The minimum legal retirement age in France is now 62 for all people born from the 1 st January 1955. This is the age from which you are authorized to cease your professional activity. However, it does not guarantee that you will then receive a full pension. It all depends on how many quarters you have acquired throughout your career. On the other hand, whatever your situation, if you retire at age 67, you will be entitled to a full pension, but under certain conditions. Specific rules also apply, particularly in the public sector. Explanations.
The legal age at which you can retire if you are employed in the private sector is set at 62 years. From this age, you have the possibility of requesting your retirement at any time. The date of your departure is precisely the first day of the month in which you have decided to end your professional career.
62 years is the minimum age at which it is possible to retire for all private sector employees who were born from the 1 st January 1955. This age varies from 60 to 61 years and 7 months for those born before 1 st July 1951 and at most in 1954.
Legal retirement age for private sector employees according to date of birth
Before 01/07/1951
60 years
From 01/07/1951 to 31/12/1951
60 years and 4 months
1952
60 years and 9 months
1953
61 years and 2 months
1954
61 years and 7 months
From 01/01/1955
62 years old
Source:Pension Insurance
The legal minimum age set for retirement does not mean leaving automatically with a full retirement pension. The latter depends on the number of quarters contributed by each employee.
However, the law has determined ages, which vary according to the year of birth, at which it is possible to retire with a basic retirement pension at the full rate (set at 50% of your average annual salary) paid by the general social security scheme. It is however necessary to justify a certain number of validated quarters (at least 165). Their number and the starting age conditions in particular also depend on the year of birth.
Full retirement age by year of birth
Before 01/07/1951
65 years old
From 01/07/1951 to 31/12/1951
65 years and 4 months
1952
65 years and 9 months
1953
66 years and 2 months
1954
66 years and 7 months
From 01/01/1955
67 years old
Source:Pension Insurance
In the civil service, the rule is a little different, even if the minimum retirement age is set for most staff at 62, as in the private sector, except for certain categories of civil servant:this age is, for example, 52 years in the police, 60 years for nurses and health managers.
Apart from the rule on the minimum legal age for retirement, civil servants and contract workers who occupy a so-called "sedentary" job, i.e. without risk, on the contrary, for example, of those employed in the national police , as firefighters, certain nursing staff, etc. (who have the option of retiring earlier), are automatically retired from a certain age. We are talking about the age limit for activity. However, some may continue to work beyond this, for example in the event of an incomplete career, if they still have dependent children, or if they hold certain managerial jobs.
Age limit for activity of a sedentary category civil servant or a contract worker
Year of birth
Active age limit
1953
66 years and 2 months
1954
66 years and 7 months
1955 and after
67 years old
Source:service-public.fr
The retirement age of civil servants working in high-risk jobs is determined differently. It varies in principle between 61 years and 2 months and 62 years depending on their year of birth. Police officers and prison guards can leave earlier (from 56 or 57 depending on their year of birth), as well as air traffic controllers (between 57 and 9 months and 59).
Age limit for active category civil servants (risky jobs)
Year of birth
Active age limit
1958
61 years and 2 months
1959
61 years and 7 months
1960 and after
62 years old
Source:service-public.fr
In the private sector, there are special cases where it is possible to retire before the minimum legal age of 62 years. This is the case, for example, of people who started working young (before the age of 20) and who have had a long professional career. These employees must provide proof of a minimum number of quarters of insurance contributed, determined according to their year of birth and the age at which they cease their professional activity.
Starting age for long career
Year of birth
Age of early retirement from
Beginning of activity before*
Duration contributed
All generations
60 years
20 years
Duration of the maximum rate according to generation
1956
60 years
20 years
166 quarters
1957
60 years
20 years
166 quarters
1958
57 years and 4 months
16 years old
175 quarters
60 years
20 years
167 quarters
1959
57 years and 8 months
16 years old
175 quarters
60 years
20 years
167 quarters
* With 5 quarters of insurance before December 31 of the year of age 16 or 20 or for insured persons born on the 4th th quarter, 4 quarters acquired on December 31 of the year of 16 or 20 years. Source:Pension Insurance
