What is retirement?
Retirement is the cessation of all remunerated activity (as a salaried employee or as a self-employed) for which the person concerned becomes eligible. Certain conditions are to be filled though to make the candidate eligible to claim his/her pension rights: the age of the insured person and pension scheme affiliation or membership.
At what age can a member retire by age limit?
From a certain age limit, called the legal retirement age, which is provided for in the regulations, any official, agent or employee shall be retired. This retirement age limit depends on the regulations of the pension scheme to which the employee is affiliated.
However, some employees may, under certain conditions, carry on their professional activity beyond that age limit.
For the Civilian Pension Plan (CMR-RPC)
As a result of the parametric reform of the civil pension system that went into force in 2016, the retirement age was gradually increased by one half year per calendar year to 63 years.
For teachers-researchers, officials appointed as ambassadors and magistrates, the retirement age limit is set at 65 (for teachers-researchers, this age limit is extended until the end of the school year).
The age limit may be extended for a maximum period of two years, renewable twice, for teachers-researchers and once for other civil servants. For magistrates, it may be extended for a maximum period of one year, renewable four times.
For the Military Pension Plan (CMR-RPM)
The age limits for officers and non-officers of the Royal Armed Forces, affiliated to the Military Pension Scheme, depend on the ranks held and they vary between 48 years for the non-commissioned Officers and staff of equivalent rank (Master Corporal, Corporal and Privates[1]) and 65 years for General Officers of the Armed Forces.
The age limits of the Auxiliary Forces' Executive and staff members affiliated to the Military Pension Scheme also depend on the ranks and vary from 52 years for the basic Corps to 62 years for the Senior Inspectors Corps.
For the Social Security System
The insured person affiliated to the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) must reach the age of sixty, if he/she has at least three thousand two hundred and forty (3,240) days of insurance contribution.
However, the age of sixty is reduced to fifty-five (55) for miners who can prove that they have worked down the mines for at least five years.
For the Group Retirement Allowance Scheme
The age limit for receiving the retirement allowance is 60 years with a minimum of 3 years of pensionable service.
[1] Soldiers
Do the pension schemes offer opportunities to retire before the age limit?
The various pension schemes offer their members the possibility of retiring before the legal retirement age. Several conditions and procedures are to be complied with though.
For the Civilian Pension Plan (CMR-RPC)
The right to an early retirement pension is granted to officials and agents with at least 24 years of effective service for men, and 18 years for women.
Early retirement is obtained upon authorization from the Appointing Authority, or in case of refusal, upon authorization from the Head of Government. No prior authorization is required for members with 30 years of effective service.
For the Military Pension Plan (CMR-RPM)
The right to a early retirement pension "on request" is granted to members with at least 21 years of effective service for men and 15 years for women.
Group Retirement Allowance Scheme (RCAR-RG)
The right to early retirement is granted to members of the scheme aged between 55 and 60, who have completed a minimum of 3 years of pensionable service.
These conditions are not required for members with 21 years of pensionable service.
Social Security Scheme (CNSS)
Insured persons affiliated to the CNSS who can prove a minimum of at least 3,240 days of continuous or discontinuous contributions during the six months preceding the application for retirement, may, if they request so, retire from the age of 55, provided they get approval from their employer who shall, in such a case, pay a lump sum premium to the National Social Security Fund.