India-UK social security agreement signed — What does it mean for you?

The Agreement was signed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri for the Indian side and by the British High Commissioner to the Republic of India Lindy Cameron CB OBE for the UK side.

Sharing details about the agreement, the Ministry of External Affairs said: "India has been entering into bilateral Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with other countries in order to protect the interests of Indian professionals / skilled workers working abroad for short durations and enhance the competitiveness of Indian companies."

It may be recalled that at the time of signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the United Kingdom in July 2025, both Governments had committed to concluding an Agreement on Social Security.

The Agreement seeks to avoid double social security contributions for employees of both countries on temporary assignments in each other’s territories for periods of up to 36 months.

The Agreement will support mobility and continued social security coverage of the employees on short-term overseas assignments.

This will enhance India-UK partnerships in the service sector, leveraging the high skills and innovative service sectors of both countries.

The Agreement forms part of India’s trade deal with the UK and shall come into effect together with the CETA, planned for implementation during the first half of the current year.

The signed agreement will be hosted on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs and the website of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation for the information of the stakeholders so that they can secure Certificates of Coverage (CoC) to avoid making double social security contributions.