Pension to Finland or abroad?

If you go abroad to work, the pension accrual is affected by:

  • whether the country is an EU/EEA country or a country with which Finland has concluded a social security agreement
  • whether you are posted by the Finnish employer or employed by a foreign employer
  • whether the country of employment has a general pension scheme

A posted worker accrues a pension to Finland

A posted worker is temporarily working for the Finnish employer in another EU/EEA country, Switzerland or a country with which Finland has concluded a social security agreement. If you are a posted worker, you need a certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions so that you accrue a pension to Finland.

An employee posted to a non-agreement country by the Finnish employer accrues a pension to Finland. However, pension contributions may also have to be paid to the country of employment.

Pension rights accrue to a foreign pension scheme

When your employer is a foreign company or corporation, your pension usually accrues to the pension scheme of the country of employment. It will be calculated in accordance with the pension legislation in the country of employment.

If the country of employment is an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or a country that has a social security agreement with Finland, the pension accrued from the work is paid to Finland. In certain other countries there are restrictions on the payment of pensions abroad.

No pension accrues anywhere

There are also countries which have no general pension scheme. There is generally no pension to look forward to from work for a foreign employer in these countries.

External links: The Finnish Centre for Pensions, The Social Insurance Institution