Pensions in Europe for migrants: retirement age, typical pension and what happens to your contributions
Verified 2026-10-04 · All 29 Schengen countries
If you work in Europe for ten or twenty years and then leave, does that pension money disappear? It depends on the country — and on whether India (or your home country) has a social security agreement with it. Here is the retirement age, the typical state pension, and the migrant rules country by country.
At a glance
- India has a social security agreement in force with 13 of these 29 countries (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden). Such agreements let you add up periods worked in both countries and often let you receive the pension abroad.
- Limited coverage: Poland, Switzerland (signed but not yet in force, or only decides which country's insurance applies).
- No agreement: Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain. Your contributions still build rights there, but combining them with Indian provident-fund periods is not possible, and short careers may not reach the minimum years.
- Retirement ages are rising almost everywhere — 65 to 67 is the norm, and Denmark is on a path to 70 by 2040.
- Typical pension amounts are averages for people with long local careers; a migrant who works 10–15 years will receive far less. "Not verified" means we could not find an official 2026 figure.
Last verified 2026-10-04. Research method: official-source collection for all 29 Schengen countries, then an independent cross-check with Perplexity. Where the two disagreed we used the official source; anything we could not confirm is labelled. See our editorial standards.
| Country | Retirement age (2026) | Typical state pension | Years needed | India social security agreement | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | Men 65; women 61½ in 2026 → 65 by 2033 | Not verified (men ≈ €2,000, women ≈ €1,300, 2024–25, estimate) | 15 years (180 months) | In forceIn force (1 Jul 2015), pension insurance only | |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 66 (2026) → 67 (2030) | ≈ €2,000 gross (2024, estimate) | Full pension at 45 years; pro-rata possible | In forceListed as in force (secondary sources) | |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | Men 64y9m, women 62y6m → 65 by 2037 | ≈ €540 (2026 projection); minimum €347.51 with full service | 15 years (full service ≈ 37–40) | NoneNone | Pension payable abroad only under reciprocal agreement or to EU/EEA residents |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | Men 65; women 64 → 65 by about 2030 | €711.62 net (average old-age pension) | 15 years (not confirmed from an official page) | NoneNone | |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | 65 → rising to 67 for births after 1988 | ≈ CZK 21,839 (≈ €890), Jan 2026 | 35 years | In forceIn force (2014) | |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | 67 → 70 by 2040 (by birth year) | Folkepension DKK 16,273/month for a single person (≈ €2,180, before tax) | Residence-based: 40 years in Denmark for full amount; 10 years minimum for non-Danes | In forceIn force (2011): detachment, export | |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | 65 → linked to life expectancy from 2027 | €860 average (April 2026) | 15 years of Estonian service | NoneNone | Pension can be paid abroad only with 15+ Estonian years |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | ≈ 65 (flexible 64y9m–69) | ≈ €1,985 average; basic national pension €787.07 for a single person | No minimum (accrues from first euro) | In forceIn force (2014; secondary) | |
| 🇫🇷 France | 62y9m (2026) → 64 for 1969+ | Not verified (≈ €1,500–1,800, estimate); max basic pension €2,002.50 | 172 quarters (43 years) for full rate; rights from first quarter | In forceIn force (1 Jul 2011): totalisation, export, detachment 60 months | |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 66y4m for 1960 births → 67 for 1964+ | Average old-age pension €1,195/month (end-2025, DRV) | 5 years | In forceIn force (1 May 2017): totalisation + export | |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | 67 (62 with 40 years) | Not verified | 15 years (full pension needs more) | NoneNone | |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 65 | HUF 263,990 average (Jul 2026) ≈ €715 | 20 years (partial after 15) | In forceIn force | |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | 67 | Not verified (state pension is small; occupational funds carry most income) | 40 years of residence for full; reduced after 3 | NoneNone | Non-EEA workers can reclaim part of occupational pension contributions on leaving |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 67 (2026), indexed to life expectancy from 2027 | Not verified (≈ €1,200, estimate) | 20 years | NoneNone | |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | 65 | Not found for 2026 | 20 years of insurance (since 2025) | NoneNone | Short careers may not qualify |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 65 | AHV CHF 1,225–2,450/month (full record) | 1 year gives a partial pension | NoneNone | Refund of contributions only if paid in error |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 65 | Not found for 2026 | 15 years | NoneNone | |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 65 (early from 57 with long careers) | Not verified (≈ €3,500–4,000 for full careers, estimate); full-career minimum ≈ €2,436 | 10 years (120 months) | In forceListed as in force (secondary) | |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | 64y8m (2026) → 65 (2027) | Not verified (≈ €800–900, estimate) | Not verified | NoneNone | |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 67 → 67y3m from 2028 | AOW ≈ €1,662/month gross for a single person with 50 years (from Jul 2026) | 2% of the full amount per year lived/worked in NL (15–67) | In forceIn force (2010): totalisation scope disputed in sources | |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 67 standard; flexible 62–75 | Not verified (≈ €1,500–1,800, estimate) | 40 years of residence for full pension | In forceIn force (2010): export of benefits | |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | Women 60 / men 65 | PLN 4,509.64 gross average (Mar 2026), ≈ €1,030 | 20 years (women) / 25 years (men) for minimum-pension guarantee | LimitedSigned Nov 2024, NOT yet in force | |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | ≈ 66y8m (not verified) | Not verified (one source ≈ €580) | Not verified (full career ≈ 40 years) | In forceIn force (MEA lists it as active) | |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | Men 65; women 63 → 65 by 2035 | ≈ RON 3,100–3,250 (≈ €580–610), H1 2026 | 15 years (full ≈ 35) | NoneNone | |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | Cohort-based, about 62–64 for new retirees | Not verified (≈ €700, estimate); minimum €397.30 after 30 years | 15 years | NoneNone | |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 62 with 40 years; otherwise 67 with 15 years | Not verified (≈ €700–800, estimate) | 15 years | NoneNone | |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 67 (65 with 38y6m of contributions) | €1,576.10 average retirement pension (1 Sep 2026, INSS) | 15 years | NoneNone | |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | Guideline age 67 (2026–2032); earliest 63 | SEK 17,500 average public pension (Jan 2026) ≈ €1,550 | No minimum for income pension; guarantee pension needs residence years | In forceIn force (2014), pension only | |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Men 65; women 64y6m (2026) → 65 | AHV CHF 1,260–2,520/month for a full record (2026) | 1 year for a partial pension; 44 years full | LimitedDetachment-only (coverage rules); refund rights unclear | Third-country leavers may be able to reclaim AHV contributions — check case by case |
What a social security agreement does
- Totalisation: years in both countries are added up, so you can meet a country's minimum-years rule even if you worked there for a short time.
- Export of benefits: the pension can be paid to you in India (or wherever you live) without a cut.
- Detachment: workers sent by an Indian employer to Europe for a limited time pay social security in only one country (Switzerland's agreement, for example, mainly does this).
Practical steps for a migrant
- Keep every pay slip and your social-security number; request a statement of your insurance record before you leave the country.
- Ask the country's pension institution in writing whether contributions are refundable, preserved for later, or lost if you leave. Rules for refunds differ — Switzerland and Iceland have specific refund options; others do not.
- Inside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, periods in different member states are combined automatically — useful if you move between countries.
- Do not rely on the state pension alone: occupational and private pensions are large parts of retirement income in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland.
We give you the map. The official authority gives you the decision. Immigration and tax rules change, and your own situation (nationality, qualifications, family, employer) can change the outcome. Always confirm with the official source linked on this page before you apply or sign a contract.