Former French workers can claim pensions from Algeria

Former workers in France who now live in Algeria can claim their French pension without returning to France, Algérie 360 reported.

Several hundred thousand former workers in France receive their pension across the Mediterranean, after working in industry, building or services, sometimes for decades.

Algeria is the first country outside France where French pensions are paid. More than a quarter of the pensions paid outside France go to Algeria, a French government reply published by the National Assembly shows.

Which rules apply

A social security agreement between France and Algeria, signed on 1 October 1980 and in force from 1982, covers these cases. It makes procedures between the pension funds of the two countries easier, and it takes account of periods worked in Algeria when some rights are calculated.

Since 1 September, the 2023 pension reform has been suspended until 1 January 2028.

The age to retire depends on the year of birth, and people born between 1963 and March 1965 can leave from 62 years and 9 months.

The age is 63 for people born between April and December 1965, and 63 years and 3 months for those born in 1966. For later generations, the age rises step by step, to 64 years from the 1969 generation.

What counts

To get a pension without a reduction, people born between 1963 and March 1965 need 170 quarters (trimestres).

The rest of the 1965 generation need 171 quarters, and people from the 1966 generation need 172, the equivalent of 43 years of contributions.

Many former workers did not spend their whole career in France, and their French pension is then calculated on the quarters validated there.

The career record (relevé de carrière) lists every period of work declared in France, and it can be checked online on the Assurance retraite personal area or info-retraite.fr.

Any omission or error should be reported to the pension fund as early as possible.

How to apply

Former workers in France who live in Algeria have two ways to apply for their pension.

The first way goes through the National Pensions Fund (Caisse nationale des retraites, CNR), which acts as the link with France. The applicant files with the CNR, which sends the forms needed to the French pension fund.

The second way is to apply online on info-retraite.fr, which offers one request for both the basic pension and the complementary pensions. However, applicants must be able to log in to their pension account, which is not always simple from abroad.