In order for people to be able to freely choose a country in the European Union to live and work in, they must be guaranteed certain social insurance rights. These include sickness and maternity benefits; invalidity (incapacity for work), old age and survivor’s pensions; occupational accident and illness benefits; death grants; benefits payable to the unemployed; and family benefits.

Since the laws guaranteeing the social insurance rights of member states differ, rules were developed in  Council Regulation (EEC) no. 1408/71 regarding the application of social insurance schemes within the union in terms of the movement of employees, the self-employed and their family members. These coordination rules are applicable to the movement of citizens, the stateless and refugees within the EU.

The regulation neither set outs which benefits should be paid to a person by one country or another nor establishes the size of pensions and benefits. Countries must ensure that people moving from one member state to another do not find themselves worse off than those who live and work in one member state their whole lives.

The payment of the social insurance benefits mentioned above is organised by  the Social Insurance Board,  the Estonian Health Insurance Fund and  the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund.

 European health insurance card

 Health care in the EU

 Unemployment insurance in the European Union

 Pension rights in the European Union on the EUlisses website

 Your rights in the European Union

 If you are going to work or study in the EU (European Union information centre brochure)

 Social insurance in European Union member states, the European Economic Area and Switzerland

 Questions about the European Union

 Access to European Union legal acts

 Court of the European Union