Progressive retirement of the employee
Verified 01 September 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Are you an employee in the private sector and want to reduce your professional activity at the end of your career as you approach retirement? The phased retirement system allows that. We present the conditions.
Progressive retirement is a device that allows you, at the end of their career, to work part-time (or reduced-time if you are a contract employee) and to perceive, at same time, a part of your pensions (basic and complementary).
During this period, you continue to contribute to retirement. You can choose to overcontribute, that is, to contribute to retirement on the basis of a full-time salary.
When you completely cease your professional activity, your final pension is recalculated taking into account the period during which you continued to work part-time (or reduced-time).
You can learn more about phased retirement using an online service:
You must complete the 3 following conditions :
- Be old enough toat least 60 years
- Proof of an equivalent period of insurance and recognized periods fixed at 150 quarters with one or more basic pension funds
- Exercise a part-time employed or self-employed activity (or reduced time compared to the legal or conventional working time expressed in days or half-days) between 40% and 80% of a full time. You can apply for a phased retirement if you were already part-time before fulfilling the other 2 age and duration of insurance conditions.
Please note
You cannot benefit from progressive retirement if you are exclusively engaged in certain activities (administrator of a mutualist group, sale of new goods you make, etc.).
You can apply for a phased retirement online on the Info Retraite website in your retirement account using the service My steps / Apply for my graduated retirement :
Info Retirement - My retirement account
This service allows you to make a single application valid for all pension funds to which you have rights.
The service Apply for my graduated retirement forward your request to them.
To apply for a progressive retirement, you must have a progressive retirement certificate completed by your employer. It should be attached to your application.
Certificate of employer for progressive retirement
You can also download this document on the Info Retraite website when you start your process.
The application for progressive retirement must be made at the earliest 5 months before the desired date.
You can send the completed form and its supporting documents immediately or save them for a maximum of 90 days and return to them later.
If you don't have internet access, you can apply for a phased retirement by using a form:
Progressive Retirement Application - Retirement Insurance
This form is to be sent to the pension fund or one of the pension funds under which you belong on the date of your application for progressive retirement.
You can find the list of pension funds to which you have contributed during your career and their contact details in your retirement account using the service My career / My pension plans.
You will be issued with a receipt for your application and the accompanying documents.
Your admission into progressive retirement results in provisional calculation of your retirement pension Pension insurance based on your rights at the time of your request.
During your gradual retirement, you will receive a fraction of your pension retirement income in addition to your part-time working income.
The pension fraction paid to you varies according to your part-time working time compared to the maximum legal or conventional working time.
The portion of the retirement pension paid to you is equal to the difference between 100% and your share of part-time (or reduced-time) work.
For example, a part-time to 60% entitles you to 40% of the amount of your provisional retirement from the Retirement Insurance.
The same pension fraction is granted to you by any other pension plans to which you have rights.
For this purpose, the Pension Insurance communicates the following information to the other pension funds to which you are entitled:
- Date from which you benefit from a phased retirement
- Rate of the pension fraction paid to you and any changes to this rate
- If this happens, the date your phased retirement payment is canceled or suspended
- The date you are admitted to permanent retirement and receive your full retirement pension.
You can simulate the amount of your phased retirement in your retirement account using the service My Retirement Estimate / Estimate my retirement
Your retirement pension fraction may vary at certain events:
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Your part-time working hours change
If your part-time (or reduced-time) working hours change (always between 40% and 80% of a full time), you must make the declaration to your Carsat.
The amount of your pension is revised to 1er day of calendar month depending on where this change occurred.
You change your professional activity
You must inform your Carsat of any change of part-time activity and transmit the corresponding employment contract.
You no longer meet the conditions for graduated retirement
The payment of your progressive pension is suspended if you no longer meet the conditions to benefit from it.
For example, if your part-time working hours fall below 40% or above 80% of a full time.
The payment of your progressive retirement is suspended from 1er the day of the month following the month in which you no longer meet the conditions to benefit from it.
Your phased retirement payment starts again on 1er the day of the month following the month in which you re-qualify.
You must bring the supporting documents corresponding to your Carsat.
You resume a full-time activity
If you return to full-time work, your gradual retirement ceases definitely for paying you.
Your phased retirement ceases to be paid to you as of 1er the day of the month following your full-time return to business.
Your part-time income becomes higher than your previous income
If the income from your part-time (or reduced-time) professional activity reaches or exceeds the amount of income you received before your gradual retirement, gradual retirement ceases definitely for paying you.
Your phased retirement ceases to be paid to you as of 1er the day of the month following the month in which your income reached or exceeded your previous income.
FYI
The amount of income you received prior to your phased retirement is discounted based on wage revaluation coefficients.
When you apply for your final retirement, the portion of your retirement pension that was paid to you during your phased retirement, in addition to your working income, is replaced by your full retirement pension.
Your full retirement pension is calculated taking into account:
- The amount of your retirement pension, which was calculated when you retired
- And the period of graduated retirement during which you have worked part-time (or reduced-time) and continue to contribute for retirement.
Your full retirement pension is calculated in the usual conditions.
However, it cannot be less than the provisional amount that was calculated on your graduated retirement based on your entitlements at that time.
Once you are admitted to permanent retirement, if you continue or resume a professional activity, the exercise of this professional activity is subject to the rules of employment-retirement accumulation.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
For details on phased retirement
Pension insurance - 39 60
To inform you about your situation, ask a question about your file, access personal information (file tracking, latest payments, etc.).
By phone
39.60 (or 09 71 10 39 60 from a mobile, a box or the foreigner)
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Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm
For details on phased retirement
Agirc-Arrco
National Old-Age Insurance Fund
National Old-Age Insurance Fund