International Agreements on Social Security have the main goal of regulating the situation of workers residing or in transit in Brazil, guaranteeing that the social security rights provided in the legislation of both countries are applied to the workers.

Thus, the worker who immigrated from a country where Brazil has an International Agreement and keep paying the Social Security locally, can continue to keep the benefits offered by the social security in their country of origin, and also here in Brazil.

When applying for retirement, this worker can add the contributions time in the country of origin with the contributions time here in Brazil for the INSS retirement benefit.

Most of the International Agreements that Brazil is signatory cover the retirement benefit per age, death benefit and disability retirement. Some agreements grants the retirement based on contribution time also maternity and sickness payment.

For example:

Aiko is Japanese – 62 years old

She has lived in Brazil for 5 years and contributed to the INSS during that time.

In the pension system in Japan, she has 10 years of contribution.

In Brazil, she may apply for retirement by age, as the sum of her contribution time between Brazil and Japan reaches 15 years. Fulfilled the requirements for retirement here in Brazil.

In the same example above, it would be possible for her to request retirement in Japan, using the same period contributed to Brazilian’s INSS.

Thus, Aiko could have two pensions, both with a value proportional to the contribution time made to each country (Brazil and Japan).

It is important to note that when using the International Agreement, only the contribution time (and not the value of contributions) can be counted, reciprocally, to claim benefits.

That is, when the beneficiary brings the contribution time from the country of origin to be added to his contribution time to the INSS, the contribution amount is not computed, but the contribution period.

In the case of the country that does not have an International Agreement, China for example, the retirement will be independent in Brazil, formed exclusively with your contribution time in Brazil and cumulate with a second retirement in the country of origin, if possible. But you cannot add the contribution time.