Why transfer your pensions to Aviva?
If you’ve moved jobs a few times, you could have a number of pension pots dotted about. Bringing them all together into one pension could help you:
- keep track of your money more easily
- potentially get better value on charges, and
- make more informed decisions as you approach retirement.
When you transfer to us, you’ll be putting all your pensions into an Aviva SIPP (self-invested personal pension), giving you a clearer view of your retirement savings.
A SIPP gives you flexibility over how your money is invested – whether you’d prefer a simple hands-off option where experts manage your investments for you or you want to take a more active role. Learn more about SIPPs.
6 million workplace and individual pension customers trust us with their pensions.
We have thousands of funds you can invest in, whether you want to do it yourself or let us do the work for you.
Award winning pension. We were named Best Pension Platform - Large Portfolio 2026 by YourMoney.
Download the MyAviva app to keep an eye on your pension and how it’s doing at any time. You can also switch funds, nominate a beneficiary, change your retirement age and more.
Cashback offer
Get between £100 and £2,500 cashback
- Apply to transfer a minimum of £20,000 before 11:59am on 1 June 2026.
- You must complete your transfer by 30 November 2026.
- Open to new Aviva Pension (SIPP) customers only.
- Doesn’t apply to transfers of existing Aviva pensions.
- One cashback payment for each customer. Full T&Cs apply.
The more you transfer, the bigger your cashback:
- £100 cashback – transfer value £20,000 to £49,999
- £400 cashback – transfer value £50,000 to £79,999
- £600 cashback – transfer value £80,000 to £99,999
- £750 cashback – transfer value £100,000 to £199,999
- £1,000 cashback – transfer value £200,000 to £999,999
- £2,500 cashback – transfer value £1,000,000 or more
Before you transfer
Make sure you don’t lose valuable benefits
Check whether your pensions include benefits you won’t keep if you transfer. Here are some common examples:
- The option to take more than 25% tax-free cash
- Enhanced life insurance or death benefits
- The option to take your pension early
- Loyalty bonus or waiver or premiums
Find out what fees or conditions apply
There are a few things you need to consider:
- Your provider may charge an exit fee
- Some providers won’t take your pension back if you change your mind
- You might miss out on future employer contributions if you transfer a current workplace pension
When we can’t accept a pension transfer
We won’t be able to accept a transfer if:
- it’s a defined benefits pension (also known as a final salary pension)
- you’ve already started taking money from your pension
- it includes a guaranteed annuity rate or safeguarded benefits.
How to transfer your pension
How to transfer your pension
Transcript for video How to transfer and consolidate your pension
If you’ve had a few jobs over time, you may have built up a few pensions too.
It can be hard to keep track, so transferring them into one policy could potentially make things a lot easier.
There are other reasons why transferring might be a good idea too.
Pensions have charges for investing your money and these could be lower in a new pension – giving your money more potential for growth.
Newer pensions usually offer more flexible options than older ones, helping you prepare a better-planned retirement.
Sounds good, but before you commit to moving a pension, there are some details you’ll need to hand and some important points to consider.
You’ll need to know:
• What type of pension you have and the policy number?
• What’s its current value?
• Does it include any valuable or safeguarded benefits? For example, is it a defined benefits scheme, also known as final salary, or does it have guaranteed annuity rates or a guaranteed minimum pension?
If you’re not sure about any of these, your provider will be able to help.
Some pensions require you to get regulated advice before transferring more than £30,000.
Some pensions have valuable benefits you could lose if you transfer, or safeguarded benefits that mean you can’t transfer them.
If you’re not sure, speak to your provider and they’ll be able to tell you.
With some pensions, your provider may charge a fee for transferring away, and they may not be able to take your money back if you change your mind.
During the transfer process your money may not be invested, which means you won't benefit from any investment growth during that period.
Transferring isn’t right for everyone, so consider all your options first. Make sure you have compared all your policy’s features, such as charges and fund ranges.
[IMPORTANT INFORMATION CAPTION: Remember, investments can go down as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. There’s no guarantee you’ll be better of by transferring.]
We always recommend you speak to a financial adviser if you’re at all unsure about what to do.
[IMPORTANT INFORMATION CAPTION: Please note an adviser may charge you for their services.]
[END FRAME: Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited. Registered in England No 3253947. Aviva, Wellington Row, York, YO90 1WR. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Firm reference number 185896.]
Invest your way with our SIPP
Funds
Funds - Universal Retirement Fund - our simplest way to invest in your pension, it changes your investments based on your chosen retirement date
- Ready-made funds – ideal if you want an easy option, these fully-managed funds have four different choices to match your risk appetite and goals
- Experts’ Shortlist – a selection of funds Aviva Investors thinks have the greatest chance of good income or capital growth over the long term
- Self-select funds – if you want full control, you can buy and sell from our full list of over 5,000 funds
Shares
Shares - Shares - buy and sell UK company shares
- Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) - like investment funds, these are groups of assets bundled together, but you can buy and sell them like shares
- Investment trusts - a type of fund that sells shares to invest in a portfolio of assets, with the aim of producing returns
Investment charges with our SIPP
No charge for transferring
We don’t charge you a penny for transferring your pension to us. And bringing your pensions together may mean you pay less in charges overall.
0.35% annual fee
We charge 0.35% for looking after your investments up to £500,000. For example, if you have £100,000 invested, the charge will be £350 a year.
Share deal for £4.99
Pay a flat fee of £4.99 for each trade when you buy or sell UK shares, exchange-traded funds or investment trusts with us.
Other charges
Depending on the investments, you may have other charges, like fund management charges. Read the full list of possible charges.
Important documents
Before transferring a pension to us, please make sure you’ve read the key features and terms and conditions of an Aviva Pension. You can also learn about exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
FAQs
What do I need to check before transferring my pension?
Before you start, you should check the benefits and fees on your existing pensions as it may have some valuable benefits you would lose on transfer. This could be safeguarded benefits, which include the right to a guaranteed income, or a guaranteed rate at which to convert your pension pot into an income. You can't transfer any pension with these benefits into an Aviva SIPP.
Other valuable benefits, which wouldn’t stop you transferring but you would lose if you went ahead, include:
- a tax-free lump sum of more than 25% of your pension pot
- loyalty bonuses
- enhanced life insurance or death benefits, or
- the right to access your pension before age 55 or at age 55 from 6 April 2028, when the normal minimum pension age rises to 57.
If you need to know which of these your existing pension has, please talk to your provider.
You should also compare your current fees and charges with our pension costs. We keep our costs as low as possible, but you should understand the different fees and charges, and check it makes financial sense for you.
If you're invested in a with-profits pension, you should check that your current provider won't apply a market value reduction to your pension.
Is there a charge to transfer into an Aviva SIPP?
We won’t charge you a penny to transfer your pension, whether you’re moving one or several pensions into an Aviva SIPP.
Before moving your pension, you should check with your current provider whether they charge exit fees. You should also consider any potential inheritance tax implications for moving your pension.
The value of your pension could go down if you’re currently invested in a with-profits fund and your existing pension provider applies a market value reduction to leave.
We have more information on the typical costs for pension transfers here.
Will transferring make a difference to when I can take my pension?
The government's normal minimum pension age is 55, increasing to 57 from 6 April 2028. Some pensions have a protected pension age as a benefit. This lets you access your pension savings earlier than the normal minimum pension age.
Transferring may mean that you’ll lose that benefit, so you should check with your current pension provider before you begin.
We have more information on changes to the normal minimum pension age here.
How does the process for cash transfers and unit transfers differ?
If you do a unit transfer, the pension funds stay invested, so they’ll be affected by any market gains or falls. You won't be able to trade them while the transfer is going through.
If you choose to transfer the cash value, it won't be subject to market volatility, but you'll also need to factor in the time it takes for us to re-invest your cash in funds.
Can I transfer all my pensions?
You won’t be able to transfer the following pensions to Aviva:
- Defined contribution pensions with a guaranteed annuity rate, safeguarded benefits or guarantees
- Defined benefit pensions
- Pensions you’ve already taken money from.
If you have a workplace pension, you'll need to talk to your employer before transferring, as a transfer may mean they stop paying into it. You may also be re-enrolled into the workplace pension in the future.
Can I transfer a pension that my employer pays into?
You may be able to, but you'll need to talk to your employer before transferring, as a transfer could mean they stop paying into the pension.
If you have a workplace pension with us, you may be able to consolidate your other pensions into it. You can check if this option is available to you on MyAviva or contact us to find out more.
Alternatively, you could open a new SIPP alongside your active workplace pension. Find out more about our SIPP.
Before taking out an additional pension, it’s important to check whether your employer will increase their contributions if you pay in more to your workplace pension.
If you've got workplace pensions you're no longer paying into, explore the options for your pension after leaving a job.
Do I need to take advice to transfer my pension?
If you're not sure about any of these points, we recommend you get financial advice first. For some pensions, you must take advice before you transfer. An adviser will charge you for advice. If you don't have a financial adviser already, you can find one at Unbiased.
What is a market value reduction?
It’s an adjustment factor sometimes applied to those leaving a with-profits fund at times other than those specified in the terms and conditions. It’s often applied following a large or sustained fall in the stock market or when market conditions mean investment returns are lower than expected. It helps make sure those leaving the fund don’t get more than their fair share of the underlying investment, letting us treat all with-profits customers fairly.
Can I transfer to Aviva and then take money out of my pension immediately?
Yes, if you’re 55 or older (rising to 57 in 2028). Once your pension transfer is completed, you may be able to sell part of your investments and withdraw the money as cash. Keep in mind that pension and tax rules can change, and may vary on your personal circumstances. Find out more on our drawdown page.
Can my company or employer make contributions into my personal or SIPP pension?
Yes, your employer or limited company can make contributions into your SIPP. To set this up, you’ll need to complete an employer contribution form. Contributions can only be arranged once your SIPP account is open.
- Download the employer contribution form.
- Fill in your details and request your employer to fill in theirs.
- Send your completed in form to: myinvestmentportfolio@aviva.com.
What we’ll do:
- Our team will send your employer the correct bank details and a unique reference number for their payment.
- If they want to make future one‑off payments, they can email us using the address provided and we’ll share the details and a new reference each time.
- We’ll let you know if we need anything else.
Learn about pension transfers
We have a wide range of simple guides and calculators to help you understand more about transferring your pension.
Rules
Should I combine my pensions into one pot?
What are the pros and cons of bringing your pensions together?
-
Costs
How much does it cost to transfer a pension?
Understand fees and charges in a pension transfer.
-
Costs
What is the transfer value of a pension?
We explain the differences between defined benefit and defined contribution pensions.
-
Workplace
How do I find a lost pension?
Tracking down pensions you're missing doesn't have to take a huge chunk of time. We'll show you how easy it can be.
Pension calculator
See what your pension could be worth in retirement.
Risk
profiler
Understand your attitude to risk and investing.
Find and Combine
Use our tool to find your lost pensions and check them for any valuable benefits and exit fees.
Inflation calculator
Learn how inflation could impact your investments.