Intergovernmental social welfare

“Social security” includes benefits within the scope of health insurance, accident, pension and unemployment insurance as well as family allowances. In all of these areas, there are international relationships with other countries, which are regulated by social security agreements and EU law. This results in a high level of protection that benefits Austrians living abroad. In order to safeguard the respective interests, the following are the cornerstones of international law from which individual claims can be derived:

• Equal treatment in the area of social security
• Consideration of insurance periods acquired in all countries for the entitlement to a pension (aggregation)
• Consideration of accidents at work or occupational illnesses that have occurred in other states
• Export of cash benefits to beneficiaries abroad
• Treatment in the area of health and accident insurance by insurance providers abroad

These principles are applied using the appropriate forms and the European Health Insurance Card.