Key points
- Two decrees published in France’s Official Journal on Nov. 3, 2026 set a €7,000 gross yearly earnings allowance for retirees between the legal age and 67.
- Above that allowance, the pension is reduced by 50 cents for every extra euro earned, for anyone whose first basic pension starts on or after Jan. 1, 2027.
- People who retire before the legal minimum age lose one euro of pension for each euro of work income, starting from the very first euro earned.
- From age 67 there is no cap at all, and people already drawing a pension before 2027 keep the older, more generous rules.
Contents
France is about to tighten what new retirees can earn from a job while drawing a pension. The overhaul of the cumul emploi-retraite, the French name for combining a pension with paid work, takes effect on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, and the final numbers are now settled.
The change comes from article 102 of Law no. 2025-1403 of Dec. 30, 2025, the Social Security financing act for 2026. Its two implementing decrees, nos. 2026-1016 and 2026-1017, are dated Nov. 2 and were published on Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to the specialist site Previssima.
What changes on Jan. 1, 2027 for working retirees
Until now, French law separated two systems. Retirees with a full-rate pension who had claimed all their pensions could combine work and pension without limit, while everyone else faced an earnings ceiling.
That split disappears. As the government information portal Service-Public explains, only your age will count from 2027 onward.
Here is how the new system works, based on your age when you go back to work:
| Your age | Rule from 2027 | Effect on pension |
|---|---|---|
| Below the legal minimum age | No allowance | Cut euro for euro |
| Legal age to 67 | €7,000 gross a year allowed | Cut by 50% of the excess |
| 67 and over | Unlimited combining | No cut |
The legal minimum age depends on your year of birth.
How much can you earn before your pension is cut?
Between the legal age and 67, the first €7,000 gross a year (roughly $8,000 or £6,100) does not affect your pension. Every euro above that line costs you 50 cents of pension.
The threshold will be revalued every year in line with France’s social security ceiling, the reference salary used for many contributions.
Some worked examples, using approximate rates of $1.15 and £0.87 per euro:
- You retire at the legal age and earn €10,000 gross in a year. The excess is €3,000, so your pension drops by €1,500 (about $1,700 or £1,300).
- You earn €20,000 gross at age 65. The excess is €13,000, and your pension falls by €6,500 (about $7,500 or £5,700) over the year.
- You retired early under a long-career scheme and earn €5,000 before reaching the legal age. Your pension shrinks by the full €5,000 (about $5,750 or £4,350).
- You are 68 and earn €30,000 from consulting. Your pension stays untouched.
The cut does not land all at once. It is spread over the following 12 months and capped at one third of the monthly pension, applying first to the basic pension and then to supplementary pensions.
From 67, working can open the right to a second pension, once only.
Which retirees keep the old rules?
Anyone already retired is out of scope. France’s main pension fund, L’Assurance retraite, says current retirees keep the existing conditions even if they go back to work years from now.
The test is the start date of your first basic pension. Pensions that take effect by Dec. 1, 2026 stay under the old system, while those starting on Jan. 1, 2027 or later fall under the new one.
The decrees also exempt certain activities from the cut. They include jury duty, occasional expert work, military and health reserve service, home childcare, school transport, healthcare work in areas short of doctors, and helping someone take over a business.
What should expats with a French pension check?
The reform matters to foreign nationals who worked in France and to anyone planning to retire there. A few points deserve attention before 2027.
- Your first pension date. If you are close to retirement, a start date of Dec. 1, 2026 rather than Jan. 1, 2027 keeps you under the old rules.
- Your exact legal age, which you can check in your personal account on the French pension website before you plan any part-time work.
- Which income counts: salaries, the contribution base for the self-employed, turnover for micro-entrepreneurs, and replacement income such as sick pay.
- Self-employed retirees must report a new or continued activity to the pension fund within one month, or payments can be suspended.
- If you earn money outside France, ask your pension fund in writing how that income will be treated.
- Non-EU nationals living in France should confirm that their residence permit allows paid work.
What is still to come
Two implementing texts are still pending: a ministerial order on the supporting documents and a circular from the national pension fund (CNAV). Check the official pages before you plan your first year of retirement work.
