The countries with which the United States has Social Security agreements are listed below with the effective date of the agreement:

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  Italy - November 1, 1978

  Germany - December 1, 1979

  Switzerland - November 1, 1980

  Norway - July 1, 1984

  Belgium -July 1, 1984

  Canada - August 1, 1984

  United Kingdom-January 1, 1985 (Benefit provisions - January 1, 1988)

  Sweden-January 1, 1987

  Spain-April 1, 1988

  France-July 1, 1988

  Netherlands-November 1, 1990

  Austria-November 1, 1991

  Finland-November 1, 1992

  Ireland-September 1, 1993

  Luxembourg-November 1, 1993

  Greece-September 1, 1994

  South Korea-April 1, 2001

  Chile-December 1, 2001

  Australia-October 1, 2002

  Japan-October 1, 2005

  Denmark-October 1, 2008

  Czech Republic-January 1, 2009

  Poland-March 1, 2009

  Slovak Republic-May 1, 2014

  Hungary-September 1, 2016

These agreements enable people who have worked under the Social Security systems of the United States and one of the listed countries to receive either combined “totalization” benefits or regular benefits from the United States and either combined “totalization” benefits or regular benefits from the other country.

Italian totalization claims can be filed with the United States in a district office (DO) or Foreign Service post (FSP) or with Italy at any office of the Instituto Nazionale di Previdenza Sociale (INPS).

German totalization claims can be filed with the United States in a DO or FSP or with Germany at the various agencies of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).

Swiss totalization claims can be filed with the United States at a DO or FSP or with Switzerland at any of the approximately 130 separate agencies (“funds” in Swiss terminology) which administer the social insurance system in Switzerland or at any of the Swiss diplomatic posts in the United States or the main office of the Caisse Suisse de Compensation (CSC) in Geneva.

Norwegian totalization claims can be filed with the United States at a DO or an FSP or with Norway at any of the 451 offices of the National Insurance Institute or at any of the Norwegian diplomatic posts in the United States.

Belgian totalization claims can be filed with the United States at a DO or with the International Benefits Office (IBO) of DIO - there is no trained claims-taking post in Belgium; or with Belgium at any of many private, semi-private or government offices in Belgium or at any of the Belgian diplomatic posts in the United States.

Canadian totalization claims can be filed with the United States at a DO, a claims-taking FSP or with IBO of DIO (if the applicant is residing in a country serviced by IBO) or with Canada at any of the more than 100 local offices of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or nine local offices of the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP). However, DIO should receive material only from the Canadian offices.

NOTE: When the terms Canada or Canadian are used in this subchapter, the information applies equally to all of Canada including Quebec. When it is necessary to identify information which is applicable only to Quebec, the term Quebec is used. When it is necessary to identify information which is applicable to Canada except Quebec, the term Ottawa is used.