U.S. and Belgium: Social Security Agreement

What it covers

In force: Jul 1, 1984

For Belgium, the agreement covers old-age and survivors pension insurance and disability insurance for employed and self-employed persons, plus several other programs, including sickness insurance, unemployment insurance, family allowances, and work-accident and occupational-disease coverage in the private sector. SSA says workers exempted from Belgian coverage by the agreement pay no Belgian social security taxes for programs such as disability, sickness, unemployment, vacations, work accidents and occupational disease, and generally cannot receive benefits from them.

How the U.S. counts Belgium credits

Applies to every U.S. agreement.

• SSA says that to have your Belgium credits counted for a U.S. benefit you must have at least 6 U.S. credits (generally one and one-half years of work).
• If you already have enough U.S. credits for a benefit, the U.S. cannot count the foreign credits.
• If you are short, you may qualify for a partial U.S. benefit based on both countries' credits.
• In 2026, one U.S. credit takes $1,890 of covered earnings, up to 4 credits a year (SSA's pamphlet prints an older 2022 amount).

Belgium's side

To have your United States and Belgian credits counted together for a Belgian benefit, you must have at least 18 months of coverage under the Belgian system.

Ages, payments and forms

• Belgium measures credits in months. SSA's pamphlet table shows a full Belgian retirement benefit at age 65 with at least 45 years of coverage, and a reduced benefit as early as age 60 with 44 years of coverage.
• Each country pays its own benefit. Belgium makes payments at different times for different periods, depending on the type of benefit.
• SSA's pamphlet says you may complete form SSA-2490-BK (Application for Benefits Under a U.S. International Social Security Agreement) and mail it to your local Social Security office.

Where to start

• You can apply in one country and ask that it count as a claim in the other. Each country processes the claim under its own laws, counts credits from the other country when appropriate, and tells you its decision.
• In the United States: visit or write any U.S. Social Security office, or call 1-800-772-1213 (8 a.m. to 7 p.m., business days; TTY 1-800-325-0778).
• If you live in Belgium: visit or write any Belgian social security office, or contact the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, Ireland (42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4).

What this page cannot tell you

• Whether your own record will qualify. Only SSA and the other country can decide that.
• Current ages and amounts. SSA's pamphlets show a 2022 credit amount and some older age tables, so confirm numbers with SSA or the other country.
• Anything not stated on SSA's page for this country.