Family benefits vary from one country to another. The country responsible for providing your benefits when you live in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland depends on your family's situation.

All your family lives in one country

If all the members of your family live where you are insured, this country is responsible for your benefits. 

You and your family members live in different countries

If the members of your family do not live in the country where you are insured, your family could be entitled to benefits in more than one country. You will not receive benefits twice: "priority rules" decide which country is responsible for providing them.

Find out about your rights country by country

The priority rules

• Generally, the country where your family's right is based on a situation of employment or self-employment is responsible for providing the benefits.
• If your right is based on employment or self-employment in both countries, the country where your children live is responsible if one of the parents works there. Otherwise it will be the country where the highest benefits are paid.
• If your right is based on a pension in both countries, the country where your children live is responsible if this country pays one of the pensions. Otherwise it will be the country where you have been insured or have resided the longest.
• If your right is based on residence in both countries, the country where your children live is responsible.

Supplements

The benefits you receive from the competent country may turn out to be lower than what you would have received from the other county where you had rights. If this is the case, the second country will pay a supplement corresponding to the difference between the two benefits.

Assessing your situation

In practice the application of these rules depends on each particular case. Contact your insurance institution for more details. 
Use our directory to find a contact institution

More information

Check our frequently asked questions for further information.