OAS eligibility is decided by age, legal status and the number of years lived in Canada after age 18. Where a person lives when the pension is paid changes the minimum: 10 years for someone living in Canada, 20 years for someone living outside Canada. The table below is the eligibility check, by years of residence and place of living. The Old Age Security guide covers the wider program, including the GIS and the Allowance.
How to read this table: find the row for the years lived in Canada after the 18th birthday, then read across. Both columns assume the age and legal status conditions in the next table are met. An agreement country is one that has a social security agreement with Canada.
| Years lived in Canada after age 18 | Living in Canada at 65 or older | Living outside Canada at 65 or older | Share of the full pension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 10 | No OAS pension on Canadian years alone; time in a social security agreement country may count toward the 10 years | No OAS pension on Canadian years alone; an agreement may count time lived and worked in the other country toward the 20 years | Years in Canada divided by 40, only if an agreement opens eligibility |
| 10 to 19 | Partial pension | Not payable abroad on Canadian years alone; payable if time lived and worked in an agreement country brings the total to 20 years | 10/40 to 19/40 of the full pension |
| 20 to 39 | Partial pension | Partial pension, payable worldwide | 20/40 to 39/40 of the full pension |
| 40 or more | Full pension | Full pension, payable worldwide | 40/40, the full pension |
Source: Old Age Security — Do you qualify (Canada.ca); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (legal status and residence, in Canada and outside Canada); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (work history does not matter); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (annual net income thresholds); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (family members and international organizations); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (partial pension example); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (years after the pension starts); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (earliest and latest start); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (delaying abroad with under 20 years); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (living or having lived outside Canada); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (partial pension minimums); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (automatic enrolment); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (no letter); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (when action is needed); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (payments while living outside Canada); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (leaving and returning to Canada); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (residency requirements table); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (GIS and Allowance abroad); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (records to keep); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (what an agreement does); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (OAS example); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (OAS example, amount); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (country list, Africa, Americas and Caribbean); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (country list, Asia, Europe, Oceania); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (countries without an agreement); Budget 2016, Chapter 5 — An Inclusive and Fair Canada (OAS eligibility age restored to 65). In effect from October 1, 2026; checked October 8, 2026.
This page is education, not advice. Service Canada decides each case from its own records and the documents sent in; the exact entitlement and monthly amount appear in My Service Canada Account and on the decision letter.
Who is eligible for OAS?
A person is eligible for the OAS pension when they meet every condition in the column that matches where they live. Service Canada’s conditions are short, and work history is not one of them.
How to read this table: every row in a column has to be met. The legal status test is taken at a different moment in each column: at approval for people in Canada, on the day before departure for people who have left.
| Condition | Living in Canada | Living outside Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 65 or older | 65 or older |
| Legal status | Canadian citizen or legal resident at the time Service Canada approves the application | Canadian citizen or legal resident of Canada on the day before leaving Canada |
| Residence in Canada after age 18 | At least 10 years | At least 20 years |
| Work history | Not needed; the pension can be paid to people who never worked or are still working | Not needed |
Source: Old Age Security — Do you qualify (Canada.ca); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (legal status and residence, in Canada and outside Canada); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (work history does not matter); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (annual net income thresholds); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (family members and international organizations); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (partial pension example); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (years after the pension starts); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (earliest and latest start); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (delaying abroad with under 20 years); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (living or having lived outside Canada); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (partial pension minimums); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (automatic enrolment); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (no letter); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (when action is needed); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (payments while living outside Canada); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (leaving and returning to Canada); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (residency requirements table); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (GIS and Allowance abroad); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (records to keep); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (what an agreement does); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (OAS example); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (OAS example, amount); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (country list, Africa, Americas and Caribbean); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (country list, Asia, Europe, Oceania); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (countries without an agreement); Budget 2016, Chapter 5 — An Inclusive and Fair Canada (OAS eligibility age restored to 65). In effect from October 1, 2026; checked October 8, 2026.
Three points follow from the table.
- Citizenship is not required. The test is Canadian citizen or legal resident. For people in Canada it is applied when the application is approved; for people abroad it looks back to the day before they left.
- Employment does not count. Service Canada says the pension can be paid to someone who has never worked or is still working. That is the main difference from the Canada Pension Plan, which is built on contributions; the guide to applying for CPP covers that side.
- A tax return is still needed. Service Canada requires a tax return each year to receive the pension, and uses it to determine net income.
Sponsorship is a separate matter. Service Canada lists not being under a sponsorship agreement as a condition for the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor, not for the OAS pension itself. The OAS pension conditions for a sponsored parent or grandparent are the same age, status and residence tests as for anyone else, while the GIS is not payable for the length of the sponsorship agreement, with a few exceptions such as the sponsor’s death or bankruptcy; the GIS income limits guide explains that benefit.
Does OAS start at 65 or 67?
OAS starts at 65. Service Canada’s rule is that a person must be 65 years or older to receive the pension, and the earliest possible start is age 65.
The number 67 comes from a change that never took effect. The Old Age Security Act contained provisions to raise the eligibility age for OAS and the GIS from 65 to 67, phased in over the 2023 to 2029 period, along with a move from 60 to 62 for the Allowance. Budget 2016 proposed cancelling those provisions, and the eligibility ages stayed at 65 and 60.
Two other ages matter:
- 70 is the latest useful start. Delaying adds 0.6% for each month after 65, up to 36% at 70, and Service Canada says there is no benefit to waiting past 70. The OAS deferral guide works through that choice.
- 75 brings an automatic 10% increase, paid from the month after the 75th birthday.
CPP has a different range, with a start as early as 60; the CPP start-age comparison sets the two side by side.
What are the OAS residency requirements?
The OAS residency requirement is a count of years lived in Canada after age 18. Years before the 18th birthday do not count.
- Living in Canada: at least 10 years.
- Living outside Canada: at least 20 years.
- Full pension: 40 years.
Some time spent abroad can be treated as residence in Canada. Service Canada says work outside Canada for a Canadian employer may count if the person returns to Canada within 6 months after the job ends, or turns 65 while still working abroad and keeping Canadian residence. The application then needs proof of employment from the employer and proof of physically returning to Canada, unless the person turned 65 while still employed abroad. Under certain conditions, spouses, common-law partners, dependents and Canadians working abroad for international organizations may also count that time.
For anyone who has lived in more than one country, Service Canada suggests tracking Canadian and foreign residency years and keeping proof of residence for each country: passports, leases, mortgages and utility bills.
How is a partial OAS pension calculated?
A partial OAS pension is the number of years lived in Canada after 18, divided by 40. Service Canada’s published example is 20 years: 20 divided by 40, or 50% of the full pension. The same division gives the other rows.
How to read this table: multiply the share by the full OAS pension for the quarter to estimate the monthly amount. The last column applies to people who live outside Canada for more than 6 months.
| Years in Canada after 18 | Fraction | Share of the full pension | Payable while living outside Canada? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10/40 | 25% | Only with a social security agreement |
| 15 | 15/40 | 37.5% | Only with a social security agreement |
| 20 | 20/40 | 50% | Yes |
| 25 | 25/40 | 62.5% | Yes |
| 30 | 30/40 | 75% | Yes |
| 35 | 35/40 | 87.5% | Yes |
| 40 | 40/40 | 100% | Yes |
Source: Old Age Security — Do you qualify (Canada.ca); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (legal status and residence, in Canada and outside Canada); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (work history does not matter); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (annual net income thresholds); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (family members and international organizations); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (partial pension example); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (years after the pension starts); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (earliest and latest start); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (delaying abroad with under 20 years); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (living or having lived outside Canada); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (partial pension minimums); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (automatic enrolment); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (no letter); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (when action is needed); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (payments while living outside Canada); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (leaving and returning to Canada); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (residency requirements table); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (GIS and Allowance abroad); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (records to keep); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (what an agreement does); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (OAS example); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (OAS example, amount); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (country list, Africa, Americas and Caribbean); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (country list, Asia, Europe, Oceania); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (countries without an agreement); Budget 2016, Chapter 5 — An Inclusive and Fair Canada (OAS eligibility age restored to 65). In effect from October 1, 2026; checked October 8, 2026.
Worked partial-pension examples
These examples use the full pension for ages 65 to 74 for October to December 2026, $762.50 a month, for a pension that starts at 65. They assume net income below the recovery tax threshold.
- 10 years in Canada. A person who arrived at 55 and is living in Canada at 65 has 10 years: about $190.63 a month.
- 20 years in Canada. Service Canada’s own case, 20 years after 18: $381.25 a month, and it can be paid anywhere in the world.
- 30 years in Canada. A person who arrived at 35 and turns 65 in Canada: about $571.88 a month.
- 16 years in Canada, now living abroad. In Service Canada’s Austria example, the agreement opens eligibility and the amount stays on Canadian years: $305.00 a month at current rates.
- 20 years, at age 75. The automatic increase applies to the partial pension as well: about $419.38 a month at the same quarter’s rates.
One rule limits these figures: once the pension has started, extra years lived in Canada do not increase it. Service Canada lists having fewer than 40 years of residence as something to consider when choosing whether to delay the start. The full amounts for each quarter, and the GIS that can sit on top of a small partial pension, are in the OAS payment amounts tables, and the OAS, CPP and GIS planner estimates the combined monthly total.
Can you get OAS while living outside Canada?
Yes, when the person has at least 20 years of residence in Canada after 18, or when time lived and worked in a social security agreement country brings the combined total to at least 20 years. The legal status test also changes: the person must have been a Canadian citizen or legal resident on the day before leaving Canada.
What happens after leaving, by situation:
How to read this table: the 6-month line is the one that matters. Service Canada asks people to contact it before leaving Canada for more than 6 months, and again on return.
| Situation | OAS pension | GIS and Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Trip or stay outside Canada of 6 months or less | Continues | Continues |
| Outside Canada more than 6 months, with at least 20 years in Canada after age 18 | Can continue while living abroad | GIS requires living in Canada, and ESDC says it may stop after more than 6 months away; call Service Canada before leaving and again on return |
| Outside Canada more than 6 months, fewer than 20 years in Canada but lived and worked in a social security agreement country, combined time at least 20 years | Continues | GIS requires living in Canada and may stop after more than 6 months away |
| Outside Canada more than 6 months, fewer than 20 years in Canada and no agreement that brings the total to 20 | May stop after more than 6 months away; call Service Canada on return to restart payments | May stop after more than 6 months away |
Source: Old Age Security — Do you qualify (Canada.ca); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (income that counts, tax return rule); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (working abroad for a Canadian employer); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (proof needed for work abroad); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (GIS citizenship or legal residence); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (Allowance sponsorship condition covers both partners); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (social security agreements); Guaranteed Income Supplement — Do you qualify (Canada.ca); Guaranteed Income Supplement — Do you qualify (sponsorship rules effective October 1, 2025); Guaranteed Income Supplement — Do you qualify (Allowance for the Survivor conditions); Guaranteed Income Supplement — Do you qualify (exceptions for sponsored immigrants); Allowance — conversion to the Allowance for the Survivor (Canada.ca); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — non-resident tax cap (Canada.ca); Allowance — overview and when to apply (Canada.ca); Allowance for the Survivor — overview and when to apply (Canada.ca); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (automatic enrolment); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (online conditions and paper form); Old Age Security — Apply (applying from outside Canada); Old Age Security — Apply (paper form); Guaranteed Income Supplement — Apply (GIS-only form); Guaranteed Income Supplement — Apply (automatic GIS enrolment); Old Age Security — After you apply (processing times and reconsideration); Old Age Security — After you apply (reconsideration deadline); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (retroactive payments); Old Age Security — When to start (other benefits wait while OAS is delayed); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (first payment and cancelling); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (payments while living outside Canada); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (leaving or returning to Canada); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (annual reassessment and taxes); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — non-residents (Canada.ca); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — non-resident tax threshold (Canada.ca); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — non-resident tax deducted (Canada.ca); Guaranteed Income Supplement — Receiving your benefit (missing July payment); Guaranteed Income Supplement — Receiving your benefit (annual review and tax filing); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (call before leaving and on return); Pensions and benefits if you have lived or are living outside Canada — social security agreements (Canada.ca); Pensions and benefits if you have lived or are living outside Canada — agreements differ (Canada.ca). In effect from October 1, 2025; checked September 30, 2026.
A few practical points for people abroad:
- Applications are on paper. An application from outside Canada goes by mail to the Service Canada office in the last province or territory of residence.
- The GIS does not travel. It requires living in Canada and is not payable abroad for periods longer than 6 months.
- Delaying may bring no gain. For someone living outside Canada with fewer than 20 years of residence, in a country with no agreement, Service Canada notes that delaying the pension will not result in higher payments.
- Non-resident tax may apply. It is deducted from the monthly payments, at a rate that depends on the country of residence.
How do social security agreements help with OAS eligibility?
A social security agreement lets time in another country count toward Canada’s minimums. It can combine residence in each country to meet the 10-year or 20-year test, and it can reduce or remove limits on being paid abroad. It does not increase the payment: the amount stays based on years in Canada.
Service Canada’s example is Thomas, age 65, who lived in Canada for 16 years after 18 and then moved back to Austria. On Canadian years alone he falls short of the 20 needed abroad. Because Canada has an agreement with Austria, his adult years there count toward the 20-year rule and he qualifies, with a pension still based only on his 16 years in Canada.
How to read this table: names are as Service Canada lists them. Each agreement has its own rules, so the country's own page on Canada.ca is the place to confirm what counts.
| Region | Countries listed by Service Canada |
|---|---|
| Africa | Morocco, Tunisia |
| Americas and Caribbean | Antigua & Barbuda, Argentine Republic, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Dominica, Ecuador, Grenada, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay |
| Asia, including Middle East | China, India, Israel, Japan, Korea (South), Philippines, Türkiye |
| Europe | Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand |
Source: Old Age Security — Do you qualify (Canada.ca); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (legal status and residence, in Canada and outside Canada); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (work history does not matter); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (annual net income thresholds); Old Age Security — Do you qualify (family members and international organizations); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (partial pension example); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (years after the pension starts); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (earliest and latest start); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (delaying abroad with under 20 years); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (living or having lived outside Canada); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (partial pension minimums); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (automatic enrolment); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (no letter); Old Age Security — Apply, delay, or change your start date (when action is needed); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (payments while living outside Canada); Old Age Security — Receiving your pension (leaving and returning to Canada); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (residency requirements table); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (GIS and Allowance abroad); Lived or living outside Canada — Do you qualify (records to keep); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (what an agreement does); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (OAS example); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (OAS example, amount); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (country list, Africa, Americas and Caribbean); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (country list, Asia, Europe, Oceania); Lived or living outside Canada — Social security agreements (countries without an agreement); Budget 2016, Chapter 5 — An Inclusive and Fair Canada (OAS eligibility age restored to 65). In effect from October 1, 2026; checked October 8, 2026.
A country missing from the list does not block an application. Service Canada says an agreement is not required to apply, and encourages people to apply for both Canadian and foreign pensions even when unsure.
Is OAS enrolment automatic, and when should you apply?
Enrolment is automatic for most people. When Service Canada has the eligibility information, it sends an enrolment letter around the 64th birthday, and no application is needed.
Action is needed in these cases:
- No letter one month after the 64th birthday. Contact Service Canada to find out whether an application is needed.
- The letter has incorrect information.
- A letter from Service Canada asks for an application.
- The start date should be later, or a chosen date needs to change.
- The 65th birthday has passed with no pension started and no delay requested.
Applying online through My Service Canada Account is open to anyone at least 1 month past the 64th birthday who is not already receiving OAS and has no third party managing the account. The paper form is the ISP-3550. Service Canada’s processing targets are 14 days online and 120 days by mail.
Timing matters for late applications. For a person already over 65, Service Canada may be able to give a retroactive payment for up to 11 months from the date the application is received, and no retroactive payment covers a period in which the pension was deliberately delayed. A decision can be challenged by asking for a reconsideration within 90 days of receiving the decision letter.
What can change or stop OAS eligibility later?
- Leaving Canada for more than 6 months. Payments may stop for anyone who does not meet the 20-year rule, directly or through an agreement. Service Canada asks for a call before leaving and another on return to restart payments.
- High income. For July 2026 to June 2027 no pension is paid at 2025 net income of $152,062 or more at ages 65 to 74, or $157,923 or more at 75 and over. The OAS clawback guide shows the reduction below those lines.
- Not filing. Service Canada requires a tax return each year to receive the pension.
- Rate changes. OAS amounts are reviewed every January, April, July and October; the eligibility rules on this page are separate from those quarterly changes. Payment days are listed on the CPP and OAS payment dates page.
Common mistakes with OAS eligibility
- Counting years before 18. Only residence after the 18th birthday counts.
- Planning around 67. The eligibility age is 65.
- Assuming work history matters. OAS is based on residence; CPP is the contributory pension.
- Assuming 10 years is enough abroad. The minimum for payment outside Canada is 20 years, unless an agreement closes the gap.
- Expecting an agreement to raise the amount. It helps with eligibility only.
- Waiting for a letter that never comes. One month after the 64th birthday is the point to contact Service Canada.
- Expecting the pension to grow with more years in Canada. Years after the pension starts do not increase it.
- Treating the GIS like OAS when moving away. The GIS requires living in Canada.
Where to go next
The Old Age Security guide covers the full program, including the GIS and the Allowance. For the place of a partial OAS pension in a wider plan, the retirement income planning guide covers CPP, RRIF and TFSA income alongside it.