Totalization Agreement with Sweden

An agreement effective January 1, 1987, between the United States and Sweden improves Social Security protection for people who work or have worked in both countries. It helps many people who, without the agreement, would not be eligible for monthly retirement, disability or survivors benefits under the Social Security system of one or both countries. It also helps people who would otherwise have to pay Social Security taxes to both countries on the same earnings.

For the United States, the agreement covers Social Security taxes (including the U.S. Medicare portion) and Social Security retirement, disability and survivors insurance benefits. It doesn’t cover benefits under the U.S. Medicare program or the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

For Sweden, the agreement applies to retirement, disability and survivors benefits under Sweden’s basic and supplementary pension programs and to the taxes that must be paid under those programs. The agreement doesn’t affect benefits or tax liability under other Swedish programs such as health insurance, unemployment insurance, work accident, occupational illness insurance or family allowance benefits.

This document covers highlights of the agreement and explains how it may help you while you work and when you apply for benefits.

• While you work–If your work is covered by both the U.S. and the Swedish Social Security systems, you (and your employer, if you are employed) would normally have to pay Social Security taxes to both countries for the same work. However, the agreement eliminates this double coverage so you pay taxes to only one system (see Part II).

• When you apply for benefits–You may have some Social Security credits in both the United States and Sweden but not have enough to be eligible for benefits in one country or the other. The agreement makes it easier to qualify for benefits by letting you add together your Social Security credits in both countries. For more details, see the section on "Monthly benefits" in Part IV.

Under the U.S. Social Security program, employees and their employers, as well as self-employed people, are required to pay Social Security taxes. Under the Swedish system, employers (but not employees) and self-employed people must pay Social Security taxes. Before the agreement, employers and self-employed people could, under certain circumstances, be required to pay Social Security taxes to both the United States and Sweden for the same work.

Under the agreement, if you work as an employee in the United States, you normally will be covered by the United States, and you and your employer will pay Social Security taxes only to the United States. If you work as an employee in Sweden, you normally will be covered by Sweden, and your employer pays Social Security taxes only to Sweden.

On the other hand, if your employer sends you from one country to work for that employer or an affiliate in the other country for five years or less, you will continue to be covered by your home country and you will be exempt from coverage in the other country. For example, if a U.S. company sends an employee to work for that employer or an affiliate in Sweden for no more than five years, the employer and the employee will continue to pay only U.S. Social Security taxes and will not have to pay in Sweden. (NOTE: Employers of workers sent from the United States to work in Sweden for five years or less will be exempt from paying Social Security taxes to the Swedish retirement, disability and survivors benefit programs, but they will not be exempt from paying taxes to other Swedish benefit programs such as sickness and work injury insurance.)

If you are self-employed and reside in the United States or Sweden, you generally will be covered and taxed only by the country where you reside.

The following table shows whether your work is covered under the U.S. or Swedish Social Security system. If you are covered under U.S. Social Security, you and your employer (if you are an employee) must pay U.S. Social Security taxes. If you are covered under the Swedish system, you or your employer (if you are an employee) must pay Swedish Social Security taxes. Part III explains how to get a form from the country where you are covered that will prove you are exempt in the other country.

To establish an exemption from compulsory coverage and taxes under the Swedish system, your employer must request a certificate of coverage (form US/SW 101) from the U.S. at this address:

Social Security Administration
Office of International Programs
P.O. Box 17741
Baltimore, Maryland 21235-7741
U.S.A.

If preferred, the request may be sent by FAX to (410) 966-1861.   Please note this FAX number should only be used for requesting certificates of coverage. 

No special form is required to request a certificate, but, the request must be in writing and provide the following information:

- Full name of worker;
- Date and place of birth;
- Citizenship;
- Country of worker’s permanent residence;
- U.S. Social Security number;
- Name and relationship of family members accompanying the worker;
- Address in Sweden, if known;
- Date of hire;
- Country of hire;
- Name and address of the employer in the U.S. and Sweden; and
- Date of transfer and anticipated date of return.

In addition, your employer must indicate if you remain an employee of the U.S. company while working in Sweden or if you become an employee of the U.S. company’s affiliate in Sweden. If you become an employee of an affiliate, your employer must indicate if the U.S. company has an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service under section 3121(l) of the Internal Revenue Code to pay U.S. Social Security taxes for U.S. citizens and residents employed by the affiliate and, if yes, the effective date of the agreement.

Your employer can also request a certificate of U.S. coverage for you over the Internet using a special online request form available at www.socialsecurity.gov/coc. Only an employer can use the online form to request a certificate of coverage. A self-employed person must submit a request by mail or fax.

To establish your exemption from coverage under the U.S. Social Security system, your employer in Sweden must request a certificate of coverage (form SW/US 101) from the Swedish Regional Social Insurance Office for the region in which the Swedish employer is located.

The same information required for a certificate of coverage from the United States is needed to get a certificate from Sweden except that you must show your Swedish Social Security number rather than your U.S. Social Security number.

If you are self-employed and would normally have to pay Social Security taxes to both the U.S. and Swedish systems, you can establish your exemption from one of the taxes by writing to:

• If you reside in the United States, the U.S. Social Security Administration at the address in Part III.A above; or

• If you reside in Sweden, the Swedish Regional Social Insurance Office for the region in which you reside.

Be sure to provide the following information in your letter:

-Full name;
-Date and place of birth;
-Citizenship;
-Country of permanent residence;
-U.S. and/or Swedish Social Security number
-Name and relationship of family members accompanying you;
-Address in Sweden, if known;
-Nature of self-employment activity;
-Dates the activity was or will be performed; and
-Name and address of your trade or business in both countries.

 

The certificate of coverage you receive from one country will show the effective date of your exemption from paying Social Security taxes in the other country. Generally, this will be the date you began working in the other country.

Certificates of coverage issued by Sweden should be retained by the employer in the United States in case of an audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). No copies should be sent to IRS unless specifically requested by IRS. However, a self-employed person must attach a photocopy of the certificate to his or her income tax return each year as proof of the U.S. exemption. 

Copies of certificates of coverage issued by the United States will be provided for both the employee and the employer. It will be their responsibility to present the certificate to the Swedish authorities when requested to do so. To avoid any difficulties, your employer (or you, if you are self-employed) should request a certificate as early as possible, preferably before your work in the other country begins.

If you or your employer request a certificate of coverage, you should read the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act statements below.

The following table shows the various types of Social Security benefits payable under the U.S. and Swedish Social Security systems and briefly describes the eligibility requirements that normally apply for each type of benefit. If you do not meet the normal requirements for these benefits, the agreement may help you to qualify (see Part IV.A below).

Sweden has a new pension system that covers people born in 1938 or later. People born in 1937 or earlier will continue to receive their benefits only under the old system. People born between 1938 and 1953 will receive part of their benefits under the old system and part under the new system. People born in 1954 or later will receive their benefits only under the new system.

Since the new system applies only partially to people retiring today, the following table only explains the eligibility requirements for Swedish benefits under the old system. Under the old system, Sweden pays benefits through a two-tier program: the first tier pays a basic pension based on residence; and the second tier pays an earnings-related supplementary pension (ATP).

Under U.S. Social Security, you may earn up to four credits each year depending on the amount of your covered earnings. The amount needed to earn a work credit goes up slightly each year. For more information, see How You Earn Credits (SSA Publication No. 05-10072).

You can get more specific information about U.S. benefits here on our web site or at any U.S. Social Security office or by calling our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213. You can get more detailed information about the old and new Swedish systems by writing to the Swedish address in Part VIII or by visiting the Swedish National Social Insurance Board’s web site at www.rfv.se.

If you have Social Security credits in both the United States and Sweden, you may be eligible for benefits from one or both countries. If you meet all the basic requirements under one country’s system, you will get a regular benefit from that country. If you don’t meet the basic requirements, the agreement may help you qualify for a benefit as explained below.

If you do not have enough work credits under the U.S. system to qualify for regular benefits, you may be able to qualify for a partial benefit from the United States based on both U.S. and Swedish credits. However, to be eligible to have your Swedish credits counted, you must have earned at least six credits (generally one and one-half years of work) under the U.S. system. If you already have enough credits under the U.S. system to qualify for a benefit, the United States cannot count your Swedish credits.

Sweden provides survivors and disability benefits two separate programs.

1. A “basic” pension program pays flat-rate benefits to Swedish residents with at least three years residence or three years ATP coverage. The pension normally is payable outside Sweden only to Swedish nationals with at least three years of ATP coverage. However, under the agreement, U.S. nationals residing outside Sweden can receive the basic pension on the same basis as Swedish nationals. In addition, U.S. credits can be counted to help meet the three-year ATP coverage requirement.



2. A “supplementary” pension program for workers, known by the initials “ATP,” pays benefits based on how long you worked and the amount you earned. To be eligible for an ATP pension, you must generally have at least three years of ATP credits. If you don’t meet this requirement, but have at least one year of ATP credits, U.S. credits may be counted to help you qualify.
   

You do not have to do anything to have your credits in one country counted by the other country. If we need to count your credits under the Swedish system to help you qualify for a U.S. benefit, we will get a copy of your Swedish record directly from Sweden when you apply for benefits. If Swedish authorities need to count your U.S. credits to help you qualify for a Swedish benefit, they will get a copy of your U.S. record directly from the Social Security Administration when you apply for the Swedish benefit.

Although each country may count your credits in the other country, your credits are not actually transferred from one country to the other. They remain on your record in the country where you earned them and also can be used to qualify for benefits there.

When a U.S. benefit becomes payable as a result of counting both U.S. and Swedish Social Security credits, an initial benefit is determined based on your U.S. earnings as if your entire career had been completed under the U.S. system. This initial benefit is then reduced to reflect the fact that Swedish credits helped to make the benefit payable. The amount of the reduction will depend on the number of U.S. credits: the more U.S. credits, the smaller the reduction; and the fewer U.S. credits, the larger the reduction.

If you qualify for Social Security benefits from the United States based only on U.S. credits and an “ATP” pension from Sweden based only on Swedish ATP credits, the amount of your U.S. benefit may be reduced. This is a result of a provision in U.S. law that can affect the way your benefit is figured if you also receive a pension based on work that was not covered by U.S. Social Security. Receipt of a Swedish “basic” pension, which is based on residence in Sweden, won’t affect the way your U.S. benefit is figured. For more information, call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, and get the publication, Windfall Elimination Provision (Publication #05-10045). If you are outside the United States, you may write to us at the address in Part VIII.

Medicare is the U.S. national health insurance system for people age 65 or older or who are disabled. Medicare has two parts: hospital insurance (also called "Part A" Medicare) and medical insurance (called "Part B" Medicare). You are eligible for free hospital insurance at age 65 if you have worked long enough under U.S. Social Security to qualify for a retirement benefit. People born in 1929 or later need 40 credits (about 10 years of covered work) to qualify for retirement benefits.

Although the agreement between the United States and Sweden allows the Social Security Administration to count your Swedish ATP credits to help you qualify for U.S. retirement, disability or survivor benefits, the agreement does not cover Medicare benefits. As a result, we cannot count your credits in Sweden to establish entitlement to free Medicare hospital insurance.

For more information about Medicare, call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, and get the publication, Medicare (Publication #05-10043) or visit Medicare’s website at www.medicare.gov.

If you live in the United States and wish to apply for U.S. or Swedish benefits:

• Visit or write any U.S. Social Security office; or

• Phone our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. any business day. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.

You can apply for Swedish benefits at any U.S. Social Security office by completing an application form SSA-2490.

If you live in Sweden and wish to apply for U.S. or Swedish benefits, contact:

• The Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway (phone 47-2-2448-550) to file for U.S. benefits; or
  
  
• Any Swedish Social Security office to file for Swedish benefits.

If you have not applied for benefits before, you may need to provide certain information and documents when you apply. These include the worker’s U.S. and Swedish Social Security numbers, proof of age for all claimants, evidence of the worker’s U.S. earnings in the past 24 months and information about the worker’s coverage under the Swedish system. You may wish to call the Social Security office before you go there to see if any other information is needed.

Each country pays its own benefit. U.S. payments are made by the U.S. Department of Treasury each month and cover benefits for the preceding month. Payments under the Swedish system are made by the National Insurance Board, generally between the 12th and 17th of each month, and cover benefits for that month.

Normally, persons who are not U.S. citizens may receive U.S. Social Security benefits while outside the U.S. only if they meet certain requirements. Under the agreement, however, if you are a U.S. or Swedish citizen, a refugee, a stateless person or a person who is eligible for dependents or survivors benefits based on the Social Security record of one of these people, you may receive benefits as long as you reside in Sweden. If you are not a U.S. or Swedish citizen and live in another country, you may not be able to receive benefits. The restrictions on U.S. benefits are explained in the publication, "Your Payments While You Are Outside The United States" (Publication #05-10137).

If you disagree with the decision made on your claim for benefits under the agreement, contact any U.S. or Swedish Social Security office. The people there can tell you what you need to do to appeal the decision.

The Swedish Social Security authorities will review your appeal if it affects your rights under the Swedish system, while U.S. Social Security authorities will review your appeal if it affects your rights under the U.S. system. Since each country’s decisions are made independently of the other, a decision by one country on a particular issue may not always conform with the decision made by the other country on the same issue.

To file a claim for U.S. or Swedish benefits under the agreement, follow the instructions in Part VII.

To find out more about U.S. Social Security benefits or for information about a claim for benefits, contact any U.S. Social Security office. If you live outside the United States, write to:

Social Security Administration
OIO—Totalization
P.O. Box 17769
Baltimore, Maryland 21235-7769
U.S.A.

For more information about Sweden’s Social Security programs, visit any Social Security office in Sweden. If you don’t live in Sweden, write to:

National Social Insurance Board
Lagbyran
S-10351 Stockholm
SWEDEN

If you do not wish to file a claim for benefits, but would like more information about the agreement, write to:

Social Security Administration
Office of International Programs
P.O. Box 17741
Baltimore, Maryland 21235-7741
U.S.A.