Slovakia - Contributions paid abroad can count
What you need to know if you are moving within the EU and how it affects your social insurance.
Social insurance and EU regulation
When you start working in another EU Member State or in a country covered by the EU regulation on the coordination of social security systems, the laws of that particular country apply to you.
If you lived, worked and/or paid insurance contributions in another EU country and other states covered by the Regulation, the period of employment and/or the paid contributions are counted towards the social security benefits of the relevant state.
What benefits are covered by the coordination of the social security systems?
The aggregation of the periods of previous insurance applies to:
- sickness benefits;
- maternity and equal paternity benefits;
- disability benefits;
- old-age benefits;
- survivors' benefits;
- benefits in respect of accidents at work and occupational diseases;
- funeral grants;
- unemployment benefits;
- pre-retirement benefits;
- family benefits.
The Regulation on the coordination of the social security systems stipulates that persons who live and work in another EU Member State receive the same benefits and have the same obligations as the nationals of the relevant member country. Any discrimination based on citizenship with respect to social security is prohibited. According to the Regulation, insurance periods in other member countries are taken into account when determining social security benefits. The general rule is that only the legislation of one country is applied in order to avoid duplication when paying into multiple systems or when providing social security benefits.
When can I apply for benefits?
When living or working in another EU Member State or a country covered by the Regulation on the coordination of social security system, you will need to present the following certificates upon your return to Slovakia:
- if you were unemployed abroad and you want to find a job in Slovakia, you need to submit the completed portable document PD U2 on the export of benefits (confirmed by a labour office abroad) to the Social Insurance Agency;
- unemployment benefits granted by the country of your previous residence may be provided to you in Slovakia for a period of 3 months. This period may be extended in exceptional cases to a maximum of 6 months;
- if you worked abroad, you will claim unemployment benefits from the Social Insurance Agency which, when examining your application, may take into account the period of insurance in another member country. You will demonstrate it by submitting the confirmed portable document PD U1. The unemployment benefit amount is calculated from the gross earnings from your most recent employment, while taking into account the maximum daily assessment base determined pursuant to Slovak legislation;
- for the purposes of pension insurance, the periods of insurance are assessed and confirmed by the competent institution in the state where you worked. It will certify the periods on the prescribed form (SED), which it will subsequently send to the Social Insurance Agency in Slovakia upon its request, provided that you claim your pension entitlement in Slovakia after your return and indicate that you have been pension insured also in an EU country.
Jargon busters
- Coordination of social security systems - It is a set of rules aimed at improving the effectiveness of collaboration among competent institutions responsible for applying social security rules within EU Member States. It has been introduced in Slovakia upon its entry in the EU on 1 May 2004 with the objective to guarantee workers and their family members their rights within the EU to allow them choose any place in the EU where they want to live or work without losing their rights;
- Countries subject to the EU coordination regulations: 27 EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden) + Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, for the United Kingdom*see below.
*Each case needs to be assessed individually to determine whether a person falls within the scope of Art 30 of the Withdrawal Agreement, and so the EU Coordination Regulations apply, or whether they fall within the scope of situations described in Art 32 of the Withdrawal Agreement and/or come under domestic legislation and the Protocol on Social Security Coordination attached to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Required documents
- Portable document U1 - PD U1
- Portable document U2 - PD U2
Know your rights
Link to additional information provided by the European Commission:
Who do you need to contact for advice about social security?
Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (Ústredie práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny)
Department of Assistance in Material Need and State Social Benefits
Špitálska 8, 812 67, Bratislava
Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (Úrad práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny)
Unit of Citizen´s Services
Unit of Assistance in Material Need and State Social Benefits
List of Offices of Labour, Social Affairs and Family
Social Insurance Agency (Sociálna poisťovňa)
Phone: +421 800 123 123 information on pensions
Mobil: +421 906 171 931,
+421 2 3247 1989, +421 906 171 989 information on contribution collection, sickness insurance and other types of social insurance
E-mail: podatelna@socpoist.sk
For information in English – Information Centre
List of Social Insurance Agency branches in Slovakia
Health Care Surveillance Authority (Úrad pre dohľad nad zdravotnou starostlivosťou)
Žellova 2, 829 24 Bratislava 25
Phone: +421 2 20856 789
Health Insurance Companies
General Health Insurance Company, Inc.: www.vszp.sk
Union Health Insurance Company, Inc.: www.union.sk
Dôvera Health Insurance Company, Inc.: www.dovera.sk