Expatriate pensions
Themes
Date of update
Have you enjoyed an international career and are you thinking about your retirement ?
Pensions are calculated based on the entire career of individuals who have worked both in France and abroad. You will need to add up your pension contribution periods.
The totaling of all pension contribution periods takes into account the pension contribution periods completed under the legislation of another country, so as to provide an individual with access to state pension rights in France. This option is available to individuals who have worked:
- In a member state of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
- In a country that has signed a bilateral social security agreement with France, subject to the latter covering pension requirements.
It is important to refer to the applicable European regulation or the relevant agreement.
Terms and Conditions
The insuree’s pension rights are assessed with respect to all the national legislations under which they have worked during their career.
Depending on the provisions of the agreement, every country calculates the portion of the pension that it must pay with respect to all the pension contribution periods completed in the countries covered by the agreement.
The pension application must be submitted either to the institution responsible for the applicant’s place of residence, or to the relevant institution in the last member state whose legislation applied to the individual.
In the event that the individual has worked in several countries that have agreements with France, the most advantageous total for the employee is applied. This principle also applies if the insuree wishes to benefit from the totaling of their pension contribution periods within the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, or in any other country that has an agreement with France.
| Helpful tip: A number of bilateral agreements set forth coordination measures that allow contribution periods in a country that is not party to the agreement to be taken into account. |
This requires said third country to have signed an agreement with each of the countries in question (e.g. agreements have been set up between France and Brazil, Canada, etc.)
If the individual has worked in a country that does not have a bilateral social security agreement with France, their pension is calculated in each country, without taking into account the periods validated in the other country.
To find out more, please visit the Center of European and International Liaisons for Social Security (CLEISS) website.
Find out whether your country has signed a bilateral agreement with France.
Watch the video “Working abroad: how will my pension be calculated?” (in French, English subtitles available) produced by the state pension fund.