Insurance record abroad

The aim of international social security law is not to replace national social security systems with a harmonised social security system, but to coordinate them.

A number of general principles apply to this coordination.

The general principles of international social security law are as follows:

• equal treatment
• determining the applicable legislation
• retention of rights in the course of acquisition
• maintaining acquired rights
• foreign benefits service
• cooperation between institutions

Insurance periods in the European Union

If an insured person is a national of a member state of the European Union or a national of a third country and legally resident in a country of the European Union, the insurance periods in Luxembourg are added together with the insurance periods in another member state with a view to fulfilling the eligibility criteria laid down in Luxembourg.

As far as Community nationals are concerned, this also applies to Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The same principle applies in relations with third countries with which Luxembourg has concluded agreements. If the conditions are met, the pensioner will benefit from as many partial pensions as there are countries involved.

Insurance periods in a country with which Luxembourg has concluded a bilateral social security agreement

The rules for aggregating insurance periods also apply under bilateral agreements.