Greece
Worked in Greece? 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 67, with early access from 62. On totalization, Greece has bilateral totalization agreements, so the years you worked here may combine with other countries you've worked in. Below is Greece's system at a glance and what expats should check.
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Overview
Greece operates a multi-pillar social insurance pension system administered primarily by e-EFKA (Electronic National Social Security Fund), the unified successor to all former Greek social insurance funds. The mandatory first pillar consists of two components: a flat-rate National Pension (state-financed, €426.17/month at 20 years insurance as of the OECD 2025 baseline, uprated 2.4% from January 2026) and an earnings-related Contributory Pension (PAYG defined benefit, based on contributions from 2002 onwards with accrual rates from 0.77% to 2.55% per year). The standard retirement age is 67, with early retirement possible at 62 with 40 years of contributions. The system underwent sweeping reforms during the 2010–2016 fiscal crisis, resulting in fund consolidation, reduced benefits, and higher contribution ages. Retirement age limits are linked to life expectancy from 2027 onwards, but the government confirmed in June 2026 that no increase will occur before 2030.
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A second mandatory supplementary pillar exists in two parallel tracks: the legacy e-EFKA supplementary branch (DB/NDC hybrid for those insured before 2022) and the new Hellenic Auxiliary Pensions Defined Contributions Fund (TEKA), which became operational in January 2022 and is mandatory for all new labour market entrants from 1 January 2022 and all persons born on or after 1 January 2004. TEKA operates as a fully funded DC scheme with individual accounts managed professionally, and the state guarantees return of contributions in real terms. Voluntary occupational pension funds (Pillar 2, TEA) and individual private insurance arrangements (Pillar 3) supplement the mandatory system. A major reform of the occupational pension framework (Open TEA funds, group pension insurance products, full portability) was under public consultation as of July 2026.
Greece has one of the highest gross pension replacement rates in the OECD, at 79.6% for average earners (OECD Pensions at a Glance 2025). Pension indexation, frozen during the crisis years, resumed from 2023 onwards using a formula of min(CPI, 50% CPI + 50% GDP growth). From 2026 onwards, pension increases are calculated using a wage growth index rather than CPI for new pensioners' pensionable earnings valorisation. The 'personal difference' allowance (paid to pre-2016 pensioners whose recalculated pension was lower) is being phased out: reduced by 50% in 2026 and fully abolished from January 2027. Greece also offers a highly attractive 7% flat tax regime for foreign pensioners who transfer their tax residence to Greece, valid for up to 15 years.
79.6% for average earner (OECD Pensions at a Glance 2025, modelled retirement at age 66 in 2068); net replacement rate 88.5%
Pillar 1a: e-EFKA National Pension (flat-rate, state-financed, mandatory); Pillar 1b: e-EFKA Contributory Pension (PAYG DB/NDC, mandatory); Pillar 1c: Supplementary Pension — e-EFKA branch (DB/NDC, legacy) or TEKA (funded DC, mandatory for new entrants from 2022); Pillar 2: Occupational Pension Funds / TEA (voluntary DC; Open TEA reform under consultation July 2026); Pillar 3: Individual private pension insurance (voluntary)
Bismarckian social insurance: flat-rate national pension + earnings-related contributory pension (PAYG DB/NDC) + mandatory funded supplementary DC (TEKA)
Employee
13.37% total (2025–2026): 6.67% primary pension + 3% supplementary (e-EFKA branch or TEKA) + 2.05% health + 1.65% other branches
Employer
21.79% total (2025–2026): 13.33% primary pension + 3% supplementary (e-EFKA branch or TEKA) + 4.05% health + 1.41% other branches
Self-Employed
Fixed monthly amounts by insurance category (6 categories); not linked to declared income since 1 January 2020. Categories chosen annually. Increased from 1 January 2026 per e-EFKA Circular 6/2026 (aligned with 2025 inflation of ~2.6–2.8%).
Notes
Monthly insurable earnings cap: €7,572.62 from 1 January 2025; increased to €7,761.94 from 1 January 2026 (per PwC Tax Summaries and OECD data). Total social security contribution rate is 35.16% (unchanged from 2025 to 2026). TEKA contributions (3% employee / 3% employer) are paid separately with a distinct payment ID and collected by e-EFKA then transferred to TEKA. For arduous/unhealthy professions: higher rates apply (employee 16.82%, employer 32.427%), enabling retirement 5 years earlier.
Common questions
What is the retirement age in Greece?
The full state pension age in Greece is 67. Early retirement may be possible from 62.
Can I claim a Greece pension if I live abroad?
Yes. A pension you've earned in Greece 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 Greece's pension authority.
Do totalization agreements affect my Greece pension?
Greece has bilateral social-security (totalization) agreements. These can let you combine the years you worked in Greece 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 Greece?
Bismarckian social insurance: flat-rate national pension + earnings-related contributory pension (PAYG DB/NDC) + mandatory funded supplementary DC (TEKA) Pillar 1a: e-EFKA National Pension (flat-rate, state-financed, mandatory); Pillar 1b: e-EFKA Contributory Pension (PAYG DB/NDC, mandatory); Pillar 1c: Supplementary Pension — e-EFKA branch (DB/NDC, legacy) or TEKA (funded DC, mandatory for new entrants from 2022); Pillar 2: Occupational Pension Funds / TEA (voluntary DC; Open TEA reform under consultation July 2026); Pillar 3: Individual private pension insurance (voluntary) It includes 5 schemes in our directory.
How do I get a copy of my Greece pension record?
Ask e-EFKA for your Ατομικός Λογαριασμός Ασφάλισης (the Individual insurance account statement). 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.