Infosheet on the Agreement on Social Security between Canada and Sweden

Qualifying for Canadian and Swedish benefits

• Catalogue number SWE1-08-03E
• Printable version in PDF format (52 kb, 2 pages). To download and print PDF files, you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. 

The Agreement
Qualifying for a Canadian benefit
Qualifying for a Swedish benefit
Payment of your benefits
For more information
How to apply for benefits

The Agreement

The Agreement on Social Security between Canada and Sweden came into force on January 1, 1986.

The Agreement may help you qualify for Canadian and Swedish old age and disability benefits if you contributed to both the Canada Pension Plan and the Supplementary Pensions Scheme of Sweden, or if you resided in Canada and in Sweden.

The Agreement may also help you qualify for Canadian and Swedish survivor benefits if you are the widow, widower or child of a person who contributed to the pension programs of the two countries.

Social security legislation and agreements are complex. This sheet contains only general information and may not describe all the provisions that apply to your situation.

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Qualifying for a Canadian benefit

The Canadian pension programs included in the Agreement are the Canada Pension Plan and the Old Age Security program.

Under the Canada Pension Plan, you can receive a benefit when you retire or if you become disabled. The Plan may also pay benefits to your survivors after you die. To qualify for a benefit, you normally must have contributed to the Plan for a minimum period.

If you do not qualify for a Canada Pension Plan benefit, Canada will consider periods credited under the Supplementary Pensions Scheme of Sweden as periods of contribution to the Canada Pension Plan.

The Old Age Security program covers most persons who live or have lived in Canada. The pension is payable at the age of 65 to persons who meet certain residence conditions. To qualify for a Canadian Old Age Security pension in Canada, you normally must have lived in this country for at least 10 years after the age of 18. You normally need 20 years of residence in Canada after the same age to receive an Old Age Security pension outside Canada.

What happens if you do not qualify for a Canadian Old Age Security pension because you have not lived in Canada for the minimum number of years? Under the Agreement, Canada will consider periods during which you resided in Sweden after the age 18 as periods of residence in Canada.

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Qualifying for a Swedish benefit

The Swedish pension program consists of the Basic Pensions Scheme and the Supplementary Pensions Scheme. The Basic Pensions Scheme provides flat-rate benefits based on residence in Sweden. The Supplementary Pensions Scheme, on the other hand, is based on income from employment and self-employment.

To qualify for a benefit under the pension program, you normally must have resided in Sweden or contributed to the Supplementary Pensions Scheme for a minimum number of years. For example, to qualify for a Swedish old age benefit under the Supplementary Pensions Scheme, you normally must have resided in Sweden or been credited with contributions to the Supplementary Pensions Scheme for at least three years.

If you have not contributed to the Scheme, or resided in Sweden for the minimum period, you may not qualify for a Swedish benefit. However, under the Agreement, Sweden will consider periods of contribution to the Canada Pension Plan and periods of residence in Canada as credited periods under the Supplementary Pensions Scheme of Sweden.

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Payment of your benefits

You may qualify for a Canadian or Swedish benefit, or both. Under the Agreement, each country will pay a benefit based solely on your periods of contribution or periods of residence under its pension program.

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For more information

You can find more information on the Social Security Agreement between Canada and Sweden on the Swedish International Benefits page.

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How to apply for benefits

If you want to apply for a Canadian or Swedish benefit under the Agreement, or if you have questions, please call or write us.

From Canada or the United States, you can contact us, free of charge, at:

• 1 800 277-9914
• 1 800 255-4786 (TTY)

From other countries, please call:

• 1 613 957-1954

You can also write to us at:

• Income Security Programs
  Human Resources Development Canada
  Ottawa, ON K1A 0L4
  CANADA

• E-mail
• Fax: 1 613 952-8901

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International Benefits publications