Form CFN901 — European Economic Area and Switzerland Pension claim form

What is CFN901 EEA and Swiss pension claim?

If you lived or worked in a European Economic Area country or Switzerland, you may be entitled to a state pension from that country as well as your UK State Pension. Form CFN901 lets you claim it through the Department for Work and Pensions' International Pension Centre (IPC), which sends your information to the foreign pension authorities. They decide whether you're entitled and write to you with their decision.

GOV.UK says you may be able to claim an overseas state pension before you reach UK State Pension age, depending on that country's rules, and that you should only use this form for the countries it lists. Tell the IPC about Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden if you lived there, and about Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland if you worked there. For any other country, apply to its pension scheme directly.

The CFN901 has 43 questions, several tables and bank details, so it takes some care. FileIt guides you through it, shows only the questions your answers need, checks dates and bank details, and prints your answers — including accented names and places — into DWP's own PDF. Your details can come from the People records in your FileIt vault, and the completed form is saved in your folder. You print it, sign it and post it yourself; FileIt never submits it.

Who needs to fill out CFN901 EEA and Swiss pension claim?

• People who lived in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway or Sweden, or worked in any of the other listed EEA countries or Switzerland, and want to claim a state pension from there.
• UK residents who find it easier to claim through the International Pension Centre than to contact each country's pension scheme themselves.
• People living outside the UK who have a UK National Insurance record and periods of insurance in EEA countries or Switzerland.
• Family members helping a parent claim — the form is always about the claimant, not the person filling it in.

When to use CFN901 EEA and Swiss pension claim

• When you are approaching the legal retirement age in a country you lived or worked in — the form says you'll normally be paid from that date, so check it with each country first.
• Possibly before UK State Pension age: GOV.UK says it depends on the other country's rules. The European Commission website shows each country's pension age and how long you need to have lived or worked there.
• Before choosing a start date other than the earliest: the form advises finding out in advance what your situation will be if you change the date.

What you need before you start

• Any reference numbers the foreign authorities gave you — they may call it a pension number, insurance number or ID number.
• Your National Insurance number (the form says not to delay sending it if you can't find it), address, phone number, email and date of birth.
• Your place of birth, nationality, all other surnames you've used, your father's full name and your mother's full name at birth.
• Your work situation, yearly earnings and currency, and a planned finish date or the date you stopped work.
• Your spouse's or civil partner's details and marriage dates, and any dependent children's names and dates of birth.
• Every period you lived or worked abroad, with dates, type of work and employer's name and address, plus the insurance institution, reference number and type of insurance for each.
• The account for the foreign pension: holder name, bank name and address, and either a UK sort code and account number or a BIC and IBAN.

What’s on CFN901 EEA and Swiss pension claim

The 2026 edition has 8 pages. FileIt asks for it in 11 parts, and it is signed by Claimant:

1. The European countries you lived or worked in (01)Claimant
2. About you (02–14)Claimant
3. About your employment (15–19)Claimant
4. About your spouse or civil partner (20–30)Claimant
5. About children (31)Claimant
6. When to claim your foreign pension (32–33)Claimant
7. Where the foreign pension should be paid (34–40)Claimant
8. Residence or employment abroad (41)Claimant
9. Insurance details for those periods (42)Claimant
10. Additional information (43)Claimant
11. DeclarationClaimant

How to fill out CFN901 EEA and Swiss pension claim, step by step

1 The countries you lived or worked in (question 01)

The form lists the countries it covers. For up to six of them, give the country and any reference number its pension authority gave you.

2 About you (questions 02 to 14)

Title, last and first name, National Insurance number, address, phone number (with dialling codes if you live abroad), email, date of birth, place of birth and nationality. Then every other surname you have used or been known by, your father's full name and your mother's full name at birth — foreign records may be held under these names.

3 About your employment (questions 15 to 19)

Say whether you're employed, self-employed or not working. If you work, give your yearly earnings and the currency they're paid in, and whether you have a date you plan to finish. If you're not working, give the date you stopped.

4 About your spouse or civil partner (questions 20 to 30)

Whether you have ever been married or formed a civil partnership, when it started, whether and when it ended (by death, divorce or annulment), and your spouse's or civil partner's full name, other surnames, date and place of birth, nationality and UK National Insurance number.

5 Children and when to claim (questions 31 to 33)

List up to four dependent children, with any more in question 43. Then give the date you want the foreign pension to start, and say whether you want it from the earliest date you're eligible.

6 Where to pay the pension (questions 34 to 40)

The account holder's name (up to 35 characters including spaces), the bank's full name and address, and either the UK sort code and account number, or the BIC (8 or 11 characters) and IBAN (up to 34 characters, no spaces).

7 Residence or employment abroad (questions 41 and 42)

Every period you lived or worked in any country outside the UK, whether EU social security rules apply or not: country, from and to dates, type of work (salaried, self-employed, military service or professional training) and the employer's name and address. If you only lived there, give just the country and dates. Question 42 asks, for each country, the insurance institution, your reference or insurance number and whether the insurance was compulsory or voluntary. If you worked in mining, say the type of mine, the substance produced, and whether the work was on the surface or underground.

8 Additional information and declaration (question 43)

Use question 43 for more children, countries, periods or anything else, saying which question each note refers to. In the declaration you confirm the information is correct and complete, and that you'll promptly tell the office that pays your UK benefit about any foreign pension you're awarded that may affect it. Sign and date it by hand.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using the CFN901 for a country that isn't on its list — apply to that country's pension scheme directly instead.
• Leaving out periods where you only lived in a country. For Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, residence matters too.
• Missing foreign reference numbers you already have, which help the foreign authority find your record.
• Forgetting former surnames — work records abroad may be under a maiden or previous married name.
• Writing the IBAN with spaces or hyphens on paper, or giving a BIC that isn't 8 or 11 characters.
• Not checking each country's retirement age before choosing a start date.
• Forgetting to sign and date the declaration, or to put your name and National Insurance number on any extra sheets.

After you fill it out

Print the CFN901 from FileIt, check every page, and sign and date the declaration on page 8.

If you live in the UK, post it to Freepost DWP EEA FOREIGN SP CLAIM. If you live abroad, send it with a stamp to The Pension Service 11, International Pension Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LW, England. FileIt doesn't send it for you.

The International Pension Centre passes your information to the relevant foreign authorities, which decide whether you're entitled and write to you. If you're awarded a foreign pension that may affect a UK benefit, tell the office that pays that benefit promptly. Keep a copy of the claim and the decision letters in your FileIt folder.

CFN901 EEA and Swiss pension claim: frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) — International Pension Centre: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e6a24719d837d69afc835/CFN901_form.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claim-an-overseas-state-pension-if-youve-lived-or-worked-abroad
• Edition shown on this page: CFN901 01/26 (Version 3) (checked 2026-09-28).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) — International Pension Centre or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-28.

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