The Chamber of Deputies in Rome ratified the Agreement on Social Security between the Republic of Moldova and Italy. As a result, Moldovan citizens who work or have worked in Italy will have access to the pension system and other social benefits, IPN reports.
“With 238 pro votes. It is a big step forward, which not only strengthens the sincere friendship between our countries, but also recognizes the enormous contribution of our diaspora”, mentioned the President of the Parliament of Chisinau, Igor Grosu.
The Moldovan-Italian social security agreement offers citizens two main benefits. This concerns the combination of contribution periods for determining pension eligibility. Moldovan citizens who have worked in both countries will have their work periods added together in order to qualify for a pension. This is a significant change from previous rules, which required workers to fulfill minimum contribution periods separately in each state. Therefore, citizens who have accumulated a minimum of 15 years of contributions in both countries will be eligible for a pension.
In addition, the process of requesting benefits becomes more accessible and less costly for Moldovan citizens who are entitled to Italian pensions and reside in Moldova. They will no longer have to travel to Italy to submit their application. Applications for pensions and other social benefits can be submitted both in Italy and in Moldova. Thanks to the Agreement, citizens will be entitled to the following types of social benefits: old-age pension, disability pension, pension and allowance for work accidents or occupational diseases, survivor’s pensions.
The project of the agreement with Italy was drafted in Rome on October 31, 2024, and in November 2024, it was voted in the Parliament of Chisinau in both readings.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection emphasizes that this agreement is historic, negotiations for which were attempted as early as 2018. Moreover, in the last 20 years, only two countries have managed to sign such an agreement with Italy – Albania and Moldova.
According to MMPS, the Republic of Moldova has signed 16 bilateral agreements with member states of the European Union. Currently, the Government in Chisinau is negotiating similar agreements with Canada and France, and is in discussions with Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Albania, and Ukraine.
