Pensions from Romania and the USA. The agreement that allows the cumulation of years of work comes i

From September 1, 2026, the Romania-USA agreement on social security comes into force, which allows people who have worked in both countries to cumulate their years of work for retirement.

From September 1, 2026, Romanians who have worked in both Romania and the United States of America, as well as Americans who have worked in Romania, will be able to benefit from a pension calculated based on the periods worked in both states.

Each country will pay the corresponding share for the contribution years completed on its territory, according to the new social security agreement.

According to an official statement sent on Friday, the Ministry of Labor announced that the Agreement between Romania and the United States of America in the field of social security, signed in Bucharest on March 23, 2023, together with its administrative implementation arrangement, will enter into force after the completion of all internal procedures.

„The new legal framework allows people who have carried out professional activities in Romania and the United States of America to capitalize their pension insurance periods on the principle of totalization, with each state granting the pension portion corresponding to the periods worked on its territory,” the information sent by the institution states.

The authorities specify that this agreement is the result of a bilateral process based on reciprocity and equal treatment. Its objective is to strengthen social protection for people who have worked or are insured in one or both pension systems.

How the new Romania-USA pension system works

The agreement applies to the public pension system in Romania and the US federal program for old-age, survivors and disability insurance.

Its provisions will benefit insured people, but also those who were insured in one or both states, as well as beneficiaries who derive their rights from these periods.

The document introduces several advantages for workers.

Among them are the cumulation of insurance periods for obtaining a pension, avoiding double payment of contributions for the same period of work, protecting pension rights for persons established in the other state and simplifying administrative procedures for employees, employers, and pensioners.

„The entry into force of the Agreement contributes to the consolidation of the Romanian-American bilateral relationship and social protection for persons who have carried out their professional activity in the two states,” the Ministry of Labor also states.