Finland
Worked in Finland? Any pension you built up here is yours to keep and can usually be paid to you abroad — but you have to claim it; it won't start automatically. The full state pension age is 65, with early access from 62. On totalization, Finland has bilateral totalization agreements, so the years you worked here may combine with other countries you've worked in. Below is Finland's system at a glance and what expats should check.
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Overview
Finland operates a dual statutory pension system combining earnings-related pensions (työeläke) with a residence-based national pension (kansaneläke) and a means-tested guarantee pension (takuueläke). The earnings-related system is mandatory for all employed and self-employed persons, with pension accruing at a uniform rate of 1.5% of annual gross earnings per year for all ages from 2026 onwards — ending the transitional 1.7% rate for ages 53–62 that applied from 2017 to 2025. The system is partially funded with buffer funds managed by competing private pension insurance companies (Varma, Ilmarinen, Elo, Veritas, etc.), pension funds, and pension foundations, coordinated centrally by the Finnish Centre for Pensions (ETK). The national pension and guarantee pension are administered by Kela (Social Insurance Institution) and serve as a safety net for those with little or no earnings-related pension. In 2026, the full monthly national pension is EUR 787.07 (single) / EUR 702.69 (married/cohabiting), and the guarantee pension threshold is EUR 990.90/month.
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A major 2017 pension reform progressively raised the statutory retirement age from 63 to 65 years (for those born 1962–1964), linked future retirement ages to life expectancy for those born in 1965 or later, and introduced the partial old-age pension. A further 2025 pension reform agreed a fixed TyEL contribution rate of 24.4% for 2026–2030, introduced an inflation stabiliser mechanism (to be activated from 2030 at earliest), and eliminated age-based contribution and accrual rate differentials from 2026. As of 1 February 2025, Kela no longer pays national old-age and disability pensions to pensioners residing in EU/EEA countries, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, though earnings-related pensions remain payable worldwide. From 2026, the upper age limit for pension insurance obligation rises to 69 years for those born 1958–1961 (previously 68), and remains 70 for those born 1962 or later.
The Finnish pension system is notable for its lack of a ceiling on pensionable earnings or pension amounts, its life expectancy coefficient that adjusts starting pensions downward as longevity increases (reducing pensions by 5.4% for those born in 1964 retiring in 2026 or later), and its extensive network of bilateral social security agreements. The gross replacement rate for an average earner is 57.8% of pre-retirement wages (OECD Pensions at a Glance 2025), above the OECD average of 52%. The foreign expert tax regime was updated from 1 January 2026: the flat rate was reduced from 32% to 25%, the duration extended to 84 months (7 years), and Finnish nationals returning after 5+ years abroad became eligible for up to 60 months.
57.8% for average earner (OECD Pensions at a Glance 2025; OECD average 52%). Low-income earners: 57.8% (below OECD average of 65.5%); high-income earners: 57.8% (above OECD average of 42.0%).
Pillar 1a: Earnings-related pension (TyEL/YEL/MYEL/MEL/KuEL — mandatory, partially funded defined benefit); Pillar 1b: National pension (kansaneläke) + Guarantee pension (takuueläke) — residence-based, state-financed safety net; Pillar 2: Voluntary collective occupational/group pension insurance (employer-arranged, not mandatory); Pillar 3: Individual voluntary pension insurance and long-term savings accounts (PS-tili)
Bismarckian earnings-related (DB, partially funded) combined with Beveridge-style residence-based national/guarantee pension
Employee
7.30% (2026, uniform for all ages; in 2025: 7.15% for under 53/over 62, 8.65% for ages 53–62)
Employer
Average 17.10% (2026); basic TyEL contribution 24.85% of payroll (contract employers, before client bonuses); occasional employers 25.85%. Total average TyEL: 24.4% (2026)
Self-Employed
24.40% of confirmed YEL income (2026, uniform for all ages; in 2025: 24.10% for under 53/over 62, 25.60% for ages 53–62). 22% discount for first 48 months for newly self-employed.
Notes
From 2026, age-based contribution differentials abolished. All employees pay 7.30%. Total TyEL contribution fixed at 24.4% for 2026–2030 per 2025 pension reform agreement. Pension accrual rate uniform at 1.5%/year for all ages from 2026. Government subsidises MYEL (farmers) and part of YEL contributions. MYEL rates are age- and income-dependent (reduced rate 54% of basic rate for income below EUR 33,011.19/year in 2026).
Common questions
What is the retirement age in Finland?
The full state pension age in Finland is 65. Early retirement may be possible from 62. Deferring can raise your pension up to age 70.
Can I claim a Finland pension if I live abroad?
Yes. A pension you've earned in Finland stays yours wherever you retire, and can usually be paid into an overseas account once you reach pension age. It won't start automatically, though — you need to claim it, typically a few months in advance, through Finland's pension authority.
Do totalization agreements affect my Finland pension?
Finland has bilateral social-security (totalization) agreements. These can let you combine the years you worked in Finland with years in partner countries to meet a minimum qualifying period, so short stints aren't wasted. Which partners and rules apply depends on your own work history.
How is the pension system structured in Finland?
Bismarckian earnings-related (DB, partially funded) combined with Beveridge-style residence-based national/guarantee pension Pillar 1a: Earnings-related pension (TyEL/YEL/MYEL/MEL/KuEL — mandatory, partially funded defined benefit); Pillar 1b: National pension (kansaneläke) + Guarantee pension (takuueläke) — residence-based, state-financed safety net; Pillar 2: Voluntary collective occupational/group pension insurance (employer-arranged, not mandatory); Pillar 3: Individual voluntary pension insurance and long-term savings accounts (PS-tili) It includes 7 schemes in our directory.
How do I get a copy of my Finland pension record?
Ask Työeläke.fi for your Työeläkeote (the Earnings-related pension record). It's free and you can request it yourself — our step-by-step guide on this page walks through the portal, what to have ready, and what to do if the login fails.