Is a partial French pension available for working some years in the country?

Reader Question: I worked as a self-employed air-conditioning engineer in France from 2012 to 2018. I retired in France age 67. Am I entitled to part of a pension? I am a UK citizen but resident in France since 2011.

Yes, you will have built up a pension entitlement. 

It is a question of ‘validating’ a certain number of trimestres (quarter-years). An amount of ‘basic’ pension will be worked out based on a calculation involving the trimestres, average income and how many years you paid in. 

There is also a ‘complementary’ part, based on an accumulation of points. People can claim their self- employment pension from ages 62-64, so you are entitled to claim now. You can do so via the website lassuranceretraite.fr. 

You can obtain an estimate here.

Read more: New pension boost for self-employed workers in France