Spain and Switzerland. Good luck with the Spanish one, they are the most difficult to sort out. But to be honest, if you are due to retire this year, you should have started the process last year.”

“Go on gov.uk pensions theres a dedicated line to call for UK pension claimants abroad. Straightforward to do over the phone and very helpful. You can claim from 4 months b4 due date but if u claim late it is backdated”

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Bruno Bianchi CEO & Spain Immigration Expert

Bruno Bianchi is the founder and CEO of Spainguru, Spain's largest expat immigration community with 150,000+ members. Since 2014 he has helped thousands of people relocate to Spain through expert guides, webinars and vetted professional services covering visas, residency, taxes and life in Spain.

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