The Romanian pension system in 2026 runs on three pillars. Pillar 1 is public and mandatory, managed by the CNPP (the National Public Pension House), funded from current contributions.

Pillar 2 is private and mandatory for eligible new contributors up to age 35. Pillar 3 is private and optional, with an annual tax deduction of up to 400 EUR.

This guide centralises how each one works, how you check it and what practical decisions remain yours.

Pillar 1: the public pension

The social insurance contribution (CAS) is 25% of gross salary and is withheld from the employee (art. 138(a) of the Fiscal Code).

Of this, 4.75 percentage points go to Pillar II and 20.25% stays in the public system (Pillar I).

The Bucharest Pension House confirms this split for 2026 in its note on Law 44/2026, the 2026 social insurance budget.

Pillar I money does not build up in a personal account; it pays today's pensions.

For a quick estimate on your own income, use our state pension calculator, and for an estimate of when you reach the standard age under Law 360/2023, open the retirement age calculator; exceptions and your exact date are confirmed by the CNPP.

The replacement rate (pension/last salary) was 45% in 2010. The CNPP 2024 projection points to a fall to 35% in 2030, against the backdrop of an ageing population. For a net salary of 6.500 lei, that means an estimated future pension of 2.275 lei in 2030 purchasing power. The gap between what you have and what you will have must be covered from other sources, which makes Pillars 2 and 3 essential.

Pillar 2: mandatory private

Since 1 January 2024 the Pillar II rate is 4.75% of the contribution base, up from 3.75%. It is not an extra tax: the amount is moved out of the 25% CAS into an individual account at the privately managed pension fund you belong to. Enrolment is mandatory for eligible people up to age 35 and optional up to 45; your age in 2008 is irrelevant. The money is invested according to the fund's policy, and the account value can fall temporarily.

Retirement age, minimum contribution period and social allowance

Law 360/2023 sets the standard retirement age at 65 for men and women; for women the age rises gradually under Annex 5 and reaches 65 in January 2035. The minimum contributory period is 15 years. People who meet the conditions can keep working, with the employer's annual agreement, up to age 70. Your exact date is shown by the retirement age simulator on cnpp.ro. Pensioners on low incomes receive the social allowance for pensioners, which tops income up to 1,281 lei a month, a level in force since January 2024 (GEO 115/2023) and unchanged in 2026.

Survivor's pension

A survivor's pension is paid to the children and surviving spouse of a person who was a pensioner or would have been entitled to a pension. The surviving spouse receives it for life from standard retirement age if the marriage lasted at least 15 years; for a marriage of 10 to 15 years the pension is cut by 0.5% for each missing month, or 6% a year. Before standard age, entitlement exists only in limited cases: grade I or II invalidity, 6 months after the death, or caring for children under 7, with monthly income below the gross minimum wage. Children receive it until 16, until 26 if in education, or for the duration of an invalidity that arose while they were minors or students.

How to check your contribution record

You check your contribution record directly with the National Public Pension House (CNPP). The online account on cnpp.ro is opened with a qualified electronic signature, through ROeID, or with a request filed at the counter; periods worked after 1 April 2001 appear in your personal account, based on employers' filings. Without an account, ask your local territorial pension house for a contribution certificate (adeverință de stagiu) by its official e-mail with the request and a copy of your ID, by post, or in person. Periods before 2001 are proven with the work record book (carnet de muncă). Your Pillar II account is checked separately with the fund manager.

You check your Pillar 2 account on the ASF portal (asfromania.ro) with your personal ID number (CNP) and phone. The statement is free, updated monthly. See our complete guide on checking and optimising Pillar 2. You can switch the managing fund free once every 24 months.

Pillar 3: optional with a tax benefit

Your voluntary contribution to Pillar 3 is deductible from taxable income up to 400 EUR per year. The tax saved depends on your own income tax situation, so check it on your payslip or tax return. As an illustration only, 400 EUR paid at the end of each year for 25 years at a constant 6% return would reach about 21,946 EUR before fees and taxes, or about 23,263 EUR if paid at the start of each year. Real fund returns vary and are not guaranteed.

The 4 main Pillar 3 funds in 2026: NN Pensii (market share 38%), Allianz-Țiriac (27%), BCR Pensii (18%), BT Pensii (12%). The return differences between them are small (under 1 percentage point per year historically), but the management fee varies (0.8-1.5% per year). Compared with Pillar 2, you have complete freedom: how much you contribute, when you stop, how you switch the fund.

Which combination suits whom

Under 35: you already have mandatory Pillar 2. Adding Pillar 3 early gives each contribution a longer horizon to compound; the result depends on fees and fund returns. 35-50: Pillar 2 already holds substantial capital. Maximum Pillar 3 (400 EUR) with the tax benefit is the most efficient allocation. 50+: Pillar 3 remains deductible, but the short horizon reduces the compounding advantage. Combining it with direct investments (ETF, bonds) becomes relevant. See our investment section.

Maria Popescu, former financial journalist at Ziarul Financiar 2010-2022: „The biggest mistake I see at 30-45: they wait for Pillar 1 to become their problem after they turn 50. But by then it is too late for the compounding effect. A Pillar 3 started at 30 with 200 EUR per year gives more at 65 than a Pillar 3 started at 50 with 400 EUR per year. Time is the most powerful financial tool you have.”

Concrete actions today

Step 1: go to asfromania.ro and check your current Pillar 2 fund and the accumulated sum. Step 2: compare the 5-year and 10-year historical returns on the ASF portal. If your fund sits in the bottom third, switch free of charge. Step 3: if you have income above 4.000 lei net and no Pillar 3, open one. Step 4: each January check whether the annual contribution is still optimal. See our fund comparator for live rates.

Which calculator to use

For the estimated date on which you reach the standard age, use the retirement age calculator; the result is an estimate, and exceptions and the exact date are confirmed by the CNPP. For an indicative Pillar I pension estimate, use the pension calculator; the method is explained in the pension calculation guide.