Am I Eligible for OAS in Canada? Eligibility Checklist

This page covers who qualifies for Old Age Security. How much you receive, and how to apply, are covered in the OAS guide and the pages linked below.

The eligibility rules

• You are 65 or older.
• Living in Canada: you are a Canadian citizen or legal resident when your application is approved.
• Living in Canada: at least 10 years of residence in Canada since age 18.
• Living outside Canada: you were a citizen or legal resident the day before you left, and have at least 20 years of residence since age 18.
• 40 years of residence after age 18 gives the full pension; fewer gives a partial pension.
• Working doesn't affect eligibility; income above the recovery threshold is taxed back.
• You must file a tax return each year.

(Source: Service Canada, OAS eligibility.)

Meeting the minimum qualifies you for at least a partial pension. The full pension needs 40 years of residence after 18; with fewer, you receive 1/40 of the full pension per year, explained in partial OAS.

What counts as residence

Residence means living in Canada and making it your home, which is different from citizenship, filing taxes or owning property. Evidence that helps show it includes a home in Canada, provincial health coverage, physical presence, family and social ties, and immigration records.

Time you worked outside Canada for a Canadian employer can count as residence in Canada if you came back within 6 months of the job ending or turned 65 while still working abroad and keeping your residence in Canada. When you apply, Service Canada asks for proof of the employment and proof that you returned to Canada (not needed if you turned 65 while still employed abroad).

If you never worked

OAS doesn’t depend on work history. Someone who lived in Canada for most of their adult life with little or no paid work can qualify for the full pension, while someone who worked for years but lived in Canada only briefly may not qualify. CPP, by contrast, depends on contributions from work.

If you live or lived abroad

• With 20 or more years of residence after 18, OAS can be paid anywhere.
• With fewer than 20 years, OAS may stop once you have been away more than 6 months; call Service Canada to restart payments when you return.
• The GIS is different: it stops once you have been outside Canada for 6 months in a row, however many years you have lived here.
• If you lived or worked in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada, those periods can help you meet the minimums; see social security agreements.
• Non-residents pay non-resident tax on OAS and may have to file an OAS Return of Income; see is OAS taxable?.

Income affects the payment, not eligibility

Income doesn’t decide whether you qualify for OAS. It can reduce the payment: with net income above $93,454 (2025 income), the OAS clawback recovers 15% of the excess. Low income works the other way: it can qualify you for the Guaranteed Income Supplement on top of OAS.

If you don’t qualify yet

You may not be eligible right now if you are under 65, have fewer than 10 years of residence after 18, are not a citizen or legal resident when your application is assessed, or moved abroad with fewer than 20 years. Each additional year of residence before you start counts.

Next steps

Many people are enrolled automatically around their 64th birthday; others apply. See how and when to apply for OAS. Before applying, you can also decide whether to defer OAS for a larger pension. The OAS calculator estimates your payment.

Related resources

• Maximum OAS payment
• OAS vs GIS explained
• How much you need to retire in Canada
• Retirement calculator