According to the 2024 Law on Social Insurance, from July 1, 2025, employees who quit their jobs, reach retirement age and have 15 years of social insurance contributions can receive monthly pensions.
In 2026, the retirement age in normal working conditions is 61 years and 6 months for men and 57 years for women. Before retirement, employees should review the following 7 groups of documents:
1. Identity card or passport
It is necessary to compare the full name, date of birth, gender and personal identification number with the information being managed by the social insurance agency.
Incorrect date of birth, lack of middle name or inconsistent information can change the time to reach retirement age or cause the dossier to be adjusted. If errors are detected, employees should carry out adjustment procedures before submitting the pension benefit dossier.
2. Social insurance book and the entire payment process
Employees need to check the total social insurance contribution time, the units they used to work in, the salary level used as a basis for contribution and the start and end times of each period.
Pay special attention to the time of job transfer, enterprise dissolution, late payment, debt payment or cases where one person has multiple social insurance codes. If there is still a lack of time or payment process has not been confirmed, it is necessary to request the employer and the social insurance agency to handle it soon.
3. Labor contract, salary increase decision and work records
These documents are not mandatory components of all pension benefits dossiers. However, they are an important basis when social insurance contributions are insufficient, wrong salary levels or wrong titles and workplaces.
Employees should retain labor contracts, recruitment decisions, appointments, transfers, salary increases, salary scales and documents related to stages of work that have not been fully recorded.
4. Document determining the termination of the contract or termination of work
For people participating in compulsory social insurance, this is one of the two basic components of the pension benefit dossier, along with the social insurance book.
It is necessary to accurately check the time of contract termination, the time of eligibility for pension and personal information. The date recorded in the document is inappropriate and may affect the time of starting to enjoy the regime.
5. Document requesting pension benefits
People who are preserving their social insurance contribution period or participating in voluntary social insurance must have a written request to receive a pension.
In the document, it is necessary to accurately record the place of residence, contact information, time of request for benefit and form of receiving money. If choosing to receive money through the bank, the account must be the beneficiary's own account.
6. Labor capacity assessment minutes
People applying for retirement due to reduced working capacity must have an assessment record from the Medical Assessment Council or a certificate confirming the level of disability as prescribed.
It should be noted that the condition of having 15 years of social insurance contribution does not apply to cases of retirement due to reduced working capacity. According to the 2024 Social Insurance Law, this group must have 20 years of compulsory social insurance contribution and meet additional conditions on age and reduced working capacity.
7. Documents proving the time working in the profession or special work
People who have worked in heavy, hazardous, and dangerous professions or jobs; working in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions; having served in the army or police or having worked before 1995 need to review relevant records.
Documents may include decisions on recruitment, transfer, change of major, demobilization, discharge, work history or documents proving the location and nature of the job. This is the basis for determining retirement conditions and benefits in cases where social insurance data is not fully reflected.
According to Article 77 and Article 105 of the 2024 Law on Social Insurance, ordinary dossiers are not required to have all 7 groups of documents above.
People who are paying compulsory social insurance basically need a social insurance book and a document confirming the termination of the contract or termination of work. People who are preserving the period of contribution or voluntary social insurance participation need a social insurance book and a document requesting pension benefits.
Dossiers are submitted within 20 days before the time of eligibility for pension. The Social Insurance Agency is responsible for resolving within 20 days, excluding holidays and Tet, from the date of receiving complete dossiers; if not resolved, it must be answered in writing and clearly state the reason.
