How to Pay SSS Contributions as an OFW in Qatar

One way to save up for retirement is to pay our SSS (Social Security Services) contributions. In the Philippines, paying the contribution is easy. For employees, their employers deduct from the salary and remit to SSS. Meanwhile, self-employed individuals can go to any SSS office or accredited payment center to remit their payments. But if you are no longer based in the Philippines, how can you continue paying?

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The satellite office of SSS in Qatar should be your destination. If you need to fill out forms, you can find these at the office. You also need to be familiar with the various bank or remittance centers where you can pay your contributions.

Guide to Paying Your SSS Contributions in Doha

It is important for us to keep contributing to our SSS as this is part of our pension when we retire and we are not working anymore. Invest in yourself with a portion of your salary so that you will not depend on other people when we grow older.

For OFWs based in Doha, this article aims to assist you of your options on where you can pay your SSS.

Minimum SSS Monthly Contributions

Your SSS contributions are typically based on your salary. The revised SSS contribution table shows the salary bracket from I to XXIII. Refer to this table to know the amount of your contribution. You can pay your contributions yearly, every 6 months, or every month. This table applies to both land-based and sea-based OFWs. The monthly salary credit ranges from Php 8,000 up to Php 20,000.

The minimum monthly contribution is Php 960 and the highest is Php 2,400. The EC contribution will be for the employees’ use.

List of Remittance Centers to Pay SSS

As an OFW, the contributions can be paid at select banks and remittance centers with tie-up to SSS. The partner banks offering the payment service are the following: I-REMIT, ASIA UNITED BANK (AUB), and VENTAJA INTERNATIONAL.

You can find the following exchange centers to send payments below:

Habib International Exchange
Al Sadd Exchange
Al Dar Exchange
Al Mirqab Exchange
Al Zaman Exchange
Al Mana Exchange
City Exchange
Skyfreight TFC
Qatar-UAE Exchange

List of Exchange Centers — Photo Credit: POLO Doha

As you can see, the remittance centers have branches all over Qatar. It will be easy for you to remit your scheduled payment from these places.

SSS Membership – How to Become a Member of SSS

But before anything else, make sure that you are an SSS member before paying your contributions. If you are already a member, you can go ahead with your payment.

If you are applying to become a member, you can enroll online to get an SSS number. Once you get the SSS number, you will be classified as a “Temporary Member.” To become a “Permanent Member” and avail of benefits, you will need to submit these documents to the nearest SSS branch:

Birth certificate
Marriage contract (if married)
Birth certificate of children (if applicable)
Government-issued IDs
Other secondary documents showing your correct name and date of birth

(Source: https://member.sss.gov.ph/members/rcsmi/main.html#docreqlist)

As mentioned earlier, SSS membership is important. Part of the employment process for private companies is to present the SSS numbers. Every fresh graduate or new employee need to register with SSS if they wish to work in the private sector.

Benefits as an SSS Member

Membership with SSS comes with benefits. For one, it serves as savings that you can get when you retire. You will get a pension from your contributions during your employment. You can also get benefits such as maternity, sickness, disability, retirement, death, and funeral benefits. Aside from the pension, you can also avail of calamity loans, salary, and educational assistance. Even the non-working spouse of an SSS member is also entitled to receive some benefits.

For OFWs and domestic workers who were displaced from their jobs, they can receive some assistance under their SSS membership.

This table is a summary of the SSS benefits for members. You can also find the conditions to know if you qualify, as well as the amount of assistance you can expect.

Even if you only put in a month’s worth of contribution, you are entitled to receive something. However, the benefit you can receive will depend on the amount you have contributed throughout the years. Don’t you think that it’s a good idea to save earlier, so it will grow through the years?

It is also important to remember that once you become an SSS member, you become a member for life. So make the most of this membership and pay your contributions regularly.

SSS Payment in Qatar

If you are working in Qatar, the POLO OWWA office offers the SSS OFW Coverage Program. If you are a new member and do not have an SSS number, you can apply to get your number.

According to the POLO Doha office, you need to fill out the Overseas Worker Record Form (SSS Form OW-1) and submit these documents:

Birth certificate
Baptismal certificate
Driver’s license
Passport
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Card

But if you are an existing member, you can reactivate your membership by paying your contributions. As soon as you’ve made your first monthly contribution, you become covered under the SSS OFW Coverage Program.

You also don’t have to worry about paying the monthly contributions. There are several money exchange centers in Qatar that accept SSS contributions.

Or you can also ask your family back home to remit the payment for you. They just need to identify that the payee is an OFW. Most payment centers in the Philippines accept SSS contributions.

The POLO Doha office is open from Sunday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5 PM. It is located at Corner Al Furat St. And Al Quo Soun St., Zone 66, Onaiza Area, Dafna, West Bay, Doha. Their contact number is 448-3858. You can send inquiries at these email addresses: sssdohaqatar129@gmail.com and polo_qatar@dole.gov.ph.

SSS Monthly Pension

According to the SSS website, members are required to pay 120 monthly contributions to qualify for the monthly pension when they retire. Those who were not able to complete the required monthly contributions will instead receive a lump sum, which is equivalent to the amount they paid.

Members won’t be penalized if they were not able to pay their contributions for a certain time. But the upside of this is, the member might not meet the required 120 monthly contributions. Members can no longer pay for the months that they missed. But on the other hand, they can pay their contributions in advance. These can be paid quarterly or yearly.

It’s also important to keep your contact information updated, so you can avail of the benefits continuously. Some of these transactions can be done online, which makes the procedure so much easier. Even if you are abroad, you can still monitor your membership status.

As OFWs, we know that work abroad is not forever. So it’s best to save while we still can. By religiously paying the SSS contribution, you are setting aside funds that you can use when you retire. Other facilities promote saving for retirement, too.

Contact Information

POLO Doha Office
Address: Corner Al Furat St. And Al Quo Soun St., Zone 66, Onaiza Area, Dafna, West Bay, Doha
Telephone Number: +974 4488 3858
Website: https://polodoha.com.ph
Email: sssdohaqatar129@gmail.com

Operating Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5 PM