Due to the corona virus, many who work abroad now telecommute from their home country. The telecommuting may affect which country’s social security is applied to the worker.

Because of the exceptional circumstances caused by the corona epidemic, work abroad has changed in unforeseen ways. If you telecommute while working in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, please read the following instructions.

If your country of work is different from your country of residence

If you reside in one country and work in another country and regularly return to the country in which you reside (on a daily or weekly basis), you are a boarder worker. For example, if you live in northern Finland and do all your work in Sweden or Norway, you are such a worker.

If you are temporarily prevented to work in your regular country of work, or if you are now telecommuting only in the country in which you reside, you are to be insured in your original country of work also during these exceptional circumstances.

For example, if you have previously worked in Sweden for a Swedish employer only, and you now telecommute for that employer from Finland, your country of residence because of the corona epidemic, the Finnish Centre for Pensions finds that you continue to be covered by Swedish social security.

If you have problems with your social security or you need confirmation of which country’s social security you are covered by, contact the appropriate authorities of the country whose social security you were covered by before the corona epidemic.

Follow the instructions issued by the social security authorities of both your country or residence and your country of work.

If you work in several EU countries

There are separate rules for workers who work in several EU countries in the EU area. If your regular working conditions have changed due to the corona epidemic and you now do a larger share – or all – of your work in your country of residence, this temporary change does not affect which country’s social security you are covered by.

Your A1 certificate states which country’s social security you are covered by. If you have problems with this, contact the authority that issued your A1 certificate.

If you have an A1 certificate for work in several EU countries granted by the Finnish Centre for Pensions, you do not have to notify the Finnish Centre for Pensions of changes to how your work is divided between the EU countries due to the corona epidemic.

If you are a posted worker

As a posted worker, your A1 certificate remains valid if you continue your work (either by telecommuting or working at your workplace) in the country to which you have been posted.

However, if your circumstances change – for example, if you are laid off or your posting is terminated – read our instructions on the web on lay-offs or terminated postings. If necessary, contact our Customer Service.

Instructions from the European Commission to authorities

The European Commission has also published instructions regarding the mobility of workers in EU during the exceptional circumstances caused by the corona epidemic.

The Commission states that the regulations on the coordination of social security systems continue to be valid. The temporary exceptional circumstances do not change the social security status of mobile workers.

The instructions by the Commission are indicative and they do not, in individual cases, bind the authorities in the Member States.

In practice, the Finnish Centre for Pensions follows the EU regulations on the coordination of social security systems according to the guidelines of the European Commission.