The Greek national pension 2026: amount, insurance years and residence
The flat-rate layer of every Greek pension, set by article 7 of Law 4387/2016, explained for people who arrived in Greece as adults.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy
The Greek national pension (ethniki syntaxi) is the flat-rate part of every main e-EFKA pension, the same whatever you earned. The full amount is €436.40 a month from 1 January 2025, the latest figure published by the Ministry of Labour; it is indexed each year, so the current amount may be slightly higher. It is paid in full after 20 years of insurance and 40 years of permanent residence in Greece, counted between age 15 and pension age. Each missing insurance year below 20 costs 2 %, down to 15 years, where the amount is €392.76. Each missing year of residence below 40 costs 1/40, and with fewer than 15 years of residence no old-age national pension is paid at all. For someone who settled in Greece at 45 and works 20 years until 67, the national pension is €240.02. A reduced pension taken early loses another 1/200 per month before the full-pension age.
How much national pension you get
National pension per month
€418.94
| Full amount (20 years, 40 years’ residence) | €436.40 |
| Share of the full amount | 96 % |
By age of arrival in Greece
| Age on arrival | Residence years by 67 | Residence share | National pension |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 42 | 100 % | €436.40 |
| 30 | 37 | 92.5 % | €403.67 |
| 35 | 32 | 80 % | €349.12 |
| 40 | 27 | 67.5 % | €294.57 |
| 45 | 22 | 55 % | €240.02 |
| 50 | 17 | 42.5 % | €174.34 |
| 52 | 15 | 37.5 % | €147.29 |
| 55 | 12 | – | not payable |
The table assumes you live in Greece from the age shown until 67, the full-pension age, and are insured for the whole period, capped at the 20 years that give the full insurance share. Anyone who arrived at 27 or younger reaches the 40 years of residence. Arriving at 40 gives 27 years and 67.5 % of the amount. Arriving at 52 gives exactly the 15-year minimum. Arriving later means the residence condition is not met and no old-age national pension is paid, whatever the contributory record.
An estimate that shows the full €436.40 without asking about residence overstates the pension for everyone in the lower rows of this table.
Insurance years: the second dial
The insurance side works separately. With 20 or more years of insurance the share is full; each year below costs 2 %, so 15 years give 90 % of the amount, €392.76. Below 15 years the national pension is normally not available, except for people who qualify for a pension with a shorter record under special rules, who receive at least the 15-year amount. The two reductions multiply: 17 years of insurance with 25 years of residence give €256.39.
What counts as residence
The law asks for permanent and lawful residence. For non-EU citizens it is proved through the procedure used to grant residence permits. Greek civil servants posted abroad and paid by the Greek state are treated as resident during the posting. Years in another EU country are handled under EU coordination rules, for which the Ministry of Labour issued its own guidance; we do not model that combination, so an EU career spread over several countries may produce a different result.
A transitional rule covers ethnic Greeks with Albanian citizenship and those from the former Soviet Union: their residence reduction is measured against thirty years with 1992 as the starting point, converging on the general rule by 2032.
How much national pension an early exit costs
Reduced national pension
€384.03
| Without the cut | €436.40 |
| Cut | 12 % |
| Less per month | €52.37 |
National pension only; the contributory part is not computed here.
Early retirement and multiple pensions
A reduced old-age pension loses 1/200 of the national pension for every month before the full-pension age. Leaving at 62 instead of 67 means 60 months and a cut of 30 %. The mini calculator above shows the national part only; the contributory part of a reduced pension follows other provisions.
If you are entitled to more than one main pension, you receive one national pension. With one full and one reduced pension it is paid in full; with two reduced pensions, each contributes its share, up to the full amount. Disability pensions receive a share that depends on the degree of incapacity, with the full amount at the highest degrees.
Where the amount comes from
The Ministry of Labour states that the national pension is funded from the state budget, not from contributions, and publishes the amount in force: €436.40 from 1 January 2025, the latest figure we have verified. It is adjusted under article 14 of Law 4387/2016. To see it combined with your contributory pension, use the pension calculator; for the ages at which it starts, read the retirement age guide. The contributions that build your insurance years are shown on every payslip in the Greek salary calculator.