Pensions in international situations

You can accrue pension rights in all the countries where you have lived or worked.

EU/EEA countries and Switzerland

Pension rights accrue in all the countries whose social security system you have been covered under. The overall pension consists of the sum of the pensions from all these countries. Each country decides on the pension application on the basis of its own pension legislation. Kela and the Finnish Centre for Pensions (Eläketurvakeskus) can help you with the pension application.

Example

Riku from Finland lived and worked in Belgium for 10 months, in Germany for 9 months, in France for 15 years and in Italy for 7 years. When Riku decided to retire, he submitted a pension application to the pension provider in the country of residence, which forwarded the application to the other countries.

Since Riku had lived in Belgium and Germany for less than one year, France and Italy took the insurance periods accrued in these countries into account when awarding a pension. Riku will thus not lose the pension rights accrued in Belgium and Germany.

Countries which have a social security agreement with Finland

Finland has concluded social security agreements with some countries with the purpose of ensuring, for instance, the granting and payment of pensions to the other signatory country or from the other signatory country to Finland. Pension rights accrue according to the pension legislation of the countries that have a social security agreement with Finland. Kela and the Finnish Centre for Pensions can assist you with the pension application procedures in these countries.

Other countries

If you have lived in some other country than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or a country that has a social security agreement with Finland, you have possibly accrued pension rights there. You must yourself check your pension entitlements with the pension provider in the country in question.