How to Apply for the Old Age Security Pension in Canada in 2026
Find out whether you need to apply for Canada's Old Age Security pension, who qualifies, what information you need, how to apply online or by mail, how automatic enrolment works, and how to apply if you live outside Canada.
Helpydo structures practical guidance around official or public sources. For individual cases, confirm requirements with the responsible institution.
Most eligible people do not need to apply for Old Age Security because Service Canada automatically enrols them and sends an enrolment letter around their 64th birthday. If Service Canada asks you to apply, you did not receive an enrolment letter, or you need to choose or delay your start date, you can apply through My Service Canada Account if you meet the online conditions. People applying from outside Canada must use a paper application. OAS can start at age 65 and may be delayed until age 70 for a higher monthly pension.
What you need
- Your Social Insurance Number and date of birth information as required by the application.
- Information about where you have lived since age 18.
- The date you want your OAS pension to start.
- If married or in a common-law relationship, information about your spouse or partner, including their Social Insurance Number and date of birth where requested.
- Residence history for you and, where applicable, your spouse or common-law partner for the previous 2 years.
- Income information for the previous 2 years if you have not filed income tax returns with the Canada Revenue Agency.
- Details of any recent reduction in employment or pension income where applicable.
- Information about income earned in another country where applicable.
- Banking information if you want to register for direct deposit.
- For a paper application, any certified true copies of supporting documents requested by Service Canada.
Eligibility
You must be at least 65 years old to receive the Old Age Security pension. If you live in Canada, you generally must be a Canadian citizen or legal resident when your OAS application is approved and must have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after age 18. If you live outside Canada, you generally must have been a Canadian citizen or legal resident of Canada on the day before you left Canada and must have lived in Canada for at least 20 years after age 18. A social security agreement between Canada and another country may help you meet the minimum residence requirement in some cases. OAS eligibility is based mainly on age and residence rather than employment history, so you may qualify even if you have never worked in Canada or are still working. If you have lived in Canada for fewer than 40 years after age 18, you may receive a partial pension rather than the full pension.
How to do it
- Check whether you are already automatically enrolled. Service Canada sends an enrolment letter around your 64th birthday when it has enough information to enrol you automatically. If you are automatically enrolled, you normally do not submit a separate application.
- Contact Service Canada if no enrolment letter arrives. If one month has passed since your 64th birthday and you have not received an enrolment letter, contact Service Canada to find out whether you need to apply.
- Check your eligibility and choose a start date. OAS can begin at age 65. You can delay it as late as age 70. Delaying after age 65 increases the pension by 0.6 percent for each month of delay, up to 36 percent at age 70.
- Gather the required information. Prepare your residence history since age 18, spouse or common-law partner information where applicable, relevant income information, your preferred pension start date and banking details for direct deposit.
- Apply online if eligible to use the online service. You can use My Service Canada Account if you are at least one month past your 64th birthday, live in Canada, are not already receiving OAS, have not already submitted a completed application that prevents a new online application, and do not have a third party such as a power of attorney or trustee managing your OAS account. In MSCA, select the Old Age Security application service and choose your requested start date.
- Use the paper application when required. If you cannot use the online process, complete the Application for the Old Age Security Pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, form ISP-3550, following the current Service Canada instructions and reference guide.
- Apply by paper if you live outside Canada. Applicants outside Canada must use a paper application and send it to the Service Canada office responsible for their last province or territory of residence in Canada.
- Respond to requests for additional information. Service Canada may request documents or further details needed to establish age, legal status, residence or other application information.
- Check your application status. My Service Canada Account can be used to check the status of an OAS application and manage certain contact and payment information.
- Review the decision letter. Service Canada will send a decision letter showing the monthly amount, first payment date and any past payments owed. If you disagree with the decision, you may request reconsideration in writing within 90 days after receiving the decision letter.
Do you need to apply for Old Age Security in Canada?
Many people do not need to submit an Old Age Security application. When Service Canada has enough information to determine that you qualify, it normally sends an automatic enrolment letter around your 64th birthday. The letter confirms that you are being enrolled without a separate application.
You need to take action if Service Canada sends you a letter asking you to apply, the information in your enrolment letter is incorrect, you want to delay or change the start of your pension, or you have turned 65 without starting or formally delaying your OAS pension.
If one month has passed since your 64th birthday and you have not received an enrolment letter, contact Service Canada to determine whether an application is required.
Who qualifies for Old Age Security?
If you live in Canada
To receive OAS while living in Canada, you must be at least 65 years old. You generally must also be a Canadian citizen or legal resident when Service Canada approves the pension and have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after turning 18.
If you live outside Canada
If you live outside Canada, you generally must have been a Canadian citizen or legal resident of Canada on the day before leaving Canada and have lived in Canada for at least 20 years after age 18.
If you do not meet the normal residence requirement because you lived or worked in another country, a social security agreement between Canada and that country may allow foreign periods of residence or contributions to help you meet the minimum qualification period. The amount of a partial Canadian OAS pension is still generally based on your actual years of residence in Canada after age 18.
Do you need to have worked in Canada?
No. Unlike the Canada Pension Plan retirement pension, OAS is primarily residence-based. You can qualify even if you have never worked or are still working. Income can nevertheless affect how much OAS you ultimately keep because higher-income recipients can be subject to the OAS recovery tax.
Full and partial Old Age Security pensions
A full OAS pension is generally associated with at least 40 years of residence in Canada after age 18, subject to special transitional rules that may apply to some people. If you have fewer than 40 years of Canadian residence but meet the minimum eligibility period, you may receive a partial pension.
A partial pension is generally calculated as the number of qualifying years of Canadian residence after age 18 divided by 40. For example, 20 qualifying years would normally produce 20/40, or 50 percent, of the full pension before other applicable adjustments.
When can you start OAS?
The earliest age for an OAS pension is 65. You may choose to delay your pension until as late as age 70. For each month you delay after age 65, the pension increases by 0.6 percent. The maximum increase is 36 percent at age 70.
There is no additional deferral increase after age 70. Service Canada also advises that delaying OAS may not be advantageous if you qualify for the Guaranteed Income Supplement because GIS cannot be received while your OAS pension is delayed.
What information do you need for an OAS application?
Service Canada's current application guidance asks applicants to prepare information about their residence since age 18 and their desired pension start date. Married or common-law applicants may also need their spouse or partner's Social Insurance Number and date of birth.
You may also need residence history for the last 2 years, income information for the last 2 years if tax returns were not filed with the Canada Revenue Agency, details of reductions in employment or pension income, information about foreign income and banking details for direct deposit.
Service Canada may request supporting evidence if it needs to verify your age, immigration or legal status, residence history or another part of the application.
How to apply for Old Age Security online
The online OAS application is available through My Service Canada Account, but it is not available in every situation. To use the online process, you must be at least one month past your 64th birthday, live in Canada, not already be receiving an OAS pension, and meet Service Canada's application-status requirements. You also cannot use the online application if a third party, such as a power of attorney or trustee, manages your OAS account.
After signing in to MSCA, use the Old Age Security section, select the option to apply for benefits and enter the date you want your pension to begin.
How to apply for OAS by mail
If you cannot use the online process, Service Canada provides the Application for the Old Age Security Pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, form ISP-3550. Complete the current form and follow the instructions in the accompanying reference guide.
For paper applications, Service Canada instructs applicants to include certified true copies of required supporting documents, sign each section requiring a signature in pen and attach additional pages if more space is needed.
How to apply for OAS while living outside Canada
You cannot use the normal online OAS application when applying from outside Canada. Service Canada requires applicants outside Canada to use a paper application. The completed application is sent to the Service Canada office serving the province or territory where you last lived in Canada.
If you have fewer than 20 years of residence in Canada after age 18, check whether Canada has a social security agreement with a country where you lived or worked. Depending on the agreement, those foreign periods may help you meet the minimum qualification requirement.
How much is the Old Age Security pension in 2026?
OAS rates are adjusted quarterly. For July through September 2026, the maximum monthly OAS pension is $751.97 for people aged 65 to 74 and $827.17 for people aged 75 and older. These are maximum amounts and are not necessarily the amount an individual will receive. Residence history, deferral and income-related rules can affect the payment.
How long does an OAS application take?
Service Canada's current OAS application and after-application pages do not state a fixed standard processing period. Processing can depend on whether Service Canada already has the information needed to establish eligibility and whether additional documents or explanations are required.
After you apply, Service Canada will send a letter if it needs more information or when a decision has been made. You can check the progress of your application through My Service Canada Account.
What happens after your OAS application is approved?
Your decision letter states the monthly pension amount, the date of your first payment and any past payments that may be owed. OAS is paid monthly. You can use My Service Canada Account to check your application status and manage certain mailing, telephone and direct-deposit information.
What if Service Canada refuses your OAS application?
If you disagree with an OAS decision, you can ask Service Canada to reconsider it. The request for reconsideration must be made in writing within 90 days after you receive the decision letter.
Can someone help with your application?
You can authorize another person to communicate with Service Canada about your file. This authorization does not by itself allow that person to apply for benefits on your behalf, change your payment address or change tax withholding. Separate rules and forms apply when a trustee or administrator must manage benefits for a person who is incapable of managing their own pension affairs.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to apply for Old Age Security in Canada?
Not always. If Service Canada has enough information to confirm your eligibility, it normally sends an automatic enrolment letter around your 64th birthday. If you are automatically enrolled, you do not need to submit a separate OAS application.
What should I do if I did not receive an OAS enrolment letter?
If one month has passed since your 64th birthday and you still have not received an enrolment letter, Service Canada instructs you to contact them to find out whether you need to apply.
At what age can I apply for Old Age Security?
OAS payments can begin at age 65. The online application process is available to qualifying applicants who are at least one month past their 64th birthday.
Can I apply for OAS online?
Yes, if you meet Service Canada's online eligibility conditions. You must live in Canada, be at least one month past your 64th birthday, not already be receiving OAS and meet the other application-status and account-management conditions. The application is submitted through My Service Canada Account.
Can I apply for Old Age Security online if I live outside Canada?
No. Service Canada states that people applying from outside Canada must use a paper application and send it to the Service Canada office responsible for their last province or territory of residence.
How many years must I live in Canada to qualify for OAS?
If you live in Canada, you generally need at least 10 years of residence in Canada after age 18. If you live outside Canada, you generally need at least 20 years. A social security agreement with another country may help you meet the minimum requirement in some cases.
Do I qualify for OAS if I never worked in Canada?
You may. OAS is based mainly on age, residence and legal-status requirements rather than employment contributions. Service Canada confirms that you can receive OAS even if you have never worked or are still working.
Can I receive a partial OAS pension?
Yes. If you meet the minimum residence requirement but have lived in Canada for fewer than 40 years after age 18, you may qualify for a partial pension. It is generally calculated according to your years of Canadian residence divided by 40.
Can I delay my Old Age Security pension?
Yes. You can delay OAS after age 65 until age 70. The pension increases by 0.6 percent for every month of delay, up to a maximum increase of 36 percent at age 70.
How much is OAS in Canada in 2026?
For July to September 2026, the maximum monthly amount is $751.97 for people aged 65 to 74 and $827.17 for people aged 75 and older. OAS amounts are reviewed quarterly and your actual pension can differ depending on your circumstances.
How long does it take to process an OAS application?
Service Canada's current OAS guidance does not provide a fixed standard processing time. You will receive correspondence if more information is needed and a decision letter when the application is decided. You can check your application status in My Service Canada Account.
What happens after my OAS application is approved?
Service Canada sends a decision letter that states your monthly pension amount, the date of your first payment and any past payments that may be owed.
What can I do if my OAS application is denied?
You can request reconsideration of the decision. The written reconsideration request must normally be submitted within 90 days after you receive the decision letter.