Social Security - Coordinating Arrangements

• employees and self-employed workers who are or have been insured in accordance with the legislation of one of the said states
• public employees
• students
• pensioners, including those who retired prior to the time their country joined the European Union or the EEA
• relatives or survivors of the persons referred to above, irrespective of their nationality

The benefits which can be maintained or transferred are:

• sickness and maternity
• those relating to accidents in the workplace
• those relating to work-related illnesses
• invalidity benefits (contributory)
• old age pensions
• allowances paid to survivors
• benefits paid in the event of death
• unemployment benefits
• family allowances

Special provisions for cross-border workers to receive unemployment benefit stipulate that a cross-border worker, partially or intermittently unemployed, will receive the benefit provided by the legislation of the State in which he is insured, as if he were residing there.

On the other hand, if a cross-border worker is completely unemployed he will receive only the benefits due under the legislation of the country in which he resides, even though he had been insured in Italy during his most recent period of employment.

Seasonal workers who are completely unemployed can opt to be granted an allowance either in the country in which they were employed for the seasonal work or in their country of residence.

Workers seconded abroad are normally employed in one country, but sent by their own firm to another country, where they work for a temporary period. Seconded workers then remain insured in the country in which they normally work and, consequently, continue to pay social security contributions to the system of that country. They have the right to every medical benefit in kind, in the country to which they are sent, irrespective of whether they have transferred their residence there.

Further Information

• Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 and subsequent amendments

Useful contacts: local INPS offices, local offices of the hospital associations, charities

For further details contact: 

• Ministry of Welfare (Ministero del Welfare)
• Directorate General of Social Security (Direzione Generale della Previdenza)
  Rome 
  Tel: 06 46831
• Ministry of Health (Ministero della Salute), Rome
  Tel: 06 58491

Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2006
Reproduction is authorised.