Applying for a certificate of coverage
Under a social security agreement, a person who obtains a certificate of coverage remains tied to certain Québec laws while working abroad.
A certificate of coverage allows:
-
the person working abroad to save substantially because he or she continues to contribute to the Québec Pension Plan (QPP). He or she does not need to make contributions to the host country. In addition, if the agreement provides so, he or she retains his or her eligibility to the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) and benefits from the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST). The person is therefore covered for health care, hospitalization, work-related accidents and occupational illnesses;
-
the employer to save substantially because he or she continues contributing to Québec social security programs, including the
QPP. He or she therefore does not make contributions to the host country.
Who can apply?
- Employers of a salaried employee who will be assigned temporarily to work abroad.
- A self-employed worker who obtains a temporary work contract abroad.
How to apply
- Verify whether the concerned country has signed a social security agreement with Québec. Consult the list below.
- Download and complete the
forms for the concerned country or countries. If needed, contact Retraite Québec's
Bureau des ententes de sécurité sociale (BESS) for more information.
- Send the form and all the necessary documents to the
BESS via the
Sending a document online service or
by mail.
Receiving the certificate
Once you have sent us all the information necessary to process your application, you can expect to obtain the certificate of coverage within a
maximum of 40 days. The certificate will be mailed to the person who filed the application. In the case of an employer, he or she will need to send it to the person assigned to work abroad.
If the social security agreement covers health insurance, additional information will indicate to which government authority of the foreign country the certificate must be presented to.
Period of validity
The certificate is valid for a limited period, which can be extended upon request. To extend the duration of a certificate, you must contact the
BESS who will obtain the authorization from the country in question.
Social security programs covered by the agreements
Barbados
Brazil
Chile
Dominica
Jamaica
Saint Lucia
United States
Uruguay | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Austria | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Belgium | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Bulgaria | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Croatia | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Cyprus | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Czech Republic | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Denmark | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Finland | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
France | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Germany | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Greece | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Hungary | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Ireland | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Italy | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Kingdom of the Netherlands | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Luxembourg | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Malta | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Norway | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Poland | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Portugal | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Romania | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Serbia | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Slovak Republic | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Slovenia | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Sweden | - Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec)
- Health insurance (RAMQ)
- Work-related accidents and occupational diseases (CNESST)
|
Switzerland | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
India
Republic of the Philippines
South Korea
Turkey | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |
Morocco | Québec Pension Plan (Retraite Québec) |