Pensions and other social security rights

In Romania, all employees and employers have to contribute to the social and health insurance system, in order to become insured.

Therefore, regardless of their country of origin, citizens with a residence permit will benefit from all rights granted by Romanian legislation, regarding social security.

The loss and expiration of the right of residence on national territory ceases your insured status, together with all rights of insurance.

Contribution rates to the social security and health system are established annually, differentiated for employers and employees, and they are based on gross salary.

Thus, the percentages paid by any employee, hired with an employment contract, are

In order to benefit from all the advantages offered by the Romanian legislation, Romanian citizens and foreigners with permanent residence permit in Romania must meet certain legal conditions:

To have contributed for at least 15 years to the pension scheme;
Standard retirement age has to be 63 years for women and 65 for men;

Romanian pension scheme is based on a system with pension points.

There are five types of pensions in Romania: standard retirement (old age pension), early retirement, partial early retirement, disability and survivor’s pension.

Due to international agreements and conventions which Romania has established with other countries, all social security rights from the public sector can be transferred to the country in which citizens establish their residence or domicile, according to the principle of equal treatment.

Additional information on the public pension scheme can be found on the National House of Public Pensions website.

For more details on the pan-European pension fund- RESAVER which supports mobile researchers’ interests, click here.

Romanian pension scheme is based on 4 pillars:

Pillar 1

Public pension scheme based on generation solidarity (pay-as-you-go type).

Contributions to social security (CAS) for the public pensions scheme is of 10.5% of your gross salary.

Pillar 2

Private pension scheme, compulsory for those up to 35 years old and optional for those between 35 and 45.

This type of contribution does not incur additional financial obligations from contributors and it is included in the contribution to the public pension scheme.

Basically, out of the 10.5% contribution to the public pension scheme, 6% is automatically directed towards your individual private pension account.

Pillar 3

Optional pension scheme (savings) managed by private companies.

Joining the scheme is voluntary.

Pillar 4

Private pensions to supplement the income from the 3 pillars