The Canada-Poland Social Security Agreement: What You Need to Know
If you`re a Canadian citizen planning to work or retire in Poland, or a Polish citizen planning to work or retire in Canada, you may be wondering how social security benefits will be affected. Fortunately, Canada and Poland have a Social Security Agreement in place that helps ensure continuity of benefits for people who move between the two countries.
The agreement was signed in 2012 and came into force in 2013. It applies to Canadian and Polish citizens who are:
– residents of one country and working in the other
– residents of one country and receiving benefits from the other
– residents of one country and applying for benefits from the other
Under the agreement, you can generally only be subject to social security coverage in one country at a time. This means that if you`re working in Canada and you`re covered by the Canadian social security system, you won`t have to pay into the Polish system. Similarly, if you`re working in Poland and you`re covered by the Polish social security system, you won`t have to pay into the Canadian system.
If you`ve worked in both countries and have contributed to both social security systems, the agreement helps ensure that you`re not penalized. For example, if you`ve worked in Canada and Poland and you`re eligible for a Canadian benefit and a Polish benefit, the agreement allows you to combine the two benefits. This means that your total benefit amount will be based on the total period of contribution to both countries` systems.
The agreement also covers retirement, disability, survivor, and children`s benefits. If you`re eligible for a benefit in one country, you can generally receive that benefit even if you`re living in the other country.
To apply for benefits under the Canada-Poland Social Security Agreement, you`ll need to contact the social security agency in your country of residence. In Canada, that`s Service Canada, and in Poland, that`s Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych.
In conclusion, if you`re a Canadian or Polish citizen planning to work or retire in the other country, it`s good to know that the Canada-Poland Social Security Agreement is in place to help ensure continuity of benefits. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to contact your social security agency for more information.