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Old-Age Pension Calculator 2026, Portugal

To qualify for the old-age pension in Portugal you must meet the guarantee period: 15 calendar years with recorded earnings. Enter your years of contributions to see whether you already meet that minimum, how many years are missing and, if not, what the social old-age pension is.

Enter the number of calendar years in which you had recorded earnings (contributions) with Social Security. The guarantee period for the old-age pension is 15 years.

Old-age pension guarantee period
You don't meet the guarantee period yet
You are 3 years short. If you keep contributing, you will meet the guarantee period.
ItemValue
Guarantee period required15 years
Calendar years with earnings12 years
Years missing3 years
Guarantee period met?No

Don't meet it? There is the social old-age pension

People who do not meet the guarantee period may be entitled to the social old-age pension (non-contributory), worth €262.40 a month in 2026. It is means-tested: monthly income up to €214.85 if you live alone or €322.28 if you are married or in a civil partnership.

It only checks the guarantee period (15 calendar years with recorded earnings). It does not compute the pension amount or confirm the access age, and it does not count time from other social protection systems (aggregation).

Educational estimate, not advice. The 15-year guarantee period, the social old-age pension value (€262.40) and the means test (40%/60% of the IAS) are official for 2026. Always confirm with Social Security.

The guarantee period: 15 years

The contributory old-age pension has two conditions: reaching the normal pension age (66 years and 9 months in 2026) and meeting the guarantee period. The guarantee period is 15 calendar years, consecutive or not, with recorded earnings, i.e. years in which wages were declared and contributions paid to Social Security. This calculator checks only that 15-year condition.

Calendar years with recorded earnings

It counts each calendar year with a record of earnings at Social Security, even if the years are not consecutive. It is not the same as "years spent working": what counts is the record of contributions. You can check your record in Segurança Social Direta to see how many calendar years you have.

If you do not meet it yet

If you have fewer than 15 years, the calculator shows how many are missing. By carrying on contributing, each calendar year brings you closer to the guarantee period. If you have stopped contributing, the count only advances if you have recorded earnings again. Otherwise you will not reach the 15-year minimum under this regime.

The social old-age pension

People who do not meet the guarantee period may be entitled to the social old-age pension, a non-contributory, means-tested regime. In 2026 it is worth €262.40 a month and requires monthly income up to 40% of the IAS (€214.85) if you live alone, or up to 60% of the IAS (€322.28) if you are married or in a civil partnership. It is a minimum protection, different from the contributory old-age pension.

Worked example

Say you have 12 calendar years with recorded earnings and you are still contributing. You do not yet meet the guarantee period (15 years): you are 3 years short. Because you keep contributing, after 3 more calendar years you become entitled to the old-age pension, provided you also reach the access age. If instead you had stopped contributing at 12 years, you would not reach 15 without recorded earnings again, and the alternative would be the means-tested social old-age pension.

Frequently asked questions

How many years of contributions do you need for the old-age pension?
You must meet the guarantee period: 15 calendar years, consecutive or not, with recorded earnings at Social Security. You must also reach the normal pension age (66 years and 9 months in 2026).
What counts as a calendar year with recorded earnings?
It counts each calendar year in which wages were declared and contributions paid to Social Security in your name. The years need not be consecutive. What matters is the record of earnings, which you can check in Segurança Social Direta.
What if I do not have 15 years of contributions?
Without the guarantee period there is no entitlement to the contributory old-age pension. You may, however, be entitled to the social old-age pension: a non-contributory, means-tested regime worth €262.40 a month in 2026.
What is the difference between the old-age pension and the social old-age pension?
The contributory old-age pension depends on your contribution history and requires the 15-year guarantee period; its value comes from your earnings. The social old-age pension is a non-contributory, fixed-value regime (€262.40 in 2026) for people who do not meet the guarantee period and have low income (means test).
What is the means test for the social old-age pension in 2026?
Gross monthly income cannot exceed 40% of the IAS (€214.85) if you live alone, or 60% of the IAS (€322.28) if you are married or in a civil partnership. The 2026 IAS is €537.13.
Are the figures exact?
The 15-year guarantee period, the social old-age pension value (€262.40) and the means test (40%/60% of the IAS) are official for 2026. The calculator only checks the guarantee period: it does not compute the pension amount or confirm the access age, and it does not count time from other systems (aggregation). Always confirm with Social Security.

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Author: Thorben Rasmus Idel · Reviewed by: Nahar Geva · Last reviewed: 2026-06-03