Romanians can retire early, even if they do not have a full contribution period, but they must know that early retirement is not available to everyone, as there are a number of rules that must be met.
In our country, people who have been employed with a work permit and have completed their contribution period have the right to a pension. Recently, many Romanians are wondering how many years of work they must have in order to be able to retire early.
People can take early retirement, either when they are no longer able to work or simply don’t want to work anymore.
In principle, people who have completed the minimum contribution period can retire. Pension is generally of three types: old-age, early retirement and partial early retirement.
According to the law, to obtain the old-age pension, the minimum length of service is 15 years, for both women and men, and the full length of service is 35 years.
People who have completed a contribution period of at least eight years greater than the full contribution period provided for by law, may apply for early retirement at most five years before reaching the standard retirement age.
Example for woman born in February 1962:
The standard retirement age is 62 years and 2 months, and the full contribution period is 32 years and 6 months.
By reducing the standard retirement age by 5 years, it follows that, starting from the age of 57 years and 2 months, the person in question will be able to request early retirement, but only if, at the time of the request, he will prove that he has completed a contribution period of at least 40 years and 6 months (32 years and 6 months/full contribution period stipulated by law + 8 years), informs the Pension House.
When can we retire early and what documents do we need?
There are two situations in which a person can retire early: if he has exceeded the contribution period by at least 8 years or if he has five years left until reaching the standard retirement age.
Romanians who wish to retire early, and meet one of the two conditions above, must submit a file containing the following documents:
– Application for enrollment in early retirement
– Work book (original and copy)
– Work book for CAP members, if applicable (original and copy)
– Social insurance card for farmers, if applicable (original and copy)
– Other documents provided by law regarding the length of service achieved
– Civil status documents: identity card or identity card, birth and marriage certificate, original and copy
– Military booklet (original and copy)
– University graduation diploma (original and copy) and the certificate showing the normal duration, period of studies and the fact that they were followed up to date
– Proof of equivalence by the Romanian state of the courses held in some university education institutions abroad
– Original certificate regarding the permanent increments regulated by law or by the collective/individual employment contract
– Original certificate regarding the classification of the activity in the former I and/or II work groups, under special and special conditions
– Special power of attorney for the trustee, if applicable, original and copy
– Documents to prove the quality of beneficiary of the Decree-law no. 118/1990, republished, and/or the Law of gratitude to the heroes-martyrs and fighters who contributed to the victory of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989, as well as to the people who sacrificed their lives or suffered as a result of the workers’ revolt anti-communists from Braşov from November 1987 no. 341/2004, with subsequent amendments and additions
– Proof of termination of insured status in the case of early retirement registration for persons who, on the date of application, no longer have the status of insured (original), with the exception of those who, according to the law, have the right to accumulate the income related to this category of pensions with other income
– Other documents drawn up according to the legal provisions proving elements necessary for the establishment of pension rights
– Certificate issued by the employer at which he/she works on the date of the pension registration request, showing the employer’s identification data (address, e-mail, fax, phone number).
Transition from early retirement to age limit retirement
Romanians who choose to retire early can choose to receive their pension at home, by postal order, or in a current account, opened at one of the banks with which the National Public Pensions House collaborates.
When the persons meet the conditions for granting the age limit pension, the anticipated pension is automatically transformed into the age limit pension and is recalculated by capitalizing on the assimilated periods and the possible contribution period achieved during the suspension period, as the case may be, of the payment pension.
The standard retirement age is 65 for men and 63 for women.
Reaching this age is achieved by increasing the standard retirement ages, according to the schedule provided in annex no. 5. Under certain conditions, Romanians can retire early, this being regulated by Law 262/2010.
The early pension is due, at most five years before reaching the standard retirement age, i.e. at 60 years old in the case of a person born after 1950, to people who have completed a contribution period of at least 8 years longer than the full period of contribution provided by Law no. 263/2010 (thus 43 years of experience are required for early retirement without penalties).
The partial early pension is due, at most five years before reaching the standard retirement age, to people who have completed the full contribution period, as well as to those who have exceeded the full contribution period by up to eight years.
The amount of the partial early pension is determined from the amount of the pension for the age limit, by reducing it in relation to the completed contribution period and the number of months by which the standard retirement age was reduced, according to Law 263/2010.