Guide
Retirement age in Malta: 65, with an early door at 61
By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026
The pension-age ladder
The Act defines pension age as sixty-five, then sets out the transition for earlier birth years:
- Born on or before 31 December 1951: 61 (60 for a woman born on or before that date)
- Born 1952 to 1955: 62
- Born 1956 to 1958: 63
- Born 1959 to 1961: 64
- Born from 1962 onwards: 65
Source: legislation.mt: Social Security Act, Chapter 318 (consolidated), read 16 October 2026.
Retiring early, from 61
Article 64A lets a person who has reached 61 but not pension age claim a pension early, on two conditions: they are no longer gainfully occupied, and since their eighteenth birthday they have a set number of contributions. For people born on or after 1 January 1969, that is 2,132 paid or credited contributions.
Within that total, the Act also requires a minimum of paid contributions that rises by birth year: 1,612 for people born in 1969, 1,664 for 1970, 1,716 for 1971 and 1,768 for 1972. Credited contributions alone will not get you through the early door.
Source: legislation.mt: Social Security Act, Chapter 318 (consolidated), read 16 October 2026.
60-second check
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Check my policyHow many years for a full pension
The pension is not only about age. Article 53 sets the full two-thirds pension against a yearly average of fifty contributions over a period that grows with your birth year:
- Born 1952 to 1961: 35 years
- Born 1962 to 1968: 40 years
- Born on or after 1 January 1969: 41 years
- Born on or after 1 January 1976: 42 years
Source: legislation.mt: Social Security Act, Chapter 318 (consolidated), read 16 October 2026.
For movers with mixed careers
EU-insured periods count toward qualifying under the coordination rules our multi-country pension guide explains. If you are moving to Malta to retire on a pension from elsewhere, Malta's pension age does not govern you; our retiring to Malta guide covers the move.
If your retirement plan includes private health cover abroad, timing matters: Regency's international health plans accept new applicants up to age 70, and Essential Health up to 80. Pre-existing conditions are excluded, and cover is governed by the policy wording. We are an insurance introducer, not an insurer.