eirikur3 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Hi, i have been reading about some Europeans getting a letter of income from theyr embassy, But i wonder, the only reason to get those papers from the embassy, would be if one has inteded to stay in Thailand for more than 6 months!! Acording to EU rules, one may only be away from his country 6 months pr, year. Would not theyr Eoropean country be informed af this by the European embassy in question ? what about a 50 years man that needs a letter of income ? Can i go to my embassy and get a letter of income, even if i alread almost stayed here in Thailand 6 months ? In case i wanted to apply for a retirement visa? Best regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 There is no EU rule that says you cannot stay longer than 6 months. That would be against EU-rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobi Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 ... Acording to EU rules, one may only be away from his country 6 months pr, year.... Where on earth did you get this incredible piece of information from? Please quote your sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eirikur3 Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Where on earth did you get this incredible piece of information from?Please quote your sources. Well in 2005 , when i got my early retirement (grounded disabeling cronic sickness) i read abot everything concerning how long people simular to me, could stay out of the EU. I even looked up and saw court cases , in wich that person living outside EU loosing a sertain prosentage og his pensoin(he was 43 years old) And i was told the to be careful that the stamps in my a passport, did not show a longer stay than 6 months a year, if the stay was outside of EU. Has something changed ? Also my brother (from Iceland, that has the same rules as EU-contract ) got dissability pension was staying in Thai. until some "nice" friend called the authoroties and told he was staying in Thailand, then he lost his pension ?? I know it is allowed to move to any other EU country, but read it was different in case of a country outside EU. Could there rules vary from one european country to the other? Or this been changed? i also know a Danish man that had his adresse in Denmark, but when the authoroties there were told he was living all year in Thailand the cut his pension by ca. 30%. this, ofcourse happened some years ago .??? My sourses are informations online regarding this, and the fact that Danish man told me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 The rules about receiving your pension outside the EU divers from country to country. It is not your right to stay outside the EU that is being limited in that case, but the right to receive your pension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opalhort Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 (edited) The OP appears to be correct as far as the EU pension rules are concerned. My sister (German), also on disability pension, was contemplating to retire in Thailand next year but found out that her pension would be cut to 50% if she did not reside in the EU for at least 6 months per year. opalhort Edited February 15, 2009 by opalhort Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henryalleman Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 (edited) If you are a Belgian citizen and get a disability check, the maximum period staying abroad is maximum 3 months. In the EU or outside make no difference. You must ask first permission from the control doctor of your sickness benefit office. Telling the exact period staying abroad and which country. This guarantee that your medical care abroad is paid back. Sometimes they refuse, because your sickness makes its dangerous to stay in some country. Due to the fact that you may not endanger yourself to make your sickness worse by not getting the proper treatment. I not doing so, you can loose your disability benefit. Early retirement (brugpensioen) below the age of 60. The maximum period staying abroad can not exceed 30 day's. Otherwise you will loose your unemployment benefit. Early retirement(brugpensioen) above the age of 60 You main residence have to be at least 50% of the year in your registered address in Belgium, and must really be living there. Otherwise you will loose your unemployment benefit. If this is not the case the commune have the right to take out your name in the population register. All Belgian citizen can retire at the age of 60 when they can prove at least 35 years working. This is not possible for the ones who are under the early retirement system. They have to wait till the age of 65. All Belgium citizens who are planning to move permanently abroad are obliged to go to the commune and cancel their name from the population register and report to the embassy of the country of their new residence, were they will get an new ID card stating that you are a Belgium citizen living abroad. From that moment of the embassy take over ALL duty's from any government office in Belgium and you have all the same rights and legal benefits as you were staying in Belgium. Except national health-care. This depend on bilateral agreements between the 2 countries. Therefore staying permanently in Thailand make you loose all national health-care benefits. BTW having a permanent residence outside Belgium has no effect on your pension. But in the case staying in Thailand you can only receive it in an Belgian bank-account. If retired in the Euro zone, it will be send in your bank account abroad. This is also the case if you retire in Switzerland, Morocco, and Turkey. In Thailand you can also ask to send it by Post check Flemish members can always PM me for more detailed information or websites source Belgian social security Belgian government pension office Edited February 15, 2009 by henryalleman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eirikur3 Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Well it seems to be the similar in all EU countries then. Too receive your full pension you need to live in your EU country 50% of the year!!? So instead of beeing able to live of your pension in asia, you still must lead a poor persons life in Europe 6 months pr. year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Not for Dutch people. We can move to Thailand without any worries about our pension rights! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opalhort Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I think that people receiving regular old-age pension do not face any restrictions. It is the disability pensions where the restrictions come into play. opalhort Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 A disability pension in Thailand is for the Dutch also no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eirikur3 Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 So a Dutch disabled person, can without problems relocate to Thailand and have an addresse in Thailand, without loosing any pension rights ? If this is so, then it is very strange that all, to my best knowledge, other EU countries have different law's regarding this. Do any other EU country citizens have any additional information on this topic ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 EU law only refers to the EU. Rules about receiving (disability) pensions within the EU will fall within the scope of the EU, but having those rights outside the EU not. Every country can makes his own rules about that, as it is not a matter of concern to the EU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eirikur3 Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Well i am happy to read German authorities, permitt theyr disabled citizens, to life in any country af theyr choice, and still receive their disability pension. This is however not the case in many other EU countries, and my main concern is how the pension laws are in Germany's neightbour countries, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, regarding this matter. I have tried to look it up online, but its hard to find and confusing. Anyone know anything about the scandinavian countries, in relation to the above ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 You don't need to know about a whole bunch of countries, only about the country of which you are a citizen. -- Maestro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobi Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Full pensions are paid to British citizens who live outside the EU, but the pension is frozen at the rate it was when the pensioner left the EU. So any annual increases to bring the pension in line with RPI, inflation etc, are not given. There are pensioners living in Thailand who still receive the rate that was applicable some 20 years ago, and are currently living on very hard times. The UK law is selective; thus pensioners living in some countries, such as the USA, do receive the annual increases, but those living in other countries, such as South Africa and Thailand, do not. No disability pensions are paid to British citizens who live outside the EU. The 'plus' is that no tax is paid on non UK income, once non residency for tax has been established. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eirikur3 Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 You don't need to know about a whole bunch of countries, only about the country of which you are a citizen.-- Maestro Thats not really so in this case, i'd hardly be asking anything if didn't need/want to know. But thanks for pointing that out anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astral Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I think that people receiving regular old-age pension do not face any restrictions. Yes they do, if they come from the UK. No yearly pension increases, if you live in Thailand. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfokevin Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Not for Dutch people. We can move to Thailand without any worries about our pension rights! The Dutch have always been special... That's why they are so hated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astral Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Perhaps time there was an EU rule on the matter?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamhc Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I think that people receiving regular old-age pension do not face any restrictions. Yes they do, if they come from the UK. No yearly pension increases, if you live in Thailand. :D You also still have to pay TAX on your pension. If you live in the Philippines, then your UK pension is still index linked - The ONLY place in Asia! I am OFFICIALLY an "Ex-pat" who lives abroad yet "Tax Domiciled" in the UK, as I have a Company Pension and still still own my house back there...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henryalleman Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Well it seems to be the similar in all EU countries then. Too receive your full pension you need to live in your EU country 50% of the year!!? So instead of beeing able to live of your pension in asia, you still must lead a poor persons life in Europe 6 months pr. year. I think you misunderstood. Belgian citizens get a full indexed pension when living abroad, its only send to their account in Belgium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobi Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I think that people receiving regular old-age pension do not face any restrictions. Yes they do, if they come from the UK. No yearly pension increases, if you live in Thailand. You also still have to pay TAX on your pension. If you live in the Philippines, then your UK pension is still index linked - The ONLY place in Asia! I am OFFICIALLY an "Ex-pat" who lives abroad yet "Tax Domiciled" in the UK, as I have a Company Pension and still still own my house back there...... But if your UK state pension is you only source of UK income, then you won't be paying much tax. Now I didn't know that the pension is still index linked if you live in the Philippines. Hm ... that's interesting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palomnik Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 (edited) Perhaps not my business since I'm an American, but wouldn't the factor of maintaining a "residence" (i.e., a mailing address) in your home country and having your pension deposited in a home country bank be sufficient? For US citizens by and large it is sufficient in any situation, with the exception of a few countries (Thailand not one of them, although Vietnam is). Edited February 16, 2009 by palomnik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyebee Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 If you live in the Philippines, then your UK pension is still index linked - The ONLY place in Asia! You also get your full index-linked pension in Israel - isn't that in Asia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 You also get your full index-linked pension in Israel - isn't that in Asia? No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eirikur3 Posted February 16, 2009 Author Share Posted February 16, 2009 Well it seems to be the similar in all EU countries then. Too receive your full pension you need to live in your EU country 50% of the year!!? So instead of beeing able to live of your pension in asia, you still must lead a poor persons life in Europe 6 months pr. year. I think you misunderstood. Belgian citizens get a full indexed pension when living abroad, its only send to their account in Belgium. Yes, but i must be easy to have the Belgian bank to forward the money to your account in Asia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 As Dutch, I can just use my Dutch bank ATM card. Transfer by bank takes about 3 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noahvail Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Perhaps not my business since I'm an American, but wouldn't the factor of maintaining a "residence" (i.e., a mailing address) in your home country and having your pension deposited in a home country bank be sufficient? For US citizens by and large it is sufficient in any situation, with the exception of a few countries (Thailand not one of them, although Vietnam is). For the US ex-pats in Thailand... my registered address with (SSA for SSDI) and the IRS is here in Thailand. I have no problem receiving full benefits here. That's not new, spent 8 years in New Zealand receiving the benefits from the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamIV Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 (edited) Perhaps not my business since I'm an American, but wouldn't the factor of maintaining a "residence" (i.e., a mailing address) in your home country and having your pension deposited in a home country bank be sufficient? For US citizens by and large it is sufficient in any situation, with the exception of a few countries (Thailand not one of them, although Vietnam is). Problem with that suggestion is that you will then end up paying UK Income Tax Both on your Gvt Pension and your Private Pension and any other income. Whereas residing in Thailand - there is no UK Income Tax to pay. It might be possible to arrange an address in a Country that does qualify for UK Pension Index linking but the worry of cheating in such a way would not be worth it to me. Bill Edited February 18, 2009 by WilliamIV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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