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British pension paid abroad.

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2025 2:00pm
4 replies3 members subscribed
Mslynn

Posts: 23

2 helpful points

Location: Torrevieja

Joined: 25 Jun 2020

Hello fellow seniors!

I'm British, but have worked in a few different countries in the EU and get my pensions from these countries albeit small, due to the worked years.

 But I have  lived in an EUROPEAN country now for 22 years and want citizenship here.

.  I'm receiving my British pension which is normal. I'm seriously considering changing my British passport for the EU country I live in.

Here is my big worry, if I get another citizenship and renounce my British one - can the British government stop paying my pension??

Has anyone else had this issue?

Thank you for reading.

Kind regards 

Lynn 

marcliff

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2025 2:15pm

marcliff

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 3638

4590 helpful points

Location: Rojales

Joined: 5 Jan 2023

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2025 2:15pm

No, they will not stop your UK pension just because you take out citizenship. Are you taking out citizenship in Spain? In which case you need to have been a legal resident for 10 years or more, take a test in Spanish regarding current affairs and the history of Spain. This 10 years is for those who are foreigners and have lived here (not in the EU) for those 10 years but can be reduced if you are married to a Spanish citizen or come from a country with Spanish ties such as those in S America. 1 year on marriage and 2 years with Spanish ties.

You then need to attend an interview, in Spanish, showing how you have integrated into Spanish society and they will be looking for things like participation in Spanish social activities. 

You can then apply for a Spanish passport and must pledge allegiance to the King and constitution of Spain and, in most cases, relinquish your previous passport as Spain does not recognise dual citizenship. But it will not affect your entitlement to a pension from any country you have worked in.

I have actually gone through the citizenship process but baulked at the end with the allegiance and renouncing of previous citizenship at the very end of the process. One of the questions I tripped up on was knowing the names of the King of Spain's two sisters, I knew Cristina, his younger sister, but could not recall his elder sister, the Duchess of Lugo Infanta Elena. Just to let you know the type of questions you could face. 

Darro

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2025 7:59pm

Darro

Super helpful member

Posts: 1921

1737 helpful points

Location: Catral

Joined: 8 Sep 2021

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2025 7:59pm

It's true that Spain does not recognise dual citizenship but it's a paper rule which does NOT mean relinguishing your UK passport, which belongs to the UK government anyway, or actually renouncing UK citizenship.

harvest

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 11:58am

harvest

Helpful member

Posts: 262

184 helpful points

Location: Denia

Joined: 23 Dec 2020

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 11:58am

My sister has a british and an eu passport you can keep both.

janiceroquero

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 3:04pm

janiceroquero

Very helpful member

Posts: 942

625 helpful points

Location: Santa Pola

Joined: 21 Aug 2020

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 3:04pm

harvest wrote on Sun Nov 30, 2025 11:58am:

My sister has a british and an eu passport you can keep both.

Is your sister's EU passport a Spanish one?

Different countries m in the EU have their own rules in this matter.

J

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Airport Service Taxi Mil Palmeras  Torre de la Horadada
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Thy Will Be Done
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