International Programs
Totalization Agreement with Belgium
Introduction
For Belgium, the Agreement covers old-age and survivors pensions insurance for employed and self-employed persons, disability insurance for employed and self-employed persons, sailors of the merchant marine and miners, social security for employed persons, the social code for self-employed persons, sickness insurance for employed and self-employed persons, unemployment insurance, family allowances for employed and self-employed persons, annual vacations for employed persons, work accidents in the private sector, and occupational disease in the private sector.
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Eliminating dual coverage for self-employment
Self-employed workers who work only in the United States are assigned U.S. coverage. Self-employed workers who work only in Belgium are assigned Belgian coverage. Self-employed workers who work in both countries but reside in the United States are assigned U.S. coverage. Self-employed workers who work in both countries but reside in Belgium are assigned Belgian coverage.
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Belgian certificates for employees
Employers must request a certificate of coverage to establish an exemption from U.S. Social Security contributions at the below address:
National Social Security Office
Victor Hortaplein 11
B-1060 Brussels
BELGIUM
Please provide the following information:
- Worker's full name (including maiden name);
- Worker's date of birth;
- Worker's place of birth;
- Worker's country of citizenship;
- Worker's country of permanent residence;
- Worker's United States and Belgian social security numbers;
- Date of hire;
- Country of hire;
- Name and address of the employer in the United States and the Agreement country; and
- Date of transfer and anticipated date of return of employment in the Agreement country.
U.S. employers should retain certificates of coverage in case of an audit by the IRS. Employers should not send a copy to the IRS unless the IRS specifically requests the certificate of coverage.
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Belgian certificates for self-employed workers
Self-employed workers must request a certificate from the National Social Insurance Institute for the Self-Employed at the following address:
National Social Insurance Institute for the Self-Employed (INASTI)
Quai de Willebroeck 35
B-1000 Brussels
BELGIUM
Please provide the following information:
- Full name (including maiden name);
- Marital status;
- Date and place of birth;
- Citizenship;
- Country of permanent residence;
- U.S. and Belgian social security numbers, if applicable;
- Nature of self-employment activity;
- Dates the activity was or will be performed; and
- Name and address of your trade or business in both countries.
Self-employed workers should attach a copy of the certificate of coverage to their U.S. tax return every year as proof of the exemption.
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Monthly benefits
Under the U.S. Social Security system, you may earn up to four credits each year depending on the amount of your covered earnings. For example, in 2022, you receive one credit for each $1,410 of your covered annual earnings up to a maximum of four credits per year. The amount needed to earn a work credit goes up slightly each year.
The Belgian system measures credits in months. To simplify the information, the table shows requirements in years of credits.
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Retirement or old-age benefits |
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United States |
Belgium |
Worker—Full benefit at full retirement age.* Reduced benefit as early as age 62. Required work credits range from one and one-half to 10 years (10 years if age 62 in 1991 or later). |
Worker—Full benefit payable at age 65 with at least 45 years of coverage. Reduced benefit as early as age 60 with 44 years of coverage. Early retirement benefit, in most cases is not reduced, this based upon the starting date of early retirement. |
*Full retirement age is 66 for people born in 1943-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
Disability benefits |
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United States |
Belgium |
Worker—Under full retirement age* can get benefit if unable to do any substantial gainful work for at least a year. One and one-half to 10 years credit needed, depending on age at date of onset. Some recent work credits also needed unless worker is blind. |
Worker—Must be at least two-thirds disabled for 12 months. Some recent work credits required. |
*Full retirement age is 66 for people born in 1943-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
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Family benefits to dependents of retired or disabled people |
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United States |
Belgium |
Spouse—Full benefit at full retirement age* or at any age if caring for the worker’s entitled child under age 16 (or dis- abled before age 22). Reduced benefit as early as age 62 if not caring for a child. |
Spouse—No specific provision. However, a retired worker with a dependent spouse may receive a spouse’s supplement. |
Divorced spouse—Full benefit at full retirement age.* Reduced benefit as early as age 62. Must be unmarried and have been married to worker for at least 10 years. |
Divorced spouse—To be entitled to a divorced wife’s pension, you must:
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Children—If unmarried, up to age 18 (age 19 if in an elementary or secondary school full time) or any age if dis- abled before age 22. |
Children—No provision. However, benefits may be payable under the Family Allowance Program. |
*Full retirement age is 66 for people born in 1943-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
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Survivors benefits |
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United States |
Belgium |
Surviving Spouse—Full benefit at full retirement age* or at any age if caring for deceased’s entitled child under age 16 (or disabled before age 22). Reduced benefit as early as age 60 (or age 50 if disabled) if not caring for a child. Benefits may be continued if remarriage occurs after age 60 (or age 50 if disabled). |
Surviving Spouse—Benefit payable at age 45 or at any age if either caring for a child(ren) or at least two-thirds disabled; must have been married to deceased for at least one year. Pension ceases on remarriage, or if the deceased worked in underground mines for at least 20 years. NOTE: The survivors benefits age is increasing from 45 to the age 50. Reference the Federal Pensions Services website at https://www.sfpd.fgov.be/fr/droit-a-la-pension/pension-de-survie.
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Divorced Surviving Spouse—Same as surviving spouse if marriage lasted at least 10 years. |
Divorced Wife—Full benefit at age 65 or reduced benefit as early as age 60. Must not be entitled on their own work record. Must not have remarried. There is no difference between a divorced widower and widow. Only civil servants have a survivor’s pension.
NOTE: For widows (younger than 49 years in 2023) there is a transitional allowance: Review https://www.sfpd.fgov.be/fr/droit-a-la-pension/allocation-de-transition.
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Divorced Husband—No provision. There is no difference between a divorced widower and widow. Only civil servants have a survivor’s pension.
NOTE: For widows (younger than 49 years in 2023) there is a transitional allowance: Review https://www.sfpd.fgov.be/fr/droit-a-la-pension/allocation-de-transition.
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Children—Same as children of retired or disabled worker. |
Children—No provision. However, an orphan’s benefit may be payable under the Family Allowance Program. |
Lump-sum death benefit—A onetime payment not to exceed $255 payable on the death of an insured worker. |
Death benefit—A grant to cover funeral expenses is payable to the person who incurred the expenses. |
*The full retirement age for survivors is age 66 for people born in 1945-1956 and gradually increases to age 67 for people born in 1962 or later.
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How benefits can be paid
If you have social security credits in both the United States and Belgium, you may be eligible for benefits from one or both countries. If you meet all the basic requirements under one country’s system, you will get a regular benefit from that country. If you do not meet the basic requirements, the Agreement may help you qualify for a benefit as explained below.
- Benefits from the United States - If you do not have enough work credits under the U.S. system to qualify for regular benefits, you may qualify for a partial benefit from the United States based on both United States and Belgian credits. However, you must have earned at least six credits (generally one and one-half years of work) under the U.S. system for the United States to count your Belgian credits. If you already have enough credits under the U.S. system to qualify for a benefit, the United States cannot count your Belgian credits.
- Benefits from Belgium- Belgium also can count social security credits from both countries when necessary, to meet the eligibility requirements for Belgian benefits. To be eligible to have your United States and Belgian credits counted, you must have at least 18 months of coverage under the Belgian system.
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Claims for benefits
If you live in the United States and wish to apply for United States or Belgian benefits:
- Visit or write any U.S. Social Security office.
- Phone our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.
- Complete SSA-2490-BK (Application for Benefits Under a U.S. International Social Security Agreement) and mail to your local Social Security Administration office.
If you live in Belgium and wish to apply for U.S. or Belgian benefits, contact:
Federal Benefits Unit
United States Embassy
42 Elgin Road
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4
IRELAND - Visit or write any Belgian social security office.
You can apply with one country and ask to have your application considered as a claim for benefits from the other country.
Information from your application then will be sent to the other country. Each country will process the claim under its own laws, count credits from the other country when appropriate, and notify you of its decision.
If you have not applied for benefits before, you may need to provide certain information and documents when you apply. These may include:
- The worker’s United States and Belgian social security numbers.
- Proof of age for all claimants.
- Evidence of the worker’s U.S. earnings in the past 24 months.
- Information about the worker’s coverage under the Belgian system.
You may wish to call the social security office before you go there to see if you need any other information.
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Payment of benefits
Each country pays its own benefit. The U.S. Department of the Treasury issues U.S. payments each month covering benefits for the preceding month. Belgium makes payments at different times for different periods depending on the type of benefits. For more information, contact the Belgian authorities at the address in the section titled, “For more information.”
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For more information about Belgium's social security programs
- Visit Belgium's social security system website at Service fédéral des Pensions (fgov.be).
- If you live in Belgium, visit any social security office in Belgium.
- If you do not live in Belgium, write to:
National Social Security Office
Victor Hortaplein 11
B-1060 Brussels
BELGIUM