Romania survivor pension eligibility and calculation rules

Under Romanian pension law 360/2023, survivor benefits are not automatically transferred to a deceased person's spouse. Instead, eligible survivors must apply through their local county pension fund.

The amount of the survivor's pension is calculated as a percentage of the deceased's pension entitlement and depends on the number of eligible beneficiaries. If only the spouse is eligible, they receive 50% of the base amount. For two beneficiaries, the total amount is 75%, and for three or more, it is 100% of the base amount.

To receive the pension for life, a surviving spouse must have reached the legal retirement age and been married to the deceased for at least 15 years. If the marriage lasted between 10 and 15 years, the benefit is subject to a reduction of 0.5% for every missing month. If a survivor has their own retirement pension, they may choose between their own pension and the survivor's pension, whichever is more favorable, as both cannot be paid simultaneously.