Romania's minimum guaranteed pension requires 15 years of contributions, not automatic at retirement

The guaranteed minimum pension, officially called the indemnizație socială pentru pensionari, will be 1,281 lei per month in 2026. It is not an automatic right for everyone who reaches retirement age (63 for women, 65 for men). To qualify, a person must first obtain pension status by meeting the legal requirement of at least 15 years of contributions to the public pension system. If the calculated pension is below the 1,281 lei threshold, the state tops up the amount to reach that level.

People who fall short of the 15‑year contribution floor cannot receive the pension or the top‑up. They must either continue working until the minimum is met, purchase the missing contribution months at roughly 1,081 lei per month, or apply for other social assistance programmes. For example, a 65‑year‑old man with only 14 years and six months of contributions in 2026 would be ineligible until he completes the remaining six months or buys the missing tenure. The eligibility criteria and the 1,281 lei amount have remained unchanged since September 2024.