Retirement age Morocco: 60, CNSS rules and 2026 pension

The retirement age Morocco sets for private-sector employees is 60: at that age the employee is retired (Article 526 of the Labour Code) and receives a CNSS old-age pension if they have at least 3,240 days of insurance. The CNSS (Caisse nationale de sécurité sociale) is the national social security fund. The pension equals 50% of average pay over the last 96 months, counted up to 6,000 DH a month, and can rise to 70%. Below are the conditions, the calculation, the CIMR top-up scheme, early retirement and the steps to claim. Updated 5 November 2026.

Key points

• Statutory age: 60; 55 for underground miners with at least 5 years below ground.
• CNSS condition: 3,240 days of insurance; since 1 May 2025, a reduced pension also exists from 1,320 days for some retirees.
• Pension: 50% of reference pay, plus 1% for every 216 days above 3,240, up to 70%.
• Reference pay is capped at 6,000 DH a month, so the CNSS pension cannot exceed 4,200 DH a month.
• Minimum pension: 1,000 DH a month for a full record.
• Early retirement from 55, with the employer's consent and funding.

Retirement age Morocco: what the Labour Code says

Article 526 of the Labour Code (Law 65-99) sets the rule: any employee who reaches 60 must be retired. They may keep working beyond that age by order of the minister in charge of labour, at the employer's request and with the employee's consent. The age drops to 55 for mining employees who have worked underground for at least five years.

The same article covers a case often missed: if the employee does not have, at 60 (or 55), the insurance period required by the social security scheme, the retirement age is pushed back to the date on which they reach it. Only the birth certificate, or documents provided at hiring and kept on file, count to establish age (Article 527). Breaches are punishable by a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 DH (Article 529).

Retirement is neither a resignation nor a dismissal: statutory severance pay is not due, unless an agreement or the contract is more generous. Other termination rules are covered in our guide to the Morocco Labour Code and our guide to severance pay in Morocco.

Retirement age Morocco and the CNSS contribution record

To draw an old-age pension at 60, the insured person needs at least 3,240 days of insurance, the equivalent of 15 years of 216 declared days. Only the days the employer declares each month count: under-declaration costs the employee pension rights.

Between 1,320 and 3,239 days: the 2025 reduced pension

Decree No. 2.25.265, approved by the Government Council on 3 April 2025, opens an old-age pension to people retired between 1 January 2023 and the entry into force of Law No. 02.24 who have at least 1,320 days of insurance but fewer than 3,240. Applied since 1 May 2025, backdated to the retirement date, it has a minimum amount of 600 to 1,000 DH depending on the number of days, and it includes AMO health cover. Below 1,320 days, the insured person, or their survivors, can claim a refund of employee and employer contributions.

How the CNSS pension is calculated

The pension equals 50% of average monthly pay, defined as one 96th of the contributory pay received over the 96 declared months before the last calendar month preceding retirement age. The rate rises by 1% for every 216 days of insurance above 3,240, up to 70%, reached at 7,560 days. As contributory pay is capped at 6,000 DH a month, the CNSS pension cannot exceed 4,200 DH (70% × 6,000 DH). It cannot be lower than 1,000 DH a month.

Three illustrative cases, under the rules in force on 5 November 2026:

The technician has 2,160 days above the threshold, i.e. 10 blocks of 216 days: the rate rises from 50% to 60%. For the manager the ceiling bites hard: the basic pension equals 21% of salary. That is the whole point of a supplementary scheme. The contribution rates that fund these rights, 3.96% for the employee and 7.93% for the employer on capped pay, are detailed in our guide to CNSS contributions in Morocco.

The CIMR supplementary pension

The CIMR (Caisse interprofessionnelle marocaine de retraite) is an optional scheme chosen by the employer. With CIMR Al Kamil, the employee pays 3% to 12% of total salary, with no ceiling, and the employer pays 130% of that share. Contributions are converted into points; at retirement, points multiplied by the point value give the pension.

• Normal age: 60, as with the CNSS.
• Departure from 50, with a reduction before 60; the Mousabbak and Moubakkir options give a full pension at 55 or 50 in return for extra contributions.
• Tax: since 1 January 2026, CIMR pensions paid under group contracts are exempt from income tax, subject to conditions.

Products, rates and the net pay impact are covered in our guide to the CIMR pension in Morocco.

Retiring before the retirement age Morocco sets

The CNSS scheme allows departure from 55, on three conditions: the employee asks for it, has 3,240 days of contributions, and the employer agrees. The employer then pays the CNSS a single up-front premium that funds the pension and its management costs between the departure date and the employee's 60th birthday. Ask the CNSS for a quote before any early-departure plan.

Underground miners retire at 55; on the CIMR side, early retirement is possible from 50.

Reform: will the retirement age Morocco applies change?

A reform of the pension schemes is being prepared: a draft was presented in 2026 and is under discussion, including on the retirement age and the organisation of the funds. As of 5 November 2026, we have found no law adopted and published in the Official Bulletin that changes the retirement age in Morocco: the statutory age remains 60 and the parameters described here still apply.

Steps as the retirement age Morocco approaches

For the employee

1. Check your record: view your declared days in the MaCNSS app and report gaps to your employer before 60.
2. File the claim on the Taawidaty portal (MaCNSS app) or at a CNSS branch, within six months of your 60th birthday; after that, the pension is paid only from the month after filing.
3. Attach the documents: national ID card, bank details, statement of cessation of activity.
4. Claim the CIMR pension separately if the company is a member.

For the employer

• Notify retirement in writing and observe the notice period set by the agreement or custom.
• Issue the work certificate, the final settlement and any contractual retirement allowance.
• Report the employee's exit on Damancom and stop CNSS, AMO and CIMR contributions.
• To keep an employee beyond 60, obtain the labour minister's order before the birthday.

A payroll software for Morocco flags employees approaching 60, keeps declared days month by month and produces exit documents. To estimate net pay or employer cost, use our payroll simulators.

See also: employment certificate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the retirement age Morocco applies in the private sector?

60 (Article 526 of the Labour Code), and 55 for underground miners with at least five years below ground.

How many days are needed for a CNSS pension?

3,240 days of insurance. People retired since 1 January 2023 with 1,320 to 3,239 days can get a reduced pension of 600 to 1,000 DH since 1 May 2025.

How is the CNSS pension calculated?

50% of average pay over the last 96 months, capped at 6,000 DH, plus 1% per 216 days above 3,240, up to 70%.

What is the maximum CNSS pension?

4,200 DH a month, i.e. 70% of the 6,000 DH ceiling. Above that, only the CIMR or personal retirement savings top up income.

Can you retire before 60 in Morocco?

Yes, from 55 with 3,240 days and the employer's consent; the employer pays the CNSS a single premium covering the period until 60.

Can you keep working after 60?

Yes, by order of the labour minister, at the employer's request and with the employee's consent. An employee who lacks 3,240 days at 60 also has their retirement age pushed back until they reach it.

Is the retirement age Morocco sets rising to 63 in 2026?

No, not as of 5 November 2026. A reform is under discussion, but no law changing the statutory age has been published: it remains 60.

What happens with fewer than 1,320 days?

There is no pension: the insured person, or their survivors, can claim a refund of employee and employer contributions.

Key takeaways

• The retirement age Morocco sets is 60, with 3,240 days of CNSS insurance.
• The pension ranges from 50% to 70% of reference pay capped at 6,000 DH, i.e. 4,200 DH at most.
• The CIMR tops up the pension on total salary.
• Early retirement from 55 requires the employer's consent and funding.
• No change to the statutory age is in force as of 5 November 2026. Source: ACAPS fact sheet on the CNSS scheme.

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