US Publishes Social Security Benefits Citizens of 31 Countries Gain from Totalisation Agreements
- The United States government clarified Social Security benefits available to nationals of 31 countries operating under bilateral totalisation agreements
- Workers must earn a minimum of six US Social Security credits before they can combine contributions from both countries to qualify for benefits
- Eligible individuals can draw separate retirement or disability payments from both the US and their home country at the same time
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The United States has clarified the Social Security benefits available to people who have worked in both the US and one of 31 countries covered by bilateral Social Security agreements.
The agreements, known as Totalisation Agreements, are designed to coordinate the Social Security systems of the participating countries and help workers avoid paying Social Security taxes on the same earnings in both countries.
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The US Social Security Administration (SSA) says the agreements can also help workers qualify for partial benefits when they have not accumulated enough credits in one country alone.
Workers can combine Social Security credits
Under the agreements, a worker may have their US and foreign Social Security credits counted together when necessary to meet the requirements for certain benefits.
However, the credits are not transferred from one country to another. They remain on the worker's record in the country where they were earned.
For US benefits, a worker generally needs to have earned at least six US Social Security credits before credits from an agreement country can be counted towards eligibility.
The SSA says six credits generally represent about one and a half years of work.
If the combined credits make a worker eligible for a US benefit, the person may receive a partial US payment based on their US earnings and the proportion of their coverage under the agreement.
Eligible workers may receive benefits from both countries
People with Social Security credits in both countries may qualify for benefits from one or both systems, depending on the rules of the respective countries.
The SSA explains that each country continues to determine and pay benefits independently, while credits from the other country may be considered where necessary to establish eligibility.
This means an eligible worker does not necessarily have to choose between a US benefit and a benefit from the other participating country.
US has agreements with 31 countries
The SSA currently lists 31 countries covered by US Totalisation Agreements.
They are:
Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
Americas
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Uruguay
Asia-Pacific
- Australia
- Japan
- South Korea
Romania becomes the latest country covered
Romania became the latest addition to the US Totalisation Agreement network after its agreement with the United States entered into force on September 1, 2026.
Under the US-Romania agreement, workers may be able to use periods of coverage in both countries to qualify for partial US or Romanian benefits where they do not meet the normal eligibility requirements in either system alone.
The SSA also states that periods of US and Romanian coverage earned before September 1, 2026 can be considered for establishing entitlement, although the earliest possible month of entitlement to benefits under the agreement is September 2026.
US lists countries under Social Security restrictions
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the US Social Security Administration had confirmed that residents of two specific countries could not receive Social Security payments.
American citizens living in either country had their monthly benefits suspended but could recover the withheld payments once they relocated.
Non-US citizens faced a harsher outcome, permanently losing their benefit entitlements for every month they spent residing in either of the two nations.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
