Applying for pension

Pension is a benefit that must be applied for

Before applying for pension, you can estimate the amount of your pension in our online service if necessary.

1. Check this page for your eligibility to receive pension.
2. Fill in the electronic application - check below for when to do so.

You can use Varma's digital application to apply for earnings-related and national pension. When you simultaneously become an eCustomer, you can view your decision on our eServices and it will be delivered faster than by post.

Apply at the right time

Submit your application to us

• 1 month before the start of the pension when you apply for old-age pension or partial old-age pension
• no later than 2 months from the end of the daily sickness allowance when you apply for disability pension
• 6 months before the start of the pension if you have lived or worked abroad.
  Also fill in the digital Appendix U Residence and Employment Abroad.

If an illness is making it difficult for you to continue working, consider applying for rehabilitation.
Is your employee about to retire? What should the employer do? (pdf)

How to apply for partial old-age pension

1. Plan. Estimate the amount of your pension in our online service. Also think about whether your current employment earnings will change, because working while drawing partial old-age pension is voluntary. You can also think about when you intend to switch to full old-age pension.
2. Arrange. If you are employed and wish to reduce your working hours, you must arrange that with your employer. If you are an entrepreneur and your work input changes as you begin drawing partial old-age pension, be sure to indicate the amount of your new earned income under the Self-Employed Persons Pensions Act (YEL) in your pension application. Entrepreneurs must have YEL insurance if, while they are drawing partial old-age pension, the amount of their work input exceeds the lower limit for the mandatory insurance (€7,645.25 in 2017).
3. Apply. Apply for the pension one month prior to the start of your retirement. Partial old-age pension can begin, at the earliest, at the start of the month after it was applied for.

Partial old-age pension (pdf)

How to apply for disability pension

It is worthwhile considering applying for disability pension when you have received daily sickness allowance for 150 days. The pension usually begins when you have received daily sickness allowance for 300 days, i.e. approximately one year after the disability began. Apply for pension approx. 3 months prior to the end of your sickness allowance.

Medical statement B

Discuss your eligibility for retirement with your doctor. Once the doctor has given you a medical statement B, including an opinion on your workabilitiy, you may apply for pension. You can send us confidential health information via secure email. Include your personal identity code in the subject field (Aihe) and enter a space in the message field (Viesti), with no text. Please note that we will not reply to your message. Send a secure email

Partial disability pension

You can apply for a preliminary partial disability pension decision while still employed full-time. Once you receive the decision you have 10 months to agree on part-time work. The pension can begin when your earnings are reduced to 60% of your previous income level. 

If you have not yet applied for pension, you can calculate or order an estimate of your  disability pension on our eServices.
Disability pension (pdf)

How to apply for survivors' pension

Apply for survivors’ pension as soon as possible but no later than 6 months following the death of the primary beneficiary, because, unless there is a specific reason, survivors’ pensions are not payable retroactively for more than six months.

1. Fill in the surviving spouse’s pension application. You can receive survivors’ pension if you were married before your spouse turned 65.
2. Fill in a separate survivors’ pension application form for each child.
3. Fill in an appendix U (Living and working abroad) if you or the primary beneficiary has worked or lived abroad. 

The fastest way to submit your application is through Varma's eServices.

Survivors' pension (pdf)

Pdf-applications in Työeläke.fi

Spouce's pension application
Orphan's pension application
- Information for pension applicants
Residence and employment abroad, appendix U
- Instructions
Please fill in the form preferably on your computer screen, print it out and sign it. You can send in an application either by post to Varma, P.O. Box 3, FI-00098 VARMA or you can scan your signed application and send it in a secure email via https://turvaposti.varma.fi. Please enter the following email address in the “To” field: skannausEpa@varma.fi.