Plain-English guides to Irish pension decisions — auto-enrolment, tax relief, cross-border pensions, and retirement planning. All articles reference primary sources.
Covers both directions: Irish workers in the Philippines (SSS voluntary membership) and Filipino migrants in Ireland (PRSI PAYE + OFW voluntary SSS). SSS, GSIS, Pag-IBIG fund mechanics, and no bilateral means each system stands alone.
Read guide →China's urban employee pension has two accounts: your Individual Account is refundable when you leave; the Social Pooling portion is lost. No bilateral agreement. Covers hukou implications, the refund claim process, and voluntary PRSI while abroad.
Read guide →Two very different paths: private-sector workers in the CNAP scheme (EU totalisation, 120-month minimum) and EU/international institution staff under Staff Regulations (PMO, entirely separate). Worked examples for each track.
Read guide →EU Regulation 883/2004 totalisation for Czech ČSSZ qualifying periods, the 35-year contribution requirement, DPS supplementary pension portability, and pro-rata pension calculation with a worked example.
Read guide →India's EPF/EPS split, the critical 10-year EPS threshold for a monthly pension vs lump-sum withdrawal, no bilateral agreement, how to withdraw via EPFO from Ireland, and voluntary PRSI to protect your Irish State Pension record.
Read guide →EP and S-Pass holders don't pay CPF — so most Irish workers in Singapore leave with nothing from the mandatory system. Covers the voluntary SRS scheme, the CPF refund for those who did contribute, and voluntary PRSI to protect your Irish State Pension while abroad.
Read guide →No bilateral agreement means each system stands alone. Covers SA pension/provident/RA fund types, the 2021 exchange control changes, the Ireland-SA DTA source rule, and why voluntary PRSI is essential.
Read guide →Ireland-Korea bilateral agreement (2014), NPS qualifying periods, the lump-sum refund trap, Retirement Pension DB/DC/IRP explained, and how to claim both pensions in parallel.
Read guide →Ireland-Japan bilateral agreement (2010), Kokumin and Kosei Nenkin explained, the dattai ichiji-kin lump-sum trap (claim it = forfeit your pension), and how to apply from Ireland via nenkin.go.jp.
Read guide →No bilateral agreement, no state pension for expats — but the EOSG lump sum needs a plan. Covers gratuity mechanics, DEWS for DIFC workers, voluntary PRSI to protect your Irish State Pension, and the return-home reinvestment gap.
Read guide →EFKA post-2016, the two-tier main + supplementary pension, EU totalisation for the 4,500-day minimum, recovering fragmented IKA records via AMKA, and applying from Ireland.
Read guide →Finland's TyEL earnings-related pension (all earnings count, no cap), sector funds by industry, the self-employed YUEL enrolment trap, the kansaneläke national pension, and ETK as the one-stop gateway.
Read guide →The 1994 Ireland-NZ bilateral agreement, NZ Super's residence-based structure, the dollar-for-dollar offset trap, and what KiwiSaver members need to know when returning home.
Read guide →Norway's EEA status means full EU totalisation applies. Covers the 2011 pensjonsbeholdning reform, the Oljefondet misconception, tjenestepensjon occupational schemes, and how to claim via NAV.
Read guide →Denmark's residence-based Folkepension (Irish PRSI helps qualify but doesn't boost the amount), the ATP supplement, occupational pensions via PensionsInfo.dk, and how to claim via Udbetaling Danmark.
Read guide →Austria's Entgeltpunkte earnings-points system, the 7-actual-year contribution sub-rule, Abfertigung Neu severance fund portability, and why the Ausgleichszulage minimum doesn't apply to Irish-resident claimants.
Read guide →Portugal's Segurança Social, the annually-adjusted pension age (66y4m in 2026), EU totalisation to meet the 15-year minimum, and the 2024 NHR tax regime change for Irish people retiring to Portugal.
Read guide →Poland's ZUS notional-account system, the restored 65/60 pension age, minimum qualifying periods, the OFE legacy situation, and the cash-flow gap women face between Polish and Irish pension ages.
Read guide →Belgium's three pension regimes, the ONP formula, EU regulation totalisation, and how to claim what you built at the RVP/ONP.
Read guide →Switzerland's three-pillar system (AHV/BVG/Pillar 3), AFMP totalisation with Ireland, and the critical rule preventing early BVG cashout for EU/Irish returnees.
Read guide →Sweden's income pension, premium pension and guarantee pension, tjänstepension occupational funds, and how to recover your Swedish record via minPension.se.
Read guide →Italy's INPS system, contributivo vs retributivo calculation, EU totalisation, and how Irish returnees recover their codice fiscale via the Italian Consulate in Dublin.
Read guide →Spain's Seguridad Social, qualifying trimestres, EU totalisation with Irish PRSI, and the S1 healthcare form for Irish retirees moving back to Spain.
Read guide →Canada-Ireland bilateral agreement, CPP vs OAS distinction, NR5 withholding tax form, Quebec QPP carve-out, and how to file for both pensions simultaneously.
Read guide →US-Ireland Totalization Agreement, SSA credits, the 2025 WEP repeal (Social Security Fairness Act), and how to apply for both pensions at once.
Read guide →Why you can't bring your super home early, the DASP claim process, how Australian working years count toward Irish PRSI qualification, and tax traps to avoid.