The European Commission has published a practical guide on the 'Habitual Residence Test' to help Member States apply EU rules on the coordination of social security for EU citizens that have moved to another Member State.
The new guide gives more clarity about the EU 'Habitual Residence Test' and will facilitate its application in practice by Member States' authorities.
The guide, drafted in cooperation with Member States, clarifies the separate concepts of ‘habitual residence’ and ‘temporary residence’ or ‘stay’. These definitions, laid down in EU law (Regulation EC/883/2004 as last amended by Regulation EU/465/2012), are necessary to establish which Member State is responsible for the provision of social security benefits to EU citizens moving between Member States. Under EU law there can be only one habitual place of residence and so only one Member State responsible for paying residence-based social security benefits.
Employees and the self-employed qualify for social security in the country where they work and non-active people (e.g. pensioners, students) qualify in the Member State where they are "habitually resident". Determining a person's Member State of "habitual residence" is also important for workers that work in more than one Member State.
The guide recalls the specific criteria to be taken into account to determine a person's place of 'habitual residence' such as:
- family status and family ties
- duration and continuity of presence in the Member State concerned
- employment situation (in particular the place where such activity is habitually pursued, the stability of the activity, and duration of the work contract)
- exercise of a non-remunerated activity
- in the case of students, the source of their income
- how permanent a person's housing situation is
- the Member State where the person pays taxes
- reasons for the move
- the person's intentions based on all the circumstances and supported by factual evidence.
You can download the guide at http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-13_en.htm