Basic principles of cross-border social security

The conditions under which you are insured as a third-country national in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland depend on the national regulations of your destination country. It is therefore essential that you find out about the relevant national social security law. 

As soon as you are legally resident in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland and are covered by social security there, the same principles apply to you as to EU citizens. This is because the European Union adopted Regulation 1231/2010 to include third-country nationals in the coordination of European social security systems. This means the following:

  • Your periods of insurance, residence, and employment acquired in other EU/EEA countries or Switzerland are recognised by all other countries within the EU/EEA and Switzerland.
  • You are only ever subject to the legislation of one of these countries. This also applies if you work in several countries.
  • You are insured in the country in which you work. This also applies if you live in one member state and work in another, or if the registered office of your employer(s) is located in another member state (exception: postings).

If you were previously insured in a third country—e.g. in your home country—your insurance periods are not automatically recognised in the EU/EEA or Switzerland. The recognition of insurance periods depends on whether an agreement has been concluded between the two countries.

To do: Find out from the authorities in the country where you have completed insurance periods whether an agreement has been concluded with the destination country that is to recognise your insurance periods. 

Insurance benefits

The same basic principles apply to the recognition of insurance periods for third-country nationals as for EU citizens. Apart from this, you must note that third-country nationals are not always on an equal footing with EU nationals when it comes to social security issues. It is therefore essential that you find out about the conditions under which you can claim insurance benefits as a third-country national in your destination country.

You can read about the situation in Austria in the chapter on social insurance in Austria.