Working during retirement

You must terminate your employment relationship before you can start receiving an old-age pension. This also applies to those doing temporary jobs with a zero-hour contract. However, you can start working for your old employer or a new one right after you have retired, if you like.

If you work in the private sector and continue with the same employer immediately after you retire, there must be a significant change from your previous job. The change can be anything involving your working hours, wages or job tasks, for example. No such change is required if you start working for a new employer or work in the public sector.

You can also continue your previous business operations after retiring. However, your obligation to pay pension insurance and, as a result, the accrual of your pension will end, unless you take out a separate voluntary YEL insurance policy. You can also start a new business if you wish. 

Read more about working while retired:

• Combine work and retirement – Työeläke.fiOpens in a new window.
• Retired and working – Elo.fiOpens in a new window.
• Working while on a pension – Ilmarinen.fiOpens in a new window.
• Working while on old-age pension – Kela.fiOpens in a new window.
• Working while on pension and income limits – Keva.fiOpens in a new window.
• Working during retirement – Varma.fiOpens in a new window.
• Working during retirement – Veritas.fiOpens in a new window.

You can work while receiving a partial early old-age pension like you were fully retired, i.e. freely without any income limits. Your earned income will not affect the amount of your partial old-age pension. Your tax rate will depend on your total income.

When you receive an old-age pension or partial early old-age pension, you can work to earn additional income, and your wages will not reduce your earnings-related pension. In other words, working even for a short period can be worthwhile if you want to earn some extra money.

Working or earnings will not affect the national pension paid by Kela either.

You will accrue new pension from work until you reach the age at which the insurance obligation ends, which means that once you start receiving an earnings-related pension, Kela will review your old-age pension. If the amount of your earnings-related pension exceeds the income limit for the national pension, your national pension may be reduced or you may no longer receive any national pension.

Your earnings may also affect your other benefits, such as a housing allowance for pensioners, which is why you must report your earnings to Kela.

Read more about the changes that affect the national pension paid by Kela.Opens in a new window.

You can continue your previous business operations without any interruptions when you retire. You can also start a new business if you wish. 

While receiving an old-age pension, you can work without any earnings limits, and the amount of your pension will not change.

When you retire as a self-employed person, your YEL insurance policy will automatically be terminated, and you will no longer have any insurance obligation. You will not accrue any new pension either.

If you are self-employed and want to accrue more pension, you can take out a voluntary YEL insurance policy, in which case the new pension will be added to the pension you receive when you reach the age at which your insurance obligation ends. The insurance will also provide social security in case of illness and other similar situations.

 Don’t forget to claim the pension accrued alongside your old-age pension by submitting a separate old-age pension application.

If you receive a partial early old-age pension, YEL insurance is mandatory if your earned income exceeds the lower limit of the insurance obligation. In 2026, the lower limit is EUR 9,423.09 per year, or approximately EUR 786 per month.  

Read more about being self-employed while receiving an old-age pension:

• Pensions for the self-employed –  Työeläke.fiOpens in a new window.
• Entrepreneur’s pension security – Elo.fiOpens in a new window.
• Starting a business after retirement – Ilmarinen.fiOpens in a new window.
• Insurance during retirement – Mela.fiOpens in a new window.
• YEL and self-employed persons’ pensions – Varma.fiOpens in a new window.
• Working during retirement – Veritas.fiOpens in a new window.