TN 2 (04-23)

GN 01731.125 Eligibility for Finnish Benefits under the U.S. - Finnish Agreement

A. Determining eligibility

1. National Pension

The Agreement liberalizes the residence requirements that apply to National Pension benefits (see GN 01731.020). Under the Agreement, U.S. citizens residing in the United States or Finland, and Finnish citizens residing in the United States, may qualify for National Pension benefits if they meet the following residence requirements.

TYPE OF BENEFIT RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS
Retirement Resident in Finland for a continuous period of 5 years at any time after age 16.
Surviving Spouse Both the survivor and the deceased worker resided in Finland for a continuous period of at least 5 years at any time after age 16 and the deceased worker was a U.S. or Finnish citizen.
Orphans Deceased worker was a U.S. or Finnish citizen who resided in Finland for a continuous period of at least 5 years at any time after age 16.

Under Finnish law, a person must reside in Finland to qualify for a National Pension disability benefit. The Agreement does not change this requirement. However, a person who qualifies and subsequently moves to the United States may continue receiving National Pension disability benefits if they resided in Finland for at least 5 continuous years after age 16.

2. Earnings-Related Pension

Finland does not need to take U.S. coverage into account in determining Earnings-Related Pension benefit eligibility. A person's right to a benefit under the Earnings-Related Pension is immediately vested once the person begins to work in covered employment or self-employment.

However, when determining the amount of an Earnings-Related Pension survivor or disability benefit, Finland may count the years between the date of death or disability onset and age 65 (called future years) as actual years of coverage. This will increase the amount of the Earnings-Related Pension benefit. To receive credit for future years, the worker must reside in Finland for at least five years. In addition, the death or disability must occur while the worker is engaged in a covered work activity or within one year thereafter.

Under the Agreement, Finland will count U.S. coverage to meet the Finnish residence and coverage requirements for granting future years when determining the amount of an Earnings-Related Pension survivors or disability benefit.

B. Crediting U.S. Coverage

Under the Agreement, Finland will count each U.S. quarter of coverage (QC) as three months of Earnings-Related Pension coverage. However, Finland will not count:

  • Any U.S. QC earned before 1961 (the year the Earnings-Related Pension began); or

  • Any months in a quarter that are already months of Earnings-Related Pension coverage.

C. References

  • GN 01731.020, Finnish benefit eligibility requirements.

  • GN 01731.215, Application for benefits under the Finnish Agreement.

 


To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0201731125
GN 01731.125 - Eligibility for Finnish Benefits under the U.S. - Finnish Agreement - 04/12/2023
Batch run: 04/19/2023
Rev:04/12/2023