Explained: How long you have to work to get a French pension

For many foreign residents who work, calculating when – and how – you can retire can be confusing.

Unlike the UK’s fixed state pension, France’s system is based on the number of trimestres (three-month periods) paid in, and there have been several significant changes this year.

Under the controversial 2023 pension reform, the legal minimum retirement age had been rising towards 64.

Under the 2026 social security finance law, that rise was frozen at 62 years and nine months until the end of 2027. It applies to anyone retiring between now and then.

Note that the legal minimum retirement age differs from the number of contribution ‘quarters’, or the age, needed for a full-rate pension (taux plein) – 42-43 years of contributions (168-172 quarters, depending on year of birth) for those retiring now, or automatically from age 67, regardless of the number of quarters.

These calculations refer to the basic pension, with most people also paying into a complementary pension, which is calculated differently.

A French basic pension is not a fixed amount but is worked out in proportion to your average salary when earning and the number of trimestres paid in. If you retire before the automatic full-rate pension age without the required number of quarters, a reduction, called a décote, is applied, increasing according to the number of missing trimestres.

Early retirement in France

Several routes allow retirement early. One is carrière longue (long career), for people who started working young – allowing retirement from as early as 58 in some cases.

A new rule applying to pensions starting from September may also help parents qualify. Up to two extra pension quarters awarded in connection with the birth, adoption or upbringing of children can now count towards the number of quarters for early retirement under the carrière longue scheme.

Separate provisions exist for those with disabilities.

Check and claim your pension

The easiest way is to create an account at lassuranceretraite.fr.

You will need your French social security number and FranceConnect, using log-ins from impots.gouv.fr, ameli.fr, the MSA, L’Identité Numérique La Poste, or France Identité.

If you live in France and have paid into a pension, you should already have, or be able to obtain, one. Once logged in, use the Obtenir mon âge de départ à la retraite tool to calculate your earliest departure age and full-rate age based on your contributions. Also check your relevé de carrière (career statement), which can be corrected from age 55.

Apply around four to six months before your intended start date through lassuranceretraite.fr.

Your retirement caisse should liaise with your healthcare one, so there should be no interruption in healthcare, but update your carte Vitale.

Private-sector employees can claim basic and complementary Agirc-Arrco pensions in a single application – the demande unique de retraite en ligne – through info-retraite.fr, lassuranceretraite.fr or agirc-arrco.fr. Select all schemes you contributed to.

Claiming as self-employed

As with salaried employees, entitlement to a full-rate basic pension depends partly on the number of trimestres validated.

The number required depends on birth year and can reach 172 quarters/43 years. Urssaf social security contributions partly finance pension rights, with rates varying according to the type and classification of work.

Quarters are validated via annual income thresholds. A micro-entrepreneur may validate one to four quarters depending on turnover, or none if activity is minimal.

Self-employed people are eligible for a basic pension (retraite de base) and a complementary pension, calculated using points accumulated through social security payments. How you claim the complementary pension depends on your work.

Artisans, commerçants and industriels

For artisans, commerçants and industriels, this is the Régime Complémentaire des Indépendants (RCI).

Assurance retraite (CNAV/CARSAT) administers both basic and RCI pensions. One demande unique through info-retraite.fr or your CARSAT covers both.

The RCI cannot be claimed independently of the basic pension. Both start on the same date, and the RCI is paid in full if your basic pension is full-rate, or reduced for missing quarters according to its own reduction scale.

Liberal professions

For liberal professions, including doctors, dentists, architects, accountants, nurses and physiotherapists, the basic pension is managed by the CNAVPL.

Complementary pensions are run by one of its 10 professional sections, each with its own rules, and that section handles your claim.

The largest section, CIPAV, covers architects, surveyors, consulting engineers, osteopaths, psychologists, ski instructors, guides and certain other regulated activities.

Since 2019, unregulated liberal professionals have joined the régime général, although those registered before 2019 may remain with CIPAV.

Taking phased retirement

Phased retirement (retraite progressive) lets you reduce your hours towards the end of your career while already drawing part of your pension – a middle step between full-time work and full retirement.

To qualify, you must be at least 60 and have at least 150 quarters (37.5 years) of contributions across all basic pension schemes combined.

You must genuinely reduce your activity in line with the rules. Employees and self-employed people must work between 40% and 80% of full-time hours, and civil servants between 50% and 90%.

You receive a fraction of your full pension, corresponding to the time you are no longer working. For example, if you drop to 55% of full-time hours, you receive 45% of your calculated pension, on top of your reduced salary.

You continue contributing and validating quarters, which feed into your final pension calculation. If your salary remains above a certain threshold, you can also earn additional quarters.

With your employer’s agreement, you can keep contributing as though still full-time, so reduced hours do not lower your average reference salary for pension purposes, although the extra cost is typically shared between you and your employer.

If you are considering continuing paid work after retiring, the rules on combining a pension with employment (cumul emploi-retraite) are being simplified from January.