On 1 September 2008 the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Republic of Estonia on Taking Account of Insurance Periods of the Former USSR (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement) came into effect, thus preventing taking account of one insurance period twice in the length of insurance period.

The goal of the Agreement is to prevent a situation when the same work and equivalent periods of the former USSR accrued until 1 January 1991 are taken into account by the both states when granting pension according to the normative acts of the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Estonia.

The Agreement applies to persons who have simultaneously acquired right to pension under the legislation of the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Estonia and if calculating their pension Latvia and Estonia simultaneously take into account the same work and equivalent periods accrued until 1 January 1991 in the territory of the former USSR, except for the periods completed in the territory of Latvia or Estonia or the states with which Latvia has concluded an agreement in the field of social security.

If Latvia or Estonia takes into account the same insurance periods of the former USSR until 1 January 1991, these periods shall be taken into account by the State under whose legislation the overall insurance period in full years is longer, but in case the overall insurance period in full years is equal, insurance periods of the former USSR shall be taken into account by the State under whose legislation the person was last insured, i.e. the State where the last insurance period prior to granting of pension was.

If insurance periods of the former USSR have already been taken into account in the length of period of insurance in Latvia or Estonia, the competent institution (of Latvia or Estonia) taking into account insurance periods of the former USSR shall remain unchanged:

  • when the pension is re-calculated due to the fact that person proves the existence of supplementary insurance periods;
  • when a person who has been awarded a pension moves from one state to another.

If insurance periods of the former USSR have already been taken into account in the length of period of insurance in Latvia or Estonia, when establishing a pension, the competent institution (of Latvia or Estonia) changes, in case a new type of pension is granted. Namely, in this case, the insurance periods of the former USSR should be added to the length of insurance of the person by the State in which the overall insurance period in full years is longer, but in case the overall insurance period in full years is equal, these insurance periods shall be added to the length of insurance by the State under whose legislation the person was last insured.

After the entry into force of this Agreement the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Republic of Estonia on the Cooperation in the Field of Social Security, signed on 28 May 1996 (valid as of 29.01.1997), ceased to be in force.