Personal Finance Tips

OFW SSS Contributions: Table, Minimum Amount & Payment Guide

Michelle Alyssa

24.03.26

Read time 3 minutes

The Philippine Social Security System (SSS) offers vital support to Filipinos in times of need, including short and long term benefits and access to loans when finances are stretched. If you’re an OFW, or about to start to work overseas, you’ll need to know how OFW SSS contributions work.

So, what is the minimum monthly salary credit for OFWs to pay SSS, and how much is the minimum SSS contribution for OFWs? This guide covers the SSS OFW contributions by salary, and payment options available.

We'll also introduce the Wise account, a handy companion to make your money go further with low, transparent fees.

Table of Contents
What is the SSS contribution for OFWs? SSS OFW contribution table What is the minimum? What is the maximum? How to pay SSS contribution as an OFW Move money between countries with low fees and the mid-market rate: Wise

What is the SSS contribution for OFWs?

It’s mandatory for OFWs to be covered under SSS, and land based OFWs are treated in this regard in a similar way to self employed persons in the Philippines¹.

The SSS contributions for OFWs include the regular Social Security program (SS) and the Mandatory Provident Fund program (MPF). Contributions are made at 15% of monthly salary credit, to a maximum salary credit of 35,000 PHP.

You can work out the minimum and maximum SSS contribution for OFWs using the SSS OFW contribution table which we’ll look at in a moment.

Rules around SSS may change - check the most recent details online to ensure you’re compliant and to avoid underpaying accidentally.

Benefits of paying SSS contributions as an OFW

Paying SSS contributions when you’re employed overseas as an OFW is mandatory, but it offers some important benefits. This also means that individuals may choose to continue paying on a voluntary basis even when their overseas employment has ended.

Paying SSS contributions as an OFW means you retain your entitlement to short term benefits including:

Sickness
Maternity
Unemployment
Funeral

You also keep access to long term benefits which cover:

Retirement
Disability
Death

Finally, you’ll be able to apply for a loan if you need to due to changes in your circumstances - loan options under SSS can include:

Salary loan
Calamity loan
Pension loan

SSS OFW contribution table

SSS OFW contributions are based on MSC (Monthly salary credit) value², and start at 8,000 PHP minimum MSC.

There’s a very comprehensive SSS OFW contribution table available on the SSS website - here we’ve simplified this to show some common reference points, but you can also get the full detail based on your exact compensation levels online:

Monthly salary credit	Contribution total³
8,000 PHP (Minimum)	1,200 PHP
10,000 PHP	1,500 PHP
15,000 PHP	2,250 PHP
20,000 PHP	3,000 PHP
25,000 PHP	3,750 PHP
30,000 PHP	4,500 PHP
35,000 PHP (Maximum)	5,250 PHP

*Details correct at time of writing (17th March 2026) - full table can be found online at
SSS OFW contribution table

What is the minimum SSS contribution for OFWs?

From January 2025, the minimum monthly salary credit to pay SSS contributions is 8,000 PHP. Based on this MSC, the minimum contribution for OFWs would be 1,200 PHP.

What is the maximum SSS contribution for OFWs?

The maximum MSC taken into account for SSS contributions is 35,000 PHP, at which point your SSS contribution would be 5,250 PHP.

How to pay SSS contribution as an OFW

As an OFW you can pay your SSS contributions in advance if you choose to, although you may still need to pay additional amounts if the rules change and result in an underpayment. Paying in advance means you don’t need to worry about remembering to make your SSS contribution every month, and can avoid accidental missed payments.

If you don’t pay in advance, the deadline for payments for the months January to September is 31st December of that same year, and the deadline for months October to December is January 31st of the following year.

You can pay in a number of ways by generating your payment reference (PRN)⁴:

Use the SSS Mobile App
Pay through the SSS website
Make payment using a wallet like GCash or Maya
Pay SSS from your bank

You can also pay over-the-counter at branches of specific partners, but as an OFW this may not be the most convenient option available.

Learn more about how to pay your SSS contributions as an OFW here.

Move money between countries with low fees and the mid-market rate: Wise

Working overseas often means handling money across different countries and currencies.

OFWs may need to send money to family in the Philippines, manage savings abroad make international payments.
Traditional transfers can sometimes include high fees or exchange rate markups, which reduce the amount received.

Wise international money transfers can be set up online or within the Wise app with low fees from 0.57% and the mid-market rate, to over 140+ countries. There’s no markup added to the exchange rate that’s used to convert your currency, which makes it easier to see exactly what you're paying for a transfer, and what the recipient will get in the end. Just transfer the amount indicated in PHP and let Wise do the rest.

The true cost of sending USD to PHP

To make sending foreign currency even easier, create a free Wise account, and you'll be able to manage and convert your money in PHP and 40+ other currencies. You'll get the same great rates, and be able to track your transfers all from one place. You can also get 8+ local account details to be able to receive money in PHP, USD, GBP, and more.

✍️ Sign up for a free account now

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

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We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.