Ms. Nguyen Thu Hoai in Hung Yen province asked: Born in March 1979, started participating in voluntary social insurance from April 2025. She wants to know: How many years to pay to receive a pension, at what age is eligible for retirement, if you are not old enough to pay, can you pay once for the remaining period, and how to calculate the pension in this case.
Regarding this issue, Vietnam Social Security responds as follows:
Voluntary social insurance participants are entitled to receive pensions when they reach retirement age according to Clause 2, Article 169 of the Labor Code and have paid social insurance for 15 years or more (Article 98 of the Social Insurance Law 2024).
According to regulations, from 2021, the retirement age under normal conditions will be 60 years and 3 months for men and 55 years and 4 months for women, then gradually increase each year to 62 years old for men (2028) and 60 years old for women (2035).
In case of reaching retirement age but still lacking a maximum of 5 years of social insurance contributions, participants can pay once for 15 years to be eligible for pension (according to Decree 159/2025/ND-CP).
Monthly pension level
Clause 1, Article 99 of the Law on Social Insurance 2024 stipulates the monthly pension level of eligible subjects specified in Article 98 of this Law and is calculated as follows:
a) For female workers, the average income is equal to 45% of the basis for social insurance contributions prescribed in Article 104 of this Law, corresponding to 15 years of social insurance contributions, then for each additional year of contributions, an additional 2% is calculated, with a maximum of 75%;
b) For male workers, the average income is equal to 45% of the basis for social insurance contributions prescribed in Article 104 of this Law, corresponding to 20 years of social insurance contributions, then for each additional year of contributions, an additional 2% is calculated, with a maximum of 75%.
In case male employees have paid social insurance for 15 years to less than 20 years, the monthly pension is equal to 40% of the average income used as the basis for social insurance contributions prescribed in Article 104 of this Law, corresponding to 15 years of social insurance contributions, then for each additional year of contributions, an additional 1% will be calculated.
Comparing the above regulations, in the case of female workers born in March 1979, by March 2039, they will be 60 years old (enough conditions for pension age), the period of continuous participation in voluntary social insurance from April 2025 to March 2039 is 14 years, not enough years of social insurance contributions to enjoy pension benefits. Accordingly, in March 2039, female workers will be able to choose the one-time payment method for the remaining social insurance payment period to be eligible for pension according to the provisions of Point e, Clause 2, Article 36 of the Social Insurance Law 2024.
In the case of male workers born in March 1979, by March 2041, they will be 62 years old to receive pension benefits. Accordingly, employees participating in voluntary social insurance continuously from April 2025 to March 2040 will have to wait 15 years and can stop paying social insurance until March 2041 to meet the age requirement to receive pension benefits. However, to receive a higher pension, employees should continue to participate in voluntary social insurance until they are 62 years old to receive a pension.
