A colleague is retiring early and discovers, three months before the scheduled date, that several years of his career do not count. The reason: they total too few days worked. In Belgium, retirement preparation is not determined by the departure age, but by the details of the career statement, year by year.
Since the pension reform that came into effect in 2026, the criteria have become stricter. Bad surprises are multiplying for those who do not check their file in time.
Pension Reform 2026: The New Rules That Change the Game
Before this reform, one could reason in blocks: a certain number of career years was sufficient to qualify for early retirement. The logic has changed. Now, each year of career must account for at least 156 days of work or equivalent periods to be included in the calculation of early retirement. Below this threshold, the year is simply not counted.
A new possibility to retire at 60 exists, but it requires 42 career years, each with 234 days. For those who have experienced interruptions (part-time work, extended parental leave, periods of illness), this threshold is difficult to reach.
The key point to remember: one can no longer rely on a quick estimate based on age. It is necessary to scrutinize the individual statement on MyPension and check, line by line, which years meet the conditions. Those who want to learn more about Senior Belgium will find additional explanations on how the Belgian system works.
Pension Malus and Bonus: What Your Career Statement Doesn’t Yet Reveal
Starting in 2027, a malus mechanism may reduce the amount of early retirement pension. The penalty does not solely depend on the departure age. It applies if two conditions are not met simultaneously:
- Having at least 35 years, each counting a minimum of 156 days of work or equivalent
- Accumulating 7,020 days of work over the entire career
- Equivalent periods (unemployment, incapacity, career break) are not all treated the same way, which creates sometimes significant discrepancies between two seemingly similar profiles
On the bonus side, the previous system ceased to accumulate at the end of 2025. A new pension bonus has been in effect since January 2026, but its counters are not yet visible on MyPension. The Federal Pension Service has announced that departure dates are gradually reappearing on the platform, but the exact amounts of the bonus are still awaiting updates.
In practice, one navigates in an uncomfortable in-between. It is necessary to accept a degree of uncertainty about the final amount while making decisions that are, in themselves, irreversible.
Checking Your Career Statement on MyPension: The Concrete Pitfalls
MyPension is the official tool, but it should not be read as a definitive document. Several situations generate errors or gaps in the statement:
- Mixed careers (employee then self-employed, or vice versa) are sometimes poorly consolidated, especially when periods overlap in the same calendar year
- Periods of work abroad, particularly in France, may not appear until the request for totalization has been submitted to the Federal Pension Service
- Equivalent days for medical reasons or career breaks are not always automatically recorded, and their treatment varies depending on the type of equivalence
Requesting a personalized estimate at least two years before the targeted date allows for timely correction of errors. Beyond the online statement, one can make an appointment at a Pointpension for a detailed examination of the file.
Early Retirement at 60: For Whom, and at What Cost
The possibility of retiring at 60 after 42 years of career with 234 days per year concerns a specific profile: someone who started working at 18, without long interruptions, with nearly full-time work each year. In reality, this profile mainly corresponds to workers who entered the job market early without going through higher education.
For others, the age for early retirement remains set at 63 with 42 years of career. The legal age is 66 since 2025, with a planned increase to 67 in 2030.
The calculation of the amount depends on several combined factors: status (employee, civil servant, self-employed, or mixed career), revalued salaries over the entire career, and family situation. An early departure mechanically reduces the number of years taken into account, which decreases the monthly amount. Adding the risk of a malus starting in 2027 makes the decision-making even more delicate.
Expatriates and Careers Between France and Belgium: Totalization of Quarters
People who have worked in France and Belgium can claim their periods in both countries thanks to European coordination regulations. French quarters are taken into account to qualify for the Belgian pension, and vice versa.
The process is not automatic. A request must be submitted in the country of residence, which then contacts the organization in the other country. Processing times can take several months, especially when the career statements from both sides present inconsistencies.
For cross-border workers, the 2026 reform adds a layer of complexity: days worked in France must also meet the threshold of 156 days per year to count towards access to the Belgian early retirement pension. A French statement expressed in quarters does not always easily convert to Belgian days.
Checking both statements in parallel, correcting discrepancies, and anticipating administrative delays remains the only reliable approach. A well-prepared file avoids unintentionally postponing the departure date by six months or a year, simply because a form was missing.
