If you`re a US citizen planning to move to Germany, or a German citizen planning to move to the US, you may be wondering about social security benefits. Fortunately, the US and Germany have a social security agreement in place to help ensure that people who have worked in both countries are eligible for benefits.
The agreement was first signed in 1979 and went into effect in 1980. It was revised in 2008 to update some of the provisions and make it easier for people to apply for benefits. The agreement covers social security taxes, benefits, and eligibility, as well as the rules for transferring US social security credits to the German system and vice versa.
One of the most important aspects of the agreement is that it helps ensure that you don`t lose benefits if you`ve worked in both countries. For example, if you`ve worked in the US for a certain number of years and then move to Germany and work there for a certain number of years, you`ll still be eligible for US social security benefits even if you don`t have enough credits in the US system to qualify on your own. The same goes for German social security benefits – if you`ve worked in Germany and then move to the US, you`ll still be eligible for German benefits even if you don`t have enough credits in the German system to qualify on your own.
In order to qualify for benefits under the agreement, you`ll need to meet certain requirements. For example, you`ll need to have paid into both the US and German social security systems for a certain length of time. The exact requirements will depend on your individual situation, so it`s important to check with the relevant authorities to find out what you need to do.
If you`re planning to move to Germany or the US, it`s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the social security agreement between the two countries. This will help ensure that you don`t lose any benefits you`ve earned and that you`re eligible for the benefits you`re entitled to. You can find more information about the agreement on the websites of the Social Security Administration and the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.