Claiming Age Pension from overseas

YOURLifeChoices subscriber Emmie, is now eligible to claim the Age Pension but is currently living in Vietnam. She would like to know if she can make her claim from outside Australia.

Q. Emmie
I am an Australian citizen and have become eligible for the Age Pension but am in Vietnam and unable to return to Australia till March. Can I apply from overseas? If not, when I do apply in Australia, can my pension be paid retrospectively from when I became eligible?

A.
To claim the Australian Age Pension you must be resident in Australia, unless Australia has an International Social Security Agreement with your current country of residence. This is not the case with Vietnam.

You are encouraged to make your claim as soon as you are able as your pension payments will not be back-dated.