The EU provides common rules to protect your social security rights - such as a pension or maternity leave - when moving to another European country.

Do you get pension, maternity leave or other social security benefits?

You can actually keep receiving them while moving to any EU country, as well as to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

To know more about the country you are moving to, check-out our country database to learn:

• when you are eligible for benefits
• what you are entitled to
• how to go about claiming

What is covered?

The EU coordination of social security currently covers benefits such as:

• sickness, maternity and paternity benefits
• old-age pensions, early retirement and invalidity benefits
• survivors’ benefits and death grants
• unemployment benefits
• family benefits
• benefits in respect of accidents at work and occupational diseases

Please keep in mind that some cash benefits which are not based on contributions (such as social assistance or other minimum income benefits) may not be covered in another country.

If you do not know whether your benefit is kept when moving abroad, please contact your social security institution.

To find the relevant information: use our directory of social security coordination institutions.