Are you approaching retirement age but don’t know if you have met all the requirements? Or don’t know how to apply for an old-age pension, what you need to prove and where to go? And what if you are refused a pension. Do you know how to defend yourself? All these questions are answered in this article.
The answer to the question of when to retire depends on whether you meet the conditions for entitlement to an old-age pension. To qualify for a regular retirement pension, you must reach retirement age and meet the minimum period of pensionable service.
From 2025, the retirement age will gradually increase to 67, for example for those born after 1989. A more complicated condition is then the period of payment of pension insurance. This is measured as the amount of time you have been gainfully employed and have paid pension contributions. But it also includes, for example, time spent caring for children or studying.
In addition to the ordinary old-age pension, you can also choose an early retirement pension or a ‘ pre-retirement pension‘, for which these conditions do not need to be met. Another option is a late retirement pension. Let’s take a closer look at each option:
We can help you understand how the Social Security Administration has assessed your situation and check whether there has been an error.
Now let’s take a look at exactly how to apply for an old-age pension if you have met all the eligibility conditions.
When to apply for a pension? The first thing to note is that you can apply for an old-age pension no earlier than four months before you are eligible to start it. In addition, you can also apply for an old-age pension retrospectively, but you will only be paid a maximum of 5 years in arrears.
You need to fill in a form to apply for a pension. You can fill it in in person at any district social security office (it doesn’t matter where you live). Another option is to apply for your pension online.
This can be submitted on the website of the Czech Social Security Administration. You can log in via the Citizen’s Identity, data box or international gateway. For example, you can use your bank identity or eObčanku. In both cases, you will need:
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If your health does not allow you to apply for a pension yourself, a family member can apply for you, but must have your consent and a doctor’s certificate stating that your health does not allow you to apply in person. Alternatively, an agent to whom you have given a power of attorney can also apply for you.
Before you submit your application, check your Pension Periods Summary or request an Informative Personal Pension Information Sheet (IOLDP) on the ČSSZ ePortal. You will also see the assessment bases and excluded periods. If you are self-employed, you can expect that the dates are usually not entered in the register until the end of the following year.
If you find that periods of employment, study, childcare or military/civil service are missing from the records, follow the CSSA’s instructions: the basic document is usually the ELDP (pension insurance record sheet), followed by pay slips, school certificates or administrative archives. The CSSA describes exactly what to provide and how (originals/certified copies).
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The Czech Social Security Administration decides on your pension application. By law, it has 90 days to issue a decision. However, this may be extended by the time needed to investigate certain facts and to remove defects in your application.
In practice, the Czech Social Security Agency determines whether the facts you have stated correspond to reality (i.e. whether you have actually met the minimum period of pension payments, etc.). You will then receive a written decision about your pension award , with the date your pension started and the amount of your pension.
If the CSSA concludes that you have not met the conditions for a pension, it may reject your application. In this case, it must specify why the refusal was made. You can appeal the decision directly to the CSSA or to the district social security administration within 30 days.
The objection must specify who is making the objection (i.e. your identification details), the decision you are objecting to (specify the decision number) and who made the decision (the CSSA). In addition, state exactly what you disagree with and why. Here you must give all the arguments and evidence that you should be entitled to a pension. Finally, give the date and add your signature.
If your objection is rejected, you still have two months from the decision to file an administrative appeal with the regional court in whose district you are registered as a permanent resident. Alternatively, you can also contact the Ombudsman.
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To qualify for an old-age pension, you need to be of pensionable age and have completed the minimum period of pensionable service. Options include early retirement and late retirement, each with its own specific conditions.
To apply for a pension, you need to fill in a form, which can be submitted in person at the district social security office or online. The Czech Social Security Administration decides whether to grant a pension within 90 days of the application. If the conditions are not met, an objection and, if necessary, an administrative action can be filed.
In 2025, you must have at least 35 years of pensionable service to qualify for an old-age pension (counting also alternative periods, e.g. childcare or registration with the Social Security Office). If only contributory periods count, you need at least 30 years.
The retirement age is gradually increasing. It is no longer fixed at 65 for those born after 1971, but the increase continues. For those born after 1989, the retirement age will be 67. The exact age can be found in the CSRS calculator or the IDA app.
Yes, but the conditions are stricter than before. You can take early retirement up to 3 years earlier, but you must have at least 40 years of insurance. The pension is reduced by 1.5% for every 90 days and the reduced percentage is no longer valorised until you reach the normal retirement age.
You can apply in person at the district social security administration or online via Identity of the Citizen, data box or eObčanku. You must attach proof of identity and documents proving periods of insurance, study, military service or child-rearing. You can apply up to 4 months in advance or even retrospectively (up to 5 years).
Yes. If your health does not allow you to apply in person, a family member can do it for you with a doctor’s approval and certification, or a proxy with power of attorney. The power of attorney must be in writing and does not have to be notarized.
Did you apply for a disability pension and get a denial instead of the expected award? Or was your retirement pension calculated differently than you expected? We can help you find out how the Social Security Administration assessed your situation and check whether there was an error.
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 10 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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