Transfers Into SFPP
National Transfer Agreement: Effective November 1, 2025, SFPP joined the National Transfer Agreement to facilitate transfers between SFPP and various other Canadian public sector pension plans. If you joined SFPP prior to November 1, 2025, and have a benefit entitlement remaining in a pension plan that participates in the National Transfer Agreement that you want to transfer into SFPP, your transfer application must be received by October 31, 2026. If you joined SFPP on or after November 1, 2025, your transfer application must be received by us within one year of the date you joined SFPP. RCMP transfers will continue as usual.
SFPP participates in the National Transfer Agreement and has a separate transfer agreement with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Pension Plan. If you previously earned service with a pension plan that participates in the National Transfer Agreement, or with the RCMP Pension Plan, you may be eligible to transfer your previous service into SFPP to increase your pensionable service.
Pensionable service is a factor in the formula used to calculate your lifetime SFPP pension—the more pensionable service you have, the higher your monthly income and the sooner you may be eligible to retire.
If you're interested in transferring your previous service into SFPP, please review the information below and complete the application form. You can submit your transfer application through your secure online account, by mail, or by fax.
Alternatively, you may be able to purchase all or a portion of your prior service under SFPP through a process called a buyback if any of the following apply:
- You have previous service with a registered pension plan that does not participate in the National Transfer Agreement or the RCMP Pension Plan;
- You missed the deadline to transfer service under a transfer agreement;
- You have already removed your funds from your former pension plan.
Read more about Buying Service.
Points to consider before transferring
- You must be a current member of SFPP when you apply to transfer your previous plan service into SFPP.
- You cannot be an active member in your previous pension plan at the time you apply.
- Your funds must still be held in your previous pension plan.
- You should check with your former employer or your former plan’s administrator to confirm that you are eligible to transfer your service out of your previous pension plan.
- Your transfer application must be received by the later of one year of the date you joined SFPP and October 31, 2026.
Effect on your pension
Using SFPP’s online Pension Estimator, you can run and compare two estimates (one with the transferred service and one without) to understand the impact transferring service might have on your pension.
If there is a transfer shortfall, you can also use the online Pension Estimator to determine what your SFPP pension would be with or without purchasing the transfer shortfall service. Compare the two pension estimates (one with the transferred service and transfer shortfall service combined, and one with only the transferred service) to understand the impact purchasing the transfer shortfall service might have on your SFPP pension.
Keep in mind that your salary during the transferred-in years may also affect your highest average salary.
National Transfer Agreement
The following pension plans participate in the National Transfer Agreement:
- British Columbia College Pension Plan
- British Columbia Municipal Pension Plan
- British Columbia Public Service Pension Plan
- British Columbia Teachers' Pension Plan
- British Columbia WorkSafeBC Pension Plan
- Manitoba Civil Service Superannuation Fund
- Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP)
- Management Employees Pension Plan (MEPP)
- New Brunswick Public Service Superannuation Pension Plan
- Newfoundland and Labrador Public Service Pension Plan
- Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan
- Ontario Public Service Pension Plan
- OPSEU Pension Plan
- Prince Edward Island Public Sector Pension Plan
- Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP)
- Régime de retraite de certains enseignants (Pension Plan of Certain Teachers, Quebec)
- Régime de retraite des employés du gouvernement et des organismes publics (Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan, Quebec)
- Régime de retraite des enseignants (Teachers Pension Plan, Quebec)
- Régime de retraite des fonctionnaires (Civil Service Superannuation Plan, Quebec)
- Régime de retraite du personnel d'encadrement (Pension Plan of Management Personnel, Quebec)
How to apply for a transfer under the National Transfer Agreement
We must receive your transfer application within the later of one year of the date you joined SFPP and October 31. 2026.
To initiate a transfer, you will need to complete and submit the Appendix A: Transfer Information Request and Authorization Form under the National Transfer Agreement. To send it to SFPP, you can submit the completed transfer application through your secure online account, by mail, or by fax.
Once we receive your transfer application, we will work with the other pension plan’s administrator and your SFPP employer to prepare a package of information that presents your transfer option.
Your election must be received by the due date outlined in your transfer package.
Contact us if you have any questions.
How to apply for a transfer from the RCMP Pension Plan
We must receive your transfer application within one year of the date you joined SFPP.
To initiate a transfer, you will need to complete the Appendix A2 – Request for Transfer Estimate form. The application must be submitted to both SFPP and the RCMP Pension Plan. To send it to SFPP, you can submit the completed transfer application through your secure online account, by mail, or by fax. Follow the directions on the form to submit it to the RCMP.
Once we receive your transfer application, we will work with the RCMP Pension Plan’s administrator and your SFPP employer to prepare a package of information that presents your transfer option.
Your election must be received by the due date outlined in your transfer package.
Contact us if you have any questions.
Cost of Transferring Service
All pension plans are "priced" differently. The benefit you earned in a previous pension plan might not match the cost of buying the same amount of service in SFPP. If your previous plan benefit is at least equal to the cost to purchase your previous service under SFPP, you will not have to pay anything more, and the full amount of service will be credited to SFPP.
If the cost of buying your previous plan service in SFPP is more than the benefit from your previous pension plan, the difference is called a transfer shortfall. If you proceed with the transfer, you'll receive credit for only a portion of the prior service. You will have the option to buy the service associated with the transfer shortfall.
Paying for a transfer shortfall means you may have a larger SFPP pension, and you may be eligible to retire earlier than if you had not bought the service. Once your transfer is complete, you may be sent a Buyback Proposal containing details about purchasing the transfer shortfall service, allowing you to make an informed decision. If you choose not to buy the transfer shortfall service within the deadlines indicated in the buyback package, but wish to do so later on, the cost will likely be higher.
Please note: Transferring your benefit entitlement from your previous pension plan could have tax consequences. For service after 1989, to proceed with your transfer, the tax rules require you to have adequate RRSP room for the associated Past Service Pension Adjustment (PSPA) to be certified.
You must consider the effect that a PSPA might have on your RRSP contribution room.