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If you work or reside in the UAE, you can retire in Türkiye without losing your right to a Turkish pension, by purchasing periods of service abroad (foreign service buy-back) or by taking out voluntary insurance! In this article: ✅ Who can buy back periods of service? ✅ Which periods can be purchased? ✅ How does the application process work? ✅ Can you keep working in the UAE while receiving a pension? We have answered your questions! 📖 Read our new article for more information, and follow us so you don't miss the rest of our series! 🚀
1. Purchasing Periods Spent Abroad (Foreign Service Buy-Back):
Turkish citizens living in the UAE may acquire the right to retire in Türkiye by purchasing the periods of insured employment and of being a homemaker that they have spent abroad. In order to make a buy-back request, the following conditions must be met:
Being a Turkish Citizen: Being a Turkish citizen on the date of the buy-back request, or having been a Turkish citizen by birth who has left citizenship with the permission of the authorities (holders of the "blue card").
Documenting the Periods Spent Abroad: Men must document their periods of insured employment in the UAE, whereas for women it is sufficient to document that they were present there.
Submitting a Written Application: Submitting a written buy-back request to the Social Security Institution (SGK).
2. Periods That May Be Purchased:
The periods that may be purchased by Turkish citizens living in the UAE are as follows:
Periods of Insured Employment: Periods during which the person was officially employed and insured in the UAE.
Periods as a Homemaker: Periods during which the person resided in the UAE and spent time as a homemaker.
3. Voluntary Insurance and the Residence Requirement:
In order to become a voluntarily insured person in Türkiye, residence in Türkiye is generally required. In addition, Turkish citizens residing in countries with which no social security agreement has been signed (such as the UAE) may also become voluntarily insured persons.
5. Retirement Application and Required Documents:
Turkish citizens living in the UAE must apply to the SGK in order to retire in Türkiye. The documents required at the time of application are as follows:
Documents showing the periods worked or resided abroad.
A photocopy of the passport.
A photocopy of the identity card.
A buy-back request petition.
After the application is made, the debt amount calculated by the SGK must be paid within the specified period. This payment may be made in a lump sum or in instalments.
6. Working in the UAE After the Pension Has Been Awarded:
Once a pension has been awarded in Türkiye, the pensions of those who continue to work in the UAE are suspended. For this reason, it is important that those who plan to work in the UAE while receiving a pension take this into account. However, the pensions of retirees who hold a residence permit without a work permit are not suspended, and they may continue to receive their pension from Türkiye as before.
7. Dual Retirement and Social Security Agreements:
Türkiye has no social security agreement with the UAE. For this reason, periods worked in the UAE cannot be included directly in the retirement account in Türkiye. However, by including the periods worked in the UAE in the retirement account in Türkiye through the buy-back mechanism and paying the corresponding premium debt, it is possible to retire as if the person had worked in Türkiye during that period.
Conclusion:
Turkish citizens living in the UAE may acquire the right to retire in Türkiye through methods such as purchasing periods of service abroad and voluntary insurance. Each of these two methods has its own conditions and procedures. For this reason, it is important for individuals to seek advice from legal professionals who are experts in this field in order to determine the option best suited to their circumstances.
