Pension from Multiple Countries: Map of Poland's Social Security Agreements (2026)

Have you worked in two, three, or four countries? You do not lose those years. In the European Union, insurance periods are aggregated through EU coordination, and outside the EU, Poland has a network of 13 bilateral social security agreements – from the USA and Canada to Korea, Australia, and Mongolia. This guide serves as a map of the entire system: which countries have an agreement with Poland (and since when), what these agreements actually provide, what happens when there is no agreement (note: it mainly concerns transfers, not the right to a pension itself), and which ZUS branch will handle your case.

Map of Poland's Bilateral Agreements (as of July 2026)

The official list is maintained by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. Currently, the agreements with the following countries are in effect (effective dates confirmed by government sources):

Additionally, although bilateral agreements with EU countries expired upon accession (01.05.2004), selected provisions of agreements with Austria (1998) and Germany (1990) were retained for specific historical cases – including a separate agreement with Germany regarding individuals who worked in ghettos during World War II (ZRBG benefits). If this is your situation (or that of your parents/grandparents), inquire at ZUS about the "agreement with Germany regarding individuals working in ghettos."

What These Agreements Really Provide

All Polish bilateral agreements are based on similar mechanisms (modeled on EU coordination), although they differ in details:

What agreements usually do NOT cover: family benefits, unemployment benefits, and healthcare – these elements are optional in bilateral agreements and are mostly absent in Polish agreements (unlike EU coordination, which also includes health and family benefits). The typical scope includes: pensions, disability pensions, family pensions, accident benefits. The detailed scope varies between agreements – check the ZUS website for your country (links in sources).

Country Without an Agreement: What You Risk (and What You Don't)

Poland does not have agreements with most countries in the world – including popular destinations such as the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Brazil, or South Africa. What does this mean in practice:

Which ZUS Branch Handles Your Case

Pension and disability cases with an international element are handled by designated ZUS facilities (Departments for the Implementation of International Agreements) – assigned to countries. The list according to the official ZUS list (as of 10.06.2021 – before the entry into force of the agreement with Belarus; before submitting an application, confirm the appropriate facility on zus.pl or at 22 560 16 00):

Cases under the agreement with Belarus (in effect since 2022, already after the date of the above list) are reportedly handled by the ZUS branch in Białystok – however, confirm this on the current ZUS website, as we could not verify the official updated list.

Practice: What to Remember When Living Abroad

• The thirteenth pension is paid automatically together with the benefit – according to available information, also to pensioners living abroad who receive a Polish pension (the fourteenth depends on the income threshold). We did not find a clear statement from ZUS on this matter, so in unusual situations, ask at your facility.
• Bilingual forms. For countries with agreements, ZUS and partner institutions provide bilingual application packages (e.g., PL-USA, PL-AU) – you submit one set, without sworn translations. You can find them on the ZUS website with the description of the respective agreement.
• Taxes are a separate story. The social security agreement regulates contributions and benefits, but not taxes – where you will pay tax on your pension is determined by the double taxation avoidance agreement with that country.
• Nordic countries without bilateral agreements? This is not a gap: Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein are in the EEA, and Switzerland applies coordination under the EU agreement – EU rules apply there, and no bilateral treaty is needed.

What is Changing: Albania on the Horizon

The network of agreements is growing. On February 23, 2026, Poland signed a social security agreement with Albania – the first new one since the agreement with Belarus. In June 2026, the government adopted a ratification bill and sent it to the Sejm, and in July, the Senate voted. As of the publication date of this guide, the agreement has not yet entered into force – it awaits completion of ratification on both sides and the exchange of notes. If you work or have worked in Albania, follow the announcements from MRPiPS. Reports of negotiations with other countries (e.g., Georgia or South American countries) could not be confirmed in government sources.

Sources