Danish Pension

As a result of a bilateral agreement you are eligible to apply for a Danish pension through the Canadian government if you are a Danish or Canadian citizen residing in Canada and meet certain conditions.

Denmark has signed a bilateral pension agreement with Canada. You can apply for a Danish pension and early retirement from within Canada, if you meet one of the following conditions:

• You are a Danish citizen and have lived at least three years in Denmark after the age of 15. 
• You are a Canadian citizen and have lived at least three years in Denmark. During those three years you must have worked a minimum of 12 months.

You must also meet the general requirements for receiving a pension, whether living abroad or in Denmark. For example, you must fulfil the minimum age for state pension, your ability to work must be reduced in order to get early retirement, etc.

If you receive a pension abroad, you will normally be entitled to receive the entire amount, i.e. the basic amount and any supplements if applicable. If you have lived many years abroad before retirement age, you will get a smaller share of a full Danish pension, called a fraction pension.

Please note that your pension will be fully taxed according to current rules unless you have requested a tax card (frikort). Fore more information, please visit the website of the Danish tax authorities here: Skat.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A DANISH PENSION WHEN YOU LIVE ABROAD
You must apply for a Danish pension from Canada if you are entitled to receive a pension from Canada.

The application form can be found here: Canada/Denmark Agreement

The completed application form should be mailed to:

Human Resources & Skills Development Canada
International Operations
Income Security Programs
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A OL4
Phone: 1-800-454-8731
Website: International Benefits
Phone hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (North American Eastern Standard Time).

If you can only get a Danish pension, you can apply directly to the Pension Board in Denmark:

Pensionsstyrelsen
Sortemosevej 2
3450 Allrød
Denmark

Phone numbers:
Pension for people living abroad: 01145 33 95 50 05
General pension questions: 01145 33 95 50 00
Phone hours: Monday-Friday 10-14 (DK time).
E-mail: penst@penst.dk 

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I APPLY?
The Danish Pension Board will send a confirmation that they have received your application for pension or early retirement. The Board will then ask you to fill out various statements in order to process your case.
When applying, it is important that you write your social security number and indicate your previous addresses in Denmark.
You will be notified in writing when the Pension Board has reached a decision in your case.

For current processing times and additional information please visit the Pension Board's website (In Danish only).