Early retirement in Luxembourg: leaving at 57 or 60

The two routes: 57 or 60

At 57, you need 480 months of compulsory insurance periods, i.e. 40 years of contributed work (employee, self-employed, or sickness or unemployment benefits) (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)). Your years of study don't count here.

At 60, you also need 480 months, but you can add up more things: compulsory insurance, continued or voluntary insurance (contributions you paid voluntarily), purchased periods (retroactive purchase) and supplementary periods, such as your studies. Of these 480 months, at least 120 must be actual contributed or purchased periods (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)).

Your years abroad count. The qualifying period can be made up of periods completed in different countries, not only in Luxembourg (CNAP, FAQ (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)). Outside the European Union, they only count if Luxembourg has signed a social security agreement with that country that provides for aggregation, which isn't the case for the one with China (CNAP, agreements (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)).

For the age-65 route and the details of the periods, read our guide CNAP pension: calculation and retirement age.

Since July 2026: a few more months to leave at 60

The pension reform is extending, in steps, the period required for the age-60 route. The number of extra months depends on the year in which you meet both the age of 60 and the 480 months (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)):

These extra months are full months of contributions, compulsory or voluntary (CNAP, FAQ (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)).

Two cases escape the extension: if you already have 40 years of compulsory insurance, and if you retire after early retirement for shift or night workers, or adjustment early retirement (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)). The age-57 route isn't affected.

Not to be confused with pre-retirement (préretraite). Pre-retirement falls under the Labour Code, is based on an agreement between your employer and the Ministry of Labour, and lasts 3 years at most. The early pension, on the other hand, falls under pension insurance (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)).

What leaving early changes to your amount

There's no separate formula: the CNAP applies the same formula to the early pension and to the pension at 65 (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)). It adds up a part linked to your insurance period and a part linked to the salaries contributed during your career.

In practice, your pension is calculated on the career you have at the time you leave. The years you won't have worked between your departure and 65 aren't contributed, and the part linked to salaries stops growing. The details of the formula are in our guide CNAP pension: calculation and retirement age.

To know your figure, ask the CNAP for an estimate between 56 and 64: it gives you your earliest possible departure date and the amount of your pension at two dates at most, for example at 60 and later (Guichet.lu (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)). Comparing the two dates is the best way to see how much each year of leaving early costs you.

If the gap with your salary looks large, now is the time to look at retirement savings alongside the statutory pension, such as 111bis old-age provision, deductible from your taxes. Our guide to the 3 pillars of retirement gives you the big picture.

Working while drawing your early pension

It's allowed, but until 65, what you earn on the side counts (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)). Whether your activity is salaried or self-employed, the CNAP looks at your professional income spread over the year:

Source: Guichet.lu (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet). The amount of the social minimum wage changes with the index: the CNAP gives the current value on its early pension page (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet).

Self-employed? The same thresholds apply to your self-employed income. The old rule, which withdrew the pension from one third of the social minimum wage, was declared unconstitutional and then abolished by a law of 19 December 2025, with effect from 9 March 2024. Your pension is recalculated on the income used to set your contributions, and recalculated again if that income is adjusted (Legilux, law of 19 December 2025 (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)). Declare your activity to the CNAP before resuming it.

What else you need to know:

• With a salary on the side, your pension is only recalculated once a year, on 1 May, unless there's a significant change (income down by at least 10% for 3 months, up by more than 25%, resumption or end of activity) (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)).
• At 65, the anti-cumulation rules stop, and the salaries earned during your early pension are taken into account: the part linked to salaries increases (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)).
• You must declare to the CNAP any resumption or continuation of activity (CNAP, FAQ (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)).
• If you're entitled to the early pension but keep working, you may be entitled to a tax allowance for staying in working life (AMVP): you need to request a certificate from the CNAP, to be sent to the tax administration (CNAP, certificates (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)).

Slowing down without stopping: the progressive pension

If you're an employee and meet the conditions for the early pension, you can reduce your working time and receive a progressive pension allowance, with your employer's agreement (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)). The conditions:

• have worked at least 75% of full time for the same employer in Luxembourg during the 3 years before your application;
• reduce your working time by at least 25%;
• keep at least 16 hours of work per week.

The allowance equals your early pension multiplied by your rate of working-time reduction. It isn't reduced because of the salary you keep. The process has two steps: a certificate from the CNAP (on MyGuichet.lu), then an amendment to your contract signed with your employer, which you send to the CNAP no later than 2 months before its effective date (CNAP (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)). Your employer is free to refuse.