France adjusts early retirement rules for long careers

New regulations for the ‘long career’ early retirement scheme in France will take effect on September 1, 2026. Following the suspension of previous pension reforms and the implementation of the 2026 Social Security Financing Law, several generations will benefit from a slightly lowered early retirement age.

To qualify, individuals must meet two cumulative conditions: they must have started working early and must have completed a specific number of insurance quarters. Specifically, workers must have validated five quarters before the end of the calendar year they turned 20 (or four quarters if born in the last quarter of the year). Additionally, they must reach a required total duration of insurance, typically between 170 and 172 quarters, depending on their generation.

The changes particularly impact those born between 1964 and 1970. For example, individuals born in 1964 may be able to retire at 60 years and 6 months with 170 quarters, while those born in early 1965 may retire at 60 years and 9 months. The scheme allows for departures as early as six years before the legal retirement age, depending on the age at which professional activity commenced.