France · Guide
How to find a lost French pension from abroad
France operates a multi-regime system rather than a single national pension. Private-sector employees typically hold entitlements under CNAV (the base state pension, régime général) and Agirc-Arrco (the mandatory complementary regime for private-sector workers). Public-sector, agricultural and self-employed workers each have their own caisses. All of these are keyed to your NIR (numéro de sécurité sociale) and can be surfaced via Info Retraite / FranceConnect; the trace from abroad is regime-by-regime under that number.
The official route
Agirc-Arrco (complementary) + CNAV (base) via FranceConnect. www.agirc-arrco.fr
Agirc-Arrco holds the central complementary-pension record for private-sector service. CNAV holds the base-pension contribution record under the régime général. Both are accessible via Info Retraite (a consolidated retirement view) using a FranceConnect identity. FranceConnect from abroad works where you hold a supported French credential.
See aide.franceconnect.gouv.fr for FranceConnect eligibility from overseas.
What this route can and cannot do
Route verdict: HUMAN-ONLY
Where FranceConnect access works, the online view is the fastest first look, but pension calculation, eligibility for a totalisation with your current country, and any missing quarters typically require a paper or postal exchange with the caisse. Cross-regime coordination is not automatic. PensionHunter does this as prepare-and-guide, with a complete request pack at the Enhanced Pension Identification Report tier, written and ready for the customer to send under a signed Information Request Authority.
Steps you can take yourself
- Find your NIR (numéro de sécurité sociale), it appears on any French payslip, mutuelle card, or Carte Vitale.
- Set up (or check) a FranceConnect identity; log into Info Retraite for a consolidated view across regimes.
- For CNAV: request a relevé de carrière (career statement) via lassuranceretraite.fr or the regional CARSAT.
- For Agirc-Arrco: request a relevé de points complementary statement.
- For public-sector, agricultural (MSA), or self-employed regimes: identify the correct caisse and request its statement.
Where the DIY route stalls
- Multi-regime structure, every regime you contributed to must be walked separately; nothing consolidates automatically at claim time.
- FranceConnect from abroad, depends on holding a supported French credential; expat-only cases often fall back to postal.
- Missing quarters (trimestres manquants), reconciliation is the slow step and often requires former-employer confirmation.
- EU / bilateral totalisation, coordination with your current country's system adds paper flow through CNAV's international department.
- Public-sector switchovers, moves between régime général and Fonction publique historically leave records in both places.
Where PensionHunter fits
For French traces, PensionHunter's role is bounded and honest:
- Identification: in the Country Pension Identification Report, we identify every French regime the member accrued under and the correct caisse per former employer.
- Search: a we prepare a complete request pack for each caisse, written and ready for you to send under your signed Information Request Authority. The deliverable is your Action Pack.
The relevé, the points, and the calculation always stay with the caisses. PensionHunter identifies where each sits and prepares the request pack, written and ready to send.
If your career spanned France plus other countries, the multi-country search covers every jurisdiction we operate in for a single fee.
Related guides
Frequently asked
Can I use Info Retraite from outside France?
If you have a working FranceConnect identity, yes. Where FranceConnect access has lapsed, a postal request to the caisses is the fallback.
What is Agirc-Arrco?
The mandatory complementary pension regime for French private-sector employees, on top of the CNAV base pension. Both matter and are separate.
Do I need to do the totalisation calculation myself?
No. CNAV's international department coordinates with your current country's system under EU or bilateral agreements when you claim.
What does PensionHunter deliver at the end of a French search?
The identified caisse(s) per former employer and (at Search) the complete request pack for each, assembled as your Action Pack.
From $99. Full refund if we find nothing material. See pricing.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
PensionHunter operates consumer pension search across 41 active countries, with worldwide expansion underway. We also trace lost pension members worldwide on behalf of pension schemes, funds and trustees, see /trustees.