Hello there Pat, welcome to planDisney!
How wonderful that you're exploring becoming an
Annual Passholder and therefore become part of the magic! You've asked a great question so let's hop to the answer.
You can purchase an Annual Pass online but your 365 days of use begins once the pass is activated (this happens the first time you enter a theme park using your Annual Pass). Like you, I live outside of the United States and have purchased an Annual Pass. My Pass was visible in my Tickets and Passes through the
My Disney Experience Mobile App. Once I activated the Pass, the expiration date was populated and was displayed under the Pass.
Once you have an active Annual Pass, you can begin taking advantage of the
perks and benefits available to Annual Passholders. Benefits sometimes include discounts on hotel rooms, dining, merchandise and Special Event tickets. For a complete listing of
Passholder discounts, visit the
Walt Disney World website and look under Annual Passes.
I hope this helps with your planning, Pat. You'll be able to create many magical memories!
You've got a friend in me,
Candace