Which country’s social security system are you covered by?
Being covered by the social security system of a country means that the rules of that country will apply to you in certain areas, and that this country will be financially responsible for bearing the cost of such benefits as:
- Unemployment insurance
- Pensions
- Sickness benefits
- Child benefits
- Health services
- Parental benefits
- Occupational illness compensation
- Death grants
There are many situations in which you should pay special attention – for example if you move to another country, work in a country other than the one in which you live, or work for an employer in another country.
You and your employer typically have to pay social security contributions in the country whose social security system you are covered by. The way in which this is done varies greatly between the Nordic countries. If you work in two countries, this may mean that your employer in one country is obliged to pay social security contributions to the other country.
The rules governing which country’s social security system you are covered by apply in all EU and EEA countries and in Switzerland. In certain situations, the rules may also apply in the UK, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Which country's social security system are you covered by?
As a general rule, you are covered by the social security system of the country in which you work. If you are unemployed, you are usually covered by the social security system of the country in which you live. However, there are many situations to which you need to pay special attention, in particular if you start work in a new job in another country, or if you move to another country, or if your life situation changes – for example if you become a pensioner.
Below, you will find information about social security in a number of different situations. The list is not exhaustive, and there may often be special circumstances that apply in your particular situation. You should therefore always contact the relevant authorities for specific information.
What does “place of work” mean?
Your place of work is the country in which you physically perform your work.
What does “country of residence” mean?
The social security authorities consider your country of residence to be the country in which you normally live. In this connection, it is not just your officially registered address that is taken into account, but also your housing situation, where your family lives, etc.
NB!
The information on this page does not cover all situations. It is therefore important that you contact the social security authorities in the countries where you live, work, study or carry on business, or from which you receive social security benefits, in order to ensure that you are properly insured.
If you live and work in the same country, you are socially insured by the social security system of that country, unless you have been posted abroad and have applied to the social security authority of another country to remain socially insured there.
If you are posted abroad to another Nordic country by your employer, you can obtain an A1 certificate documenting that you are covered by the social security system of the country from which you have been posted, provided that the expected duration of your posting does not exceed 24 months.
If you live in one country and work exclusively in another, you are covered by the social security system of the country in which you work.
An exception to this is if your employer posts you abroad to another Nordic country. In this situation you can obtain an A1 certificate documenting that you are covered by the social security system of the country from which you have been posted, provided that the expected duration of your posting does not exceed 24 months.
If you work in two countries and live in one of them, you are covered by the social system of the country in which you live, provided that at least 25% of your work takes place there. If you work less than 25% in the country where you live, the domicile of your employer or employers determines which country’s social security system you are covered by.
If you are employed as a civil servant, you are covered by the social security system of the country of the administration that employs you. This applies irrespective of where you are employed.
Even if you work in two countries, you can only be covered by the social security system of one country at a time. You can apply for an A1 certificate from the social security authority of the country where you live, in order to determine which country’s social security legislation applies to you, and which country you should pay social security contributions to.
Denmark and Sweden have entered into the Øresund Agreement, under which you can work up to 50% in the country where you live if you are employed in the private sector and work for the same employer in both Denmark and Sweden.
If you work for a foreign employer, but work at least 25% from home in the country where you live, you will, as a general rule, be socially insured in the country where you live.
Please note that during the Covid-19 epidemic, the Nordic authorities strongly encouraged many workplaces to allow their employees to work from home. If you are working in a Nordic country other than the one in which you live, special rules may apply regarding which country's social security system you are covered by.
If you have any doubts about where you are covered by social security, you should contact the social security authorities in the country in which you live.
If you are employed by a temporary employment agency or work across borders, either for the same employer or for different employers, it is important that you contact the social security authorities in the country in which you live so that you can find out which country’s rules apply to you.
If you work exclusively as a pilot or cabin crew member in passenger or cargo aircraft, you are generally socially insured in the country where you have your home base.
If you are an employee or self-employed and work on board a ship, you are usually socially insured in the country of the flag the ship is flying.
However, if you are an employee and receive a salary from an employer in the same country as the one you live in, you will as a general rule be socially insured in the country in which you live.
If you are self-employed, you are generally covered by social insurance in the country where you live, if you carry out more than 25% of your business there.
If you do business in several countries but you carry out less than 25% of your business in the country where you live, you are covered by social insurance in the country where you primarily do business.
If you are a student, you will as a general rule be socially insured in the country where you live, but in some cases you will be socially insured in the country that provides your student grant. You should contact the social security authorities to clarify this.
If you are in receipt of a Finnish grant for research or artistic activity, special rules apply. You can read more about this on the page ‘Researchers and grant recipients in Finland’ or at the website of the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution (Mela).
If you receive an old-age or early retirement pension exclusively from another Nordic country, you are covered by the social security system of the country in which you live.
If you receive, for example, unemployment benefit or parental benefit from a country other than the one in which you live, you will, as a general rule, be socially insured in the country that pays the benefit. You should contact the social security authorities to clarify this.
If a couple are socially insured in two different countries, and either have or are expecting children, special rules apply to child allowance and parental benefit.
If you are in any doubt about what applies in your situation, you should contact the social security authorities in the countries in which you live and work.
Right to healthcare services
If you live in one Nordic country and work in another, you are entitled to healthcare in the country in which you live, and in most cases also in the country where you work.
This can also in some cases apply if you receive a pension or other benefits from another country. You can read more on the Info Norden pages about the right to healthcare in the Nordic countries.
If you live or work in an EU or EEA country outside the Nordic region, or in Switzerland or the UK, you may need to apply for an S1 document. You can read about this in Your Europe.
Who should you contact if you have questions?
More information
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.