Social security for citizens of EEA (EU + Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein) countries

Since Poland is a member state of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA), its social security scheme is coordinated with those of other member states. It means that in the EEA there are common rules, which prevent the situation when a person moving within a territory of several countries of the EEA is subject to the social security legislation of more than one country or no country. The coordination is, above all, defined by two regulations: Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of the Council of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons and their families moving within the Community and Regulation (EEC) No 574/72. However, these Regulations do not harmonise but co-ordinate the social security schemes of the EEA states, i.e. it does not replace different national social security systems with a single European scheme.

How does the European coordination of social security schemes work in practice?

1. If you do not have social insurance in your country, you have to pay social security contributions in Poland in the same way as Polish employees. Of course your contributions paid here will be summed up with all contributions paid before and after in other EU countries.

2. If you are employed in your country and you arrive in Poland for the purpose of employment, you can still pay social security contribution in your country, if you bring the E-101 form with you. The E101 forms may be obtained in the home country, e.g. from the employer, and their validity is certified in the national social security institution.