Phased retirement: conditions and pension calculation

Phased retirement allows you to work part-time while simultaneously receiving a portion of your pension. You must be at least 60 years old, have accumulated 150 quarters of contributions, and work part-time, between 40 and 80 full-time equivalents. For an employee, the pension payment is equal to the difference between 100 and the working hours: for example, working 60 full-time equivalents, you receive 40 of the pension. For a self-employed worker, the calculation follows a different rule (see below).

This page is based on the service-public.gouv.fr fact sheet on phased retirement, verified on 17/11/2025, on the "I am preparing for my retirement" fact sheet, verified on 01/01/2026, and on the page of the French National Retirement Insurance Fund dedicated to phased retirement (no update date displayed).

It doesn't calculate your provisional pension: the starting amount depends on your career and your pension fund, and the information sheets I read don't provide a detailed explanation. It also doesn't specify the calculation method applicable to self-employed workers. Furthermore, it doesn't address the exact deadline for submitting your application to the fund (official information sheets state this differently), special pension schemes, or pension taxation.

Conditions for applying for phased retirement

Three situations are excluded:

• that of a person who benefits from early retirement in accordance with legal, regulatory or contractual provisions; ;
• that of a person who exclusively carries out certain activities, which the form lists (the page does not detail them); ;
• that of a person who works part-time (or reduced hours) and receives a retirement allowance, the form specifying that this allowance aims to maintain their remuneration, in whole or in part.

The "Preparing for Retirement" fact sheet adds that some supplementary pension schemes do not allow for phased retirement. If you have contributed to several schemes, check this point before submitting your application.

The calculation for an employee: 100 % minus your working hours

The rule is simple. The portion of your retirement pension paid to you is equal to the difference between 100 % and your part-time working hours. The information sheet gives an example: a part-time schedule of 60 % entitles you to 40 % of the provisional pension.

Applied to the entire permitted range, the rule gives, for an employee:

The same portion of your pension is granted to you by any other pension schemes.

If you are a self-employed worker

The table above does not apply as is. According to the French National Retirement Insurance Fund (Assurance retraite), for a self-employed worker, "The pension amount is calculated based on the decrease in professional income." Therefore, this fraction is not derived from the percentage of work performed; it is determined on your individual file with your pension fund.

What the information sheet doesn't say

The information sheet provides the fraction. It does not give the detailed method for calculating the provisional pension to which this fraction applies, and the pages consulted on the French National Retirement Insurance website do not detail it either. Therefore, the starting amount must be requested from your pension fund, on your pension statement. No pension figures are shown on this page apart from the hypothetical profile below, the amounts of which are hypothetical.

Make additional contributions for your final retirement

You can choose to make additional contributions, meaning you contribute to your pension based on a full-time salary. This option is outlined in the information sheet. The French National Retirement Insurance Fund (Assurance retraite) indicates that it requires the employer's agreement. Its cost and impact on your pension are detailed in your file; this information sheet does not provide specific details.

The procedure: the employer first, then the fund

The request for part-time work submitted to the employer

If you are an employee, you must first request part-time work from your employer by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, at least two months before your desired start date. Your employer must respond by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt within two months of receiving your request.

Two rules protect the employee:

• The employer can only refuse for a specific reason: the incompatibility of the requested working hours with the economic activity of the company; ;
• If you do not receive a written and reasoned response within this timeframe, your request will be considered accepted.

The retirement application to the pension fund

The application is made online on the Info Retraite website, or, if you do not have internet access, using a paper form (R1399) sent to the pension fund. It must be accompanied by a phased retirement certificate completed by your employer. The online application can be saved for a maximum of 90 days.

Regarding the filing deadline, the official documents I consulted don't agree: one mentions the earliest possible time to file, while another specifies a minimum period before the start date. Check with the pension insurance provider before setting your date.

During gradual retirement

• You are changing your quota. Your pension amount is revised on the 1st day of the following calendar month.
• You no longer meet the requirements. The payment is suspended.
• You are returning to full-time work, or your part-time income reaches or exceeds what you received before: the phased retirement benefits will cease permanently to be paid to you, according to the information sheet.

Finally: definitive retirement

At the end of your phased retirement, your final pension will be recalculated taking this period into account. It cannot be less than the provisional amount. Any work undertaken after your final retirement is subject to the rules governing combining employment and retirement benefits.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Claire, 61, is a salaried manager (the table below applies only to salaried employees). She has 154 quarters of contributions. She earns €4,500 gross per month full-time. Based on her profile, the pension fund indicates a provisional pension of €2,000 gross per month.

Issue. She is considering reducing her working hours and wants to measure the effect of each reduction on her gross monthly income. She meets the age requirements (61 years old, for a minimum of 60) and the contribution period requirements (154 quarters, for a minimum of 150).

Strategy. The firm compares the authorized working hours with hers, between 40 % and 80 %. For the comparison, two assumptions are made: her part-time salary is proportional to her working hours, and the amount of the provisional pension remains at €2,000 regardless of the working hours.

Result.

At 60 %, Claire receives €2,700 in salary and €800 in pension, i.e. €3,500 gross per month, compared to €4,500 full time: a difference of €1,000.

These amounts are gross, before contributions and taxes. They are based on assumptions: the profile is fictitious, and the calculation does not predict your situation. It says nothing about the effect of additional contributions or the final pension amount.

What changes depending on your situation

• Your age and your number of quarters, across all basic schemes.
• Your working hours determine the fraction of your pension.
• Your status: employee (employer agreement, pension fraction equal to 100 % less the quota) or self-employed (calculation according to the decrease in professional income).
• Your supplementary pension schemes: some do not allow for phased retirement.
• A possible early retirement, a retirement allowance, or the exclusive pursuit of certain activities.
• Your choice to pay additional contributions or not.
• Your plan after phased retirement, including combined work-retirement activity.

This page does not show the amount of your pension. It is calculated based on your file. No results are guaranteed.