Retirement age increases according to schedule

The current retirement age is being adjusted to gradually increase until male workers reach 62 years old and female workers reach 60 years old.

Article 60 of the 2008 Law on Cadres and Civil Servants stipulates retirement for civil servants. Accordingly, civil servants are entitled to retire according to the provisions of the Labor Code.

According to Article 169 of the 2019 Labor Code, the retirement age of employees in normal working conditions is adjusted according to the roadmap until reaching 62 years old for male employees in 2028 and 60 years old for female employees in 2035.

Decree No. 135/2020 of the Government regulating the retirement age also has specific instructions. Accordingly, from January 1, 2021, the retirement age of employees in normal working conditions is 60 years and 3 months for male employees and 55 years and 4 months for female employees.

After that, it will increase by 3 months each year for male workers until they reach 62 years old in 2028 and by 4 months each year for female workers until they reach 60 years old in 2035.

Pensioners and social insurance beneficiaries register to receive benefits via personal accounts (ATM).png
People aged 70 without pension will receive pension benefits if they belong to poor or near-poor households. Illustration photo: Social Insurance

According to Decree No. 135/2020, in 2025, the retirement age of civil servants and employees in normal working conditions for men is 61 years and 3 months and for women is 56 years and 8 months .

Decree No. 135/2020 also clearly stipulates retirement at a lower age than the retirement age under normal working conditions.

Specifically, employees can retire at a lower age but not more than 5 years older than the prescribed age at the time of retirement, when they have worked for 15 years or more in a arduous, toxic, dangerous or especially arduous, toxic, dangerous job on the list issued by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs ; or employees have worked for 15 years or more in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions, including working time in areas with a regional allowance coefficient of 0.7 or higher before January 1, 2021.

In addition, there are cases where employees have a reduced working capacity of 61% or more; employees have a total working time in a arduous, toxic, dangerous or especially arduous, toxic, dangerous occupation or job and a working time in an area with particularly difficult socio -economic conditions of 15 years or more.

According to Decree No. 135/2020, employees retire at a lower age but not more than 5 years older than the retirement age prescribed at the time of retirement, unless otherwise provided by law. According to the regulations, in 2025, employees will retire at a lower age for men at 56 years and 3 months, and for women at 51 years and 8 months.

Pay social insurance for 15 years and receive pension when reaching retirement age

On July 1, 2025, when the Social Insurance Law 2024 takes effect, the conditions for participating in social insurance to receive pension will be reduced from 20 years to 15 years.

The number of years of participation as a condition for retirement of employees also decreases accordingly but must still ensure the retirement age according to regulations.

The pension rate for female workers who have paid for 15 years is 45% of the average salary used as the basis for paying social insurance.

For male workers who reach retirement age after 15 years of social insurance contributions, the pension rate is 40% of the average monthly salary. From the 20th year onwards, the pension rate is 45%, then each additional year of contribution is calculated to increase by 2% until the maximum level is 75% of the average monthly salary of social insurance contributions.

70 years old can receive pension benefits

The Social Insurance Law 2024 has added regulations on social pension benefits, including a number of new points for pension recipients from July 1, 2025.

Specifically, Vietnamese citizens aged 75 or older who do not have a monthly pension or social insurance allowance (except in other cases as prescribed by the Government); or Vietnamese citizens aged 70 to under 75 who are from poor households or near-poor households and meet the prescribed conditions (not receiving a monthly pension or social insurance allowance; having a written request for social pension allowance) are entitled to social pension allowance guaranteed by the state budget.

In addition to the monthly allowance, the elderly have their health insurance premiums paid by the budget. The current allowance for people aged 80 and over is 500,000 VND/month.

The benefit level is regulated by the Government and will be reviewed every 3 years to consider adjustments depending on socio-economic conditions and budget.