The agreement with Germany became effective December 1, 1979. Since that time, the agreement has been amended by two supplementary agreements. The first supplementary agreement became effective March 1, 1988 and the second became effective May 1, 1996.

Periods of U.S. and German Social Security coverage a worker earned prior to December 1, 1979, may be used to establish entitlement to U.S. or German totalization benefits, but the earliest possible entitlement to such benefits is December 1979.