Retirement age Senegal: 60, IPRES and the 2026 Code

The retirement age Senegal applies to private-sector employees is 60 under IPRES (Institution de prévoyance retraite du Sénégal, the private-sector pension fund), with early retirement possible from 55 on a reduced pension, and continued employment up to 65 by written agreement. Since 18 September 2026, the new Labour Code (Law No. 2026-18, Official Journal No. 7931) frames these rules in its Article 134. Below are the IPRES conditions, the points-based calculation, what the 2026 Code changes and the steps to take. Updated 5 November 2026.

Key points

• Normal retirement age: 60 under the IPRES scheme.
• 2026 Labour Code, Art. 134: the age is set by decree after consulting IPRES; early retirement at most 5 years before; continued work by written agreement up to 5 years after.
• Pension: at least 1,000 points or 10 years of contributions, otherwise a lump sum.
• Calculation: number of points × point value, in the general scheme and, for managers, the supplementary scheme.
• Early retirement: pension reduced by 1% per missing quarter before 60.
• Retirement gives the right to a retirement allowance set by collective agreements (Art. 135).

Retirement age Senegal: the IPRES rule

IPRES runs the compulsory pension scheme for private-sector employees. Its rules set the normal retirement age at 60. That age was raised from 55 to 60, as the explanatory memorandum of Law No. 2020-15 of 26 May 2020 recalls. Civil servants belong to a different scheme, not covered here.

To qualify for a pension, the employee must have stopped all salaried work and have at least 1,000 retirement points or at least 10 years of contributions. Below that, they receive a one-off payment instead of a pension. An employee who keeps working after 60 keeps earning points, up to 65.

Retirement age Senegal: what the 2026 Labour Code says

Law No. 2026-18 of 3 September 2026 on the Labour Code, published in Official Journal No. 7931 of 17 September 2026, devotes a paragraph to retirement. Its Article 134 sets six rules:

1. The employment contract ends on retirement; this is neither a resignation nor a dismissal.
2. The retirement age is set by decree, after consulting the social insurance institution managing old-age benefits, i.e. IPRES.
3. The worker may request early retirement at most five years before the normal age.
4. Employment may continue by mutual agreement, recorded in writing, up to five years beyond the normal age.
5. For certain jobs or professions set by decree, employment continues up to five years beyond the normal age.
6. A decree sets the criteria for arduous work and the special retirement age for the jobs concerned.

Article 135 adds that retirement gives the right to a retirement allowance calculated under collective agreements and applicable regulations. The provision derives from former Article L.69, amended in 2020 to allow employment up to 65; the 2026 Code adds early retirement at the worker's request and arduous work. Other changes are covered in our guide to the Senegal Labour Code 2026.

The retirement allowance

For companies covered by the national inter-professional collective agreement (CCNI), the allowance follows Article 84: per year of service, 25% of average monthly pay over the last twelve months for the first five years, 30% from the sixth to the tenth, 45% from the eleventh to the twentieth and 50% beyond. As an illustration, an employee earning 500,000 FCFA on average with 22 years of service: 5 × 25% + 5 × 30% + 10 × 45% + 2 × 50% = 8.25 months, i.e. 4,125,000 FCFA. This allowance, determined under labour law, is exempt from income tax (Article 167 of the General Tax Code). Related scales are compared in our guide to severance pay in Senegal.

How IPRES calculates the pension

IPRES is a points-based scheme. Each contribution paid is converted into points by dividing its amount by the point value on the payment date. At retirement, the annual pension is:

(contribution points + free points − reduction points + increase points) × point value

• General scheme: all employees, 14% contribution on pay up to 432,000 FCFA a month. CLEISS reports a point value of 24.75 FCFA (IPRES 2025 parameters).
• Managers' supplementary scheme: compulsory for managers, 6% contribution up to 1,296,000 FCFA of monthly pay. Reported point value: 16.5 FCFA (IPRES 2025 parameters).
• Child increase: 5% per dependent child under 18 (21 if in education), up to three children.
• Survivors: 50% of the pension to the surviving spouse, subject to age and marriage duration conditions; 20% per orphan.

As an illustration, a non-manager earning 350,000 FCFA gross a month pays 19,600 FCFA and the employer 29,400 FCFA, i.e. 49,000 FCFA a month converted into points. Rates and filing deadlines are covered in our guide to social security contributions in Senegal. A wrong declared salary, or an undeclared month, directly cuts the number of points.

Retiring before the retirement age Senegal sets

The 2026 Code lets the worker request early retirement at most five years before the normal age, i.e. from 55. On the IPRES side, the pension is then reduced by 1% per missing quarter before 60, in both the general and managers' schemes. Leaving at 55 therefore cuts the pension by 20% (20 quarters) for life, on top of the points not earned.

Arduous work allows departure at 55 according to IPRES; the 2026 Code provides for a decree setting arduous-work criteria and the special age. Before signing an early departure, ask IPRES for a pension estimate with and without the reduction.

Working after 60

Continuing the contract beyond 60 requires a written agreement and cannot go past 65. For certain professions set by decree, the texts provide for it up to the same limit. The employee keeps earning points until 65.

Retirement savings plans: new in the 2026 Code

The 2026 Code creates a framework for company retirement savings. A retirement savings plan can be set up by collective agreement between the employer and staff delegates, for a company or a group (Article 223). Membership is voluntary, employer matching is optional, and the agreement, filed with the Directorate General of Labour and the tax authority (DGID), opens the tax benefits of the General Tax Code (Article 224). Profit-sharing bonuses can be paid into it; they are then locked until retirement (Article 228).

Steps as the retirement age Senegal approaches

For the employee

1. Check your record: since 1 January 2026, IPRES lets employees retiring during the year have their record checked in advance, to correct missing periods.
2. Prepare the file: on actual departure, the work certificate and a certified copy of the national ID card are enough to start the claim, according to IPRES.
3. Track your rights: the IPRES employee portal shows employers, contributions and history.

For the employer

• Identify the year's retirements and inform the employees concerned several months ahead.
• Put any continuation beyond 60 in writing.
• Calculate the contractual retirement allowance, the leave allowance and the final settlement.
• Issue the work certificate and report the departure to the labour inspectorate (Article 363 of the 2026 Code).
• Update the IPRES and CSS (family benefits and work injury fund) payroll declaration for the last month.

A payroll software for Senegal flags employees approaching 60, calculates the CCNI retirement allowance and produces IPRES declarations. To estimate net pay or employer cost, use our payroll simulators.

See also: employment certificate.

Frequently asked questions

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

60, under the IPRES scheme. The 2026 Labour Code leaves the age to a decree adopted after consulting IPRES.

Can you retire at 55 in Senegal?

Yes, at the worker's request, at most five years before the normal age (Art. 134). The IPRES pension is reduced by 1% per missing quarter.

Can you work until 65?

Yes, by written agreement between employer and employee, or for professions set by decree, up to five years beyond the normal age.

How many years are needed for an IPRES pension?

At least 10 years of contributions or 1,000 points. Below that, IPRES pays a lump sum.

How is the IPRES pension calculated?

The number of points earned through contributions is multiplied by the point value, with increases for dependent children and a reduction for early retirement.

Does the 2026 Labour Code change the retirement age Senegal sets?

The 2026 Code does not itself set a new age: it refers it to a decree. As of 5 November 2026, we have found no decree changing the age of 60.

Does retirement give the right to an allowance?

Yes, under collective agreements (Art. 135). Under the CCNI: 25%, 30%, 45% then 50% of average monthly pay per year of service.

Do managers have a supplementary pension?

Yes, the IPRES managers' supplementary scheme is compulsory: a 6% contribution, 3.6% of it paid by the employer, with the same age and reduction rules as the general scheme.

Key takeaways

• The retirement age Senegal applies under IPRES is 60.
• Early retirement from 55, with a 1% reduction per quarter; continued work up to 65 in writing.
• Pension = points × point value, with 1,000 points or 10 years at least.
• Retirement allowance under the CCNI, exempt from income tax.
• Sources: Official Journal No. 7931 of 17 September 2026 and the CLEISS fact sheet on Senegal's scheme.

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