Irish State Pension with years abroad

How a pro-rata pension works

1. Can you qualify on Irish PRSI alone? You need 520 paid contributions (10 years). If yes, the Irish pension is your contributions ÷ 2,080 of the full rate.
2. If not, your years abroad are added to reach the 520, as long as you have at least 52 Irish contributions with at least one paid, and the other country is in the EU/EEA, the UK or has an agreement with Ireland.
3. The Department works out the full pension your combined record would earn if it were all Irish, then pays the Irish share: that amount × your Irish full-rate contributions ÷ all contributions, rounded up to the nearest 10 cents.
4. The other country pays its own share under its rules, and you get both.

What people get wrong

• Thinking short Irish service is wasted. Even 52 Irish weeks can earn a small Irish pension when your foreign years are added.
• Expecting pro-rata to top up a full Irish record. If your Irish record qualifies on its own, the Irish-only amount is usually the higher one, and that is what is paid.
• Applying in every country. Apply once, where you live; list every country on the form.

What this calculator does not cover

Increases for a qualified adult, at 80 and for living alone; the yearly-average method (which the Department also checks, paying the higher); widow’s, invalidity and non-contributory pensions; Australian and New Zealand residence periods (they count residence from age 16, which you can enter as years); records in more than one agreement country (each is assessed separately).

Frequently asked questions

Do my UK years count towards the Irish State Pension?
Yes. Under the UK-Ireland Convention on Social Security, UK contributions can help you qualify, and Ireland then pays a pro-rata share. Example: 6 years of Irish PRSI is not enough on its own (you need 520 paid contributions, 10 years), but with 25 UK years Ireland pays about €46.40 a week from 2027, and the UK pays its own State Pension on its 25 years (about £172.36 a week in 2026–27).

How is a pro-rata Irish pension worked out?
The Department works out the pension you would get if all your contributions, Irish and foreign, were Irish, then pays the Irish share: that amount times your full-rate Irish contributions, divided by all your contributions. You need at least 52 Irish contributions, at least one of them paid.

Do I have to apply to each country?
No. Apply in the country you live in. On the Irish form (SPC1) you list every country you worked in, and the Department applies to that country for you and gets your record from it directly.

Can I combine years from two countries?
EU and EEA countries are added together under EU rules. Each bilateral agreement country (USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Quebec) is assessed on its own, and you get the higher result; two agreement countries cannot both be added.

Will I get the Irish pension and the UK pension?
Yes, each country pays its own. The UK pays on your UK record if you have at least 10 qualifying years; Ireland pays its pro-rata share. Both are taxable in Ireland if you live here.

Related

• Sell before or after you move to Ireland?
• Irish State Pension calculator (Irish record only, with credits and HomeCaring)
• Is my UK pension taxed in Ireland? State, workplace and government pensions, USC, and UK lump sums.
• UK voluntary National Insurance from abroad · UK State Pension from Ireland and abroad
• UK State Pension living in Ireland: what buying missing UK years costs, Class 2 or 3, and why Ireland lets you keep it all
• Moving home to Ireland? · Irish State Pension guide