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Settling abroad
Updated : 12/2011
Social security rights
Benefits differ between countries
Health-related social security rights are very different across the EU. Your entitlement to health-related benefits – like maternity or invalidity benefits – will depend on which country's social security system
you belong to. For example, if a Spanish national living and working in Poland gives birth to a child there, she is entitled to maternity leave under the same conditions as other Polish residents, according to Polish social security rules.
Your social-security history travels with you
In some countries, you must be covered by an insurance scheme for a minimum period before you are entitled to benefits, such as invalidity benefits. Under the EU rules all your periods of insurance must be taken into account by your current national insurance, including those spent in a different EU country. For example, if a Greek national moves to Sweden to work after 10 years of working in Belgium, and requires invalidity benefits after only 4 months, the Swedish authorities must take into account his 10 years of insurance cover in Belgium.
Find out more about your social security rights, such as maternity or paternity leave, and invalidity benefits, in:
Choose :
Footnote
In this case, the 27 EU member states + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland