Effective Dates: 09/15/2026 - Present Previous | Next

Basic (09-26)

GN 01765.120 U.S. Totalization Benefits under the U.S. - Romanian Agreement

A. Crediting Romanian coverage

Social Security Administration (SSA) will credit one U.S. quarter of coverage (QC) for every three months of Romanian coverage (or remaining fraction thereof) in a calendar year. (Romanian coverage is measured in months.)

However, no credit will be given for:

  1. 1. 

    Any month in a calendar quarter that SSA has already credited as a U.S. QC.

  2. 2. 

    Any period of coverage not based on contributions.

  3. 3. 

    More than four QCs for any calendar year.

B. Computing benefits in the United States

When SSA establishes U.S. insured status based on combined U.S. and Romanian coverage, it determines the amount of the U.S. Totalization benefit using the computation method described in GN 01701.200.

C. Adjudicating the claim in the United States

1. Field Office (FO) responsibilities

When a Number Holder (NH) does not have enough U.S. coverage to meet fully insured status, but the NH has at least six U.S. QCs, field office (FO) technicians must take an initial claim to process the insured status denial. This will automatically generate a denial notice to inform the applicant that they do not meet the insured status requirement based on U.S. coverage alone, and that we will request the applicant's Romanian earnings record. See GN 01702.310 - GN 01702.525 for additional information about processing, developing, and routing claims for foreign and U.S. Totalization benefits.

The FO should route claims that cannot be electronically routed according to the instructions in GN 01702.310B.3 to the following address:

Social Security Administration
International Benefit & Processing
P.O. Box 17769 Baltimore
Maryland 21235-7769

If a courier service is used, mail to:

Social Security Administration
International Benefit & Processing
6100 Wabash Avenue Baltimore
Maryland 21235

2. International Benefit & Processing (IBP) responsibilities

IBP requests the Romanian earnings record, converts Romanian periods of coverage on the Romanian earnings record to U.S. QC's, and adjudicates the claim.

D. References

GN 01702.315 Processing Totalization Insured-Status Notices in Claims for U.S. Benefits.

GN 01702.325 Summary of Field Office Development and Processing of U.S. Totalization Claims and Foreign Claims (Regular and Totalization).

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0201765120
GN 01765.120 - U.S. Totalization Benefits under the U.S. - Romanian Agreement - 09/15/2026
Batch run: 09/15/2026
Rev:09/15/2026