Increasing mobility of work means that there are more and more cross-border commuters. Taxes, at least with countries with which a double taxation agreement exists, none Problem. But what about Social Security? There is a comprehensive range of information from the European Commission - including an infographic video.

To the background

Fortunately, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) has just one OnlineLaunched an ad campaign centered around social security rights for frontier workers – and of which this video is a part.

But what exactly does the General Management do? Well, she provides information on the European legislation on the coordination of social security. Because uniform regulations apply in the EU, which serve to protect your social security claims when you are within Europe (EU 27 + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

When are the regulations?

However, European legislation on the coordination of social security does not replace national systems. Any country can freely decide, who according to its national legislation insured should be provided and which benefits are granted under which conditions. Specifically, these regulations apply to:

The basic principles of social insurance in Europe

  1. At any given time, you are only subject to the legislation of a single country and therefore only pay contributions in one country. The social security agencies decide which legal provisions you are subject to. There is no choice for you here.
  2. You have the same rights and obligations as the nationals of the country in which you are insured. This is also referred to as the principle of equal treatment or non-discrimination.
  3. If you claim a benefit, your previous periods of insurance, employment or residence in other countries may be taken into account.
  4. If you are entitled to cash benefits in one country, you can in principle receive them even if you live in another country. This is known as the principle of exportability.