What is Totalization agreement?
A bilateral agreement that stops you paying social-security taxes to two countries at once and lets you combine work credits across both.
Also searched as: social security agreement, certificate of coverage.
Without a totalization agreement, an American working abroad can owe social-security contributions in both the U.S. and the host country on the same earnings. These agreements assign coverage to one system and let periods of coverage be combined toward benefits.
Where an agreement exists, you obtain a certificate of coverage to prove which country's system you contribute to. Where none exists, double social-contribution exposure is common.
Official source: U.S. SSA — International Agreements.
Reviewed July 2026. General information, not legal, tax or immigration advice — always verify current official requirements.
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