Pension question, France
Do I get a French pension after working in France for a few years?
One French quarter opens the right, and periods insured in other EU, EEA or Swiss states and in agreement countries are totalised to reach it. Work under 25 years in France and that average is taken from the years you actually worked, so a short career is not diluted.
- Source: service-public.gouv.fr, lassuranceretraite.fr, cleiss.fr and agirc-arrco.fr, read 3 October 2026
What to do next
- List each French employer and the years you worked there, with your French social security number if you had one.
- List your insured years in other EU countries and Switzerland as well.
- Run our free check to see which countries may hold a pension in your name.
Check your own working life for free
Tell us where you worked. The free check shows which countries may hold a pension for you, and which can be ruled out and why. No sign in, no charge.
Run the free checkQuestions people also ask
Is there a supplementary pension as well?
Above that sits compulsory Agirc-Arrco, which turns contributions into points that each pay a set amount a year.
- Source: service-public.gouv.fr, lassuranceretraite.fr, cleiss.fr and agirc-arrco.fr, read 3 October 2026
Do you give advice on what to do?
No. We identify where a pension is likely held and the official route to it, and we name each source with the date we read it. We do not give financial, tax or legal advice.