In 2026, the legal retirement age in Portugal is set at 66 years and 9 months. Still, there are workers who can access the pension before this age and, in certain cases, even before the age of 65, without any penalty. The possibility essentially depends on the number of years of discounts accumulated throughout your career.
According to information on the Social Security website, the general rule remains: those who do not meet special conditions can only retire without cuts when they reach the legal age. However, the regime provides exceptions for long and very long contributory careers.
Social Security explains that anyone who is at least 60 years old and has 40 years of contributions can benefit from the flexible advance payment regime. In these cases, for each completed year of over 40 years of contributory career, the personal age for accessing the pension is reduced by four months, without penalty.
Personal age may be lower than legal age
According to the same source, a worker with less than 40 years of age with discounts maintains the access age at 66 years and 9 months. With 41 years of contributory career, the age drops to 66 years and 5 months. At age 42, it drops to 66 years and 1 month.
The reduction continues progressively. With 43 years of contribution, the age is set at 65 years and 9 months. At 44 years old, at 65 years and 5 months. At 45 years of contributory career, the personal retirement age increases to 65 years and 1 month.
For even longer careers, the effect is more evident. According to the table published by Social Security, with 46 years of contribution the age drops to 64 years and 9 months. Aged 47, to 64 years and 5 months. Aged 48, to 64 years and 1 month.
With a contributory career of 49 years, the personal age for accessing the pension can be 63 years and 9 months. At 50 years old, at 63 years and 5 months. And with 51 years of contribution, it can drop to 63 years and 1 month.
Special regime for those who started early
According to the publication, those who started discounts before the age of 17 and have a very long contributory career can benefit from the advance payment scheme for very long careers, without penalty, from the age of 60 onwards.
This regime allows certain workers to access the pension before the age of 65 without cuts in the final amount, as long as they meet the defined criteria.
What about getting ahead without meeting the requirements?
If the worker does not reach the legal age or meet the conditions for long-career schemes, anticipation may result in penalties. According to , in these cases, the flexibility regime applies, with cuts for each month in advance in relation to the personal age for accessing the pension.
The institution adds that, in most situations, retirements initiated at legal age or later do not suffer penalties. However, there may be cases in which the application of the rules in force until December 31, 2018 results in a higher retirement, even with penalties, applying the principle of more favorable treatment provided for by law.
To calculate the contribution period, the contribution periods under the general regime, the subsidized periods and the discounts made in other social protection regimes are counted.
The old-age pension is intended for employees, self-employed people, members of statutory bodies, domestic service workers and people registered in the voluntary social insurance scheme.
The legal age is set. But the personal retirement age may be different. And, in some cases, significantly lower.
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