The Polish government concluded negotiations on a social safety agreement with Brazil, revealed on 9 September 2026 "Rzeczpospolita". Brazil is to become the 15th country covered by specified an agreement. The agreement is intended to facilitate the aggregation of periods of insurance and transfer of benefits, but without published text and calculation of costs, Poles do not yet know the full account.
Negotiations completed, paper inactive missing
The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy confirmed “Rzeczpospolita” that the talks with Brazil were over. Both parties are now conducting the procedures needed to get agreement to sign the contract. This is an crucial distinction: Brazil has not yet been included in the Polish social safety system, and the agreement is not valid. erstwhile signed, ratification will be required, with the participation of the Sejm and the President.
The direction of cooperation itself is not unusual. ZUS explains that bilateral agreements coordinate 2 separate systems. They are usually based on equal treatment, application of a single legislation, aggregation of periods of insurance and preservation of acquired rights. As a result, the worker does not lose his contribution years simply due to the fact that he spent part of his career in another country.
The problem begins where reliable information ends. The government has not yet published the text of the agreed agreement, the impact assessment or the forecast of the number of people who could benefit from it. Poles hear about benefits, but do not get a cost table. erstwhile it comes to taxpayers' money, this order is unacceptable.
Brazil in the ZUS strategy to aid employees and companies
The household hotel indicates respective reasons for the agreement. It is about the anticipation of transferring Polish pensions to Brazil, protecting the rights of people working in both countries and avoiding double payment of contributions by posted workers. The second point is crucial for Polish companies operating on the Brazilian marketplace and Brazilian companies present in Poland.
The government besides cites economical relations. Brazil is Poland's largest trading partner in Latin America and the second, after Mexico, recipient of Polish exports in the region. The arguments besides included maintaining ties with Polonia and securing the interests of Polish citizens who would gotta leave Brazil due to emergencies.
This second argument raises fundamental doubts. The pension agreement protects rights built over the years and organises contributions. It is not a fast aid tool for people abruptly evacuated from the country. The state should so talk precisely about the problem it solves and how many Poles will actually cover protection. The estimates of the multimillion Brazilian Polonia are not equivalent to the number of Polish citizens working and paying contributions in Brazil.
By Annual summary of the Office for ForeignersIn 2025, 1716 Brazilian citizens lived in Poland. However, the number of residents alone does not say how many of them have periods of insurance in both countries or how many will in future meet the conditions for benefits. This data is missing from the government justification.
The biggest unknown is the surcharge to the minimum
The most serious dispute concerns the minimum pension guarantee. Social safety agreements let insurance periods from the another country to be counted erstwhile examining entitlement to benefits. If the eligible individual lives in Poland, meets the required internship condition and the sum of his benefits is lower than the Polish minimum, the state budget may cover the difference. In 2026. the lowest pension is PLN 1978.49 gross.
This does not mean an automatic pension for any citizen of the country covered by the contract. The statutory terms, periods of insurance, established entitlement to benefits and residence shall count. However, it must not be pretended that the expansion of the scope of possible beneficiaries is without impact on public finances. The subsidy comes from the budget, i.e. taxes paid by employees in Poland.
The data provided by ZUS to Rzeczpospolita show the scale of the phenomenon. In 2020, minimum pension payments for foreigners were expected to cost PLN 27.7 million and include 4.2 1000 people. In 2025 it was already 123.5 million PLN with 11.4 1000 people. The cost increased more than 4 times in 5 years. At the same time, ZUS did not supply a breakdown of beneficiaries by country. The state spends more and more but does not show the public the full structure of these expenditures.
Parliament must get numbers before ratification
The Confederation announces a revision of the rules on the payment of the lowest benefits. Mr Michał Wawer speaks of the dependence on the levy on the collection of a certain amount of contributions in ZUS, although the threshold has not yet been set. The organization wants to embrace fresh rules of both foreigners and Poles returning after years of working abroad. Krzysztof Bosak requested the government to disclose an account of the planned agreement with Brazil.
This is right in the basic case: before the State undertakes a multi-annual commitment, it must calculate its effects. The number of people with periods of insurance in both countries, the scale of posting of workers, the expected number of benefits and the cost of subsidies to the minimum are needed. The Sejm cannot ratify the paper on the basis of general assurances of economical cooperation and concern for diaspora.
Poland should defend the rights of its own citizens working abroad and remove barriers to home companies. It's in national interest. However, the same interest requires that services financed from the Polish budget have clear conditions, are controlled and do not make uncounted commitments. A dispute over subsidies resulting from akin agreements has already shownthat the deficiency of data rapidly undermines assurance in the full system.
The stake is specific: taxpayers' money, the safety of future pensions and the credibility of the state. The agreement with Brazil can bring benefits, but the government must combine them with costs before signing the document. The check first. Then the decision.
Source: ‘Rzeczpospolita’, Polish Radio West, Social Insurance Institution, Office for Foreigners.
Source: Polish Radio West
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