France
Worked in France? 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 64, with early access from 58. On totalization, France has bilateral totalization agreements, so the years you worked here may combine with other countries you've worked in. Below is France's system at a glance and what expats should check.
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Overview
France operates one of the most comprehensive and complex pension systems in the OECD, established in 1945 on a pay-as-you-go (répartition) basis.
The system comprises over 40 distinct pension schemes covering different professional categories, though the 2023 reform began phasing out several special regimes (RATP, SNCF, EDF-GDF, Banque de France, Clerks and Notary Employees) for new hires, who now join the general scheme. The two main pillars for private-sector workers are the Régime Général (CNAV), which provides a basic earnings-related pension calculated on the best 25 years of salary up to a ceiling, and the mandatory supplementary AGIRC-ARRCO points-based scheme, which merged in 2019 and covers all private-sector employees. Public-sector workers have their own basic schemes (SRE for state civil servants, CNRACL for territorial and hospital employees) plus the RAFP supplementary scheme introduced in 2005.
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The landmark 2023 pension reform (Loi Woertz II) raised the minimum legal retirement age from 62 to 64 (phased in by 3 months per generation from September 2023 for those born from September 1961), and accelerated the increase in the required contribution period to 43 years (172 quarters) for those born in 1965 or later. However, in November 2025, the French National Assembly voted to partially suspend the reform, freezing the legal retirement age at 62 years and 9 months for those born in 1964 and early 1965, pending the 2027 presidential election. The full pension age without contribution requirements remains 67. The AGIRC-ARRCO solidarity coefficient (malus of 10%) was fully abolished from April 2024 for all existing retirees and from December 2023 for new retirees.
France has an extensive network of bilateral totalization agreements with over 40 non-EU countries, plus EU coordination rules (EC 883/2004) covering all 27 EU member states plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Pensions are payable worldwide, with an annual certificat de vie (proof of life) required for overseas recipients. Since June 2024, a biometric 'Mon certificat de vie' smartphone app allows overseas retirees to submit proof of life digitally. Basic pensions are indexed annually on 1 January to CPI (ex-tobacco); AGIRC-ARRCO point value was frozen at €1.4386 in November 2025 due to a breakdown in social partner negotiations — the first freeze since the 2019 merger.
~74% (OECD Pensions at a Glance 2023, mandatory schemes, average-wage full-career worker)
Pillar 1: Régime général (CNAV) + special/aligned basic schemes (mandatory PAYG, earnings-related); Pillar 2: AGIRC-ARRCO (mandatory points-based complementary for private sector), RAFP (mandatory points-based for civil servants), collective company PER Collectif/PERCOL (voluntary occupational); Pillar 3: PER individuel (voluntary individual savings plans with tax-deductible contributions)
Multi-tier Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) mandatory public system with supplementary occupational and voluntary private pension schemes
Employee
6.90% basic CNAV (capped) + 0.40% (uncapped) + 3.15% AGIRC-ARRCO T1 + 8.64% T1 (above PASS) = approx. 10.05–11.79% for pension only; total social contributions ~20–23% of gross salary
Employer
8.55% basic CNAV (capped) + 2.02% (uncapped) + 4.72% AGIRC-ARRCO T1 + 12.95% T2 = approx. 13.27–15.57% for pension only; total employer social charges ~40–45% of gross salary
Self-Employed
~17.75% combined basic + supplementary on income up to PASS; reduced rates for micro-entrepreneurs; liberal professions vary by section (8–17%)
Notes
PASS (Plafond Annuel de la Sécurité Sociale) = €47,100/year (€3,925/month) in 2025. AGIRC-ARRCO Tranche 1 applies up to PASS; Tranche 2 applies from 1x to 8x PASS (€376,800/year in 2026). Basic old-age contribution total: 15.45% capped (employee 6.90% + employer 8.55%). Above ceiling: 2.42% (employee 0.40% + employer 2.02%). CEG and CET additional contributions also apply to AGIRC-ARRCO.
Common questions
What is the retirement age in France?
The full state pension age in France is 64. Early retirement may be possible from 58. Deferring can raise your pension up to age 67.
Can I claim a France pension if I live abroad?
Yes. A pension you've earned in France 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 France's pension authority.
Do totalization agreements affect my France pension?
France has bilateral social-security (totalization) agreements. These can let you combine the years you worked in France 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 France?
Multi-tier Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) mandatory public system with supplementary occupational and voluntary private pension schemes Pillar 1: Régime général (CNAV) + special/aligned basic schemes (mandatory PAYG, earnings-related); Pillar 2: AGIRC-ARRCO (mandatory points-based complementary for private sector), RAFP (mandatory points-based for civil servants), collective company PER Collectif/PERCOL (voluntary occupational); Pillar 3: PER individuel (voluntary individual savings plans with tax-deductible contributions) It includes 9 schemes in our directory.