How much to pay into the early retirement scheme

As a member of CA, you pay a membership fee. If you want to join the early retirement scheme, you must also pay an additional membership fee - an early retirement contribution.

To earn the right to early retirement benefits, you must pay early retirement contributions for up to 30 years. You must begin to pay into the early retirement scheme when you turn 30 at the latest. But you can choose to begin payment earlier. That will give you the opportunity to pause payments later.

The early retirement contribution is:

DKK 1,563 per quarter for full-time insured members
DKK 1,041 per quarter for part-time insured members

Like the membership fee, the early retirement contribution is tax-deductible.

You can choose not to pay into the early retirement scheme at any time and have your contributions repaid.

If you were born before 1 January 1959

You can meet the payment requirement by satisfying 1 of these 2 requirements:

You have paid early retirement contributions uninterruptedly from 1 July 1999 until you are 60 years of age or more. You have paid into the early retirement scheme for at least 20 years within the past 25 years
You have paid early retirement contributions uninterruptedly from 1 April 1999, and you have been a member of an unemployment insurance fund for 20 years within the past 25 years

If you were born in the period from 1 January 1959 to 31 December 1975

You can satisfy the payment requirement by paying early retirement contributions uninterruptedly from 1 January 2008 for at least 25 years and until the time when you reach your early retirement age.

If you have paid contributions for a period before 1 January 2008, you can choose to take a so-called payment-free period where you do not need to pay early retirement contributions.

If you were born before 1 January 1964

You can satisfy the payment requirement by paying early retirement contributions uninterruptedly from 1 January 1999 until you have received an early retirement certificate or actually go on early retirement– but for at least 20 years.

If you were born in the period from 1 January 1976 to 31 December 1977

You can satisfy the payment requirement by paying early retirement contributions from the date you turn 32 at the latest – but for at least 30 years.

You must be a member of a Danish unemployment insurance fund to be able to pay into an early retirement scheme and to be entitled to early retirement benefits later on. If you are to work abroad, there are however some special conditions you should be aware of.

Working in an EEA country

If you work outside Denmark in another EEA country, you will usually be covered by unemployment insurance in the country where you live and work.

That means that you cannot pay early retirement contributions during your stay abroad.

On the other hand, you can pay early retirement pension contributions in arrears once you return to Denmark.

You must, however, be aware that you cannot necessarily go directly on early retirement or apply for an early retirement certificate when you return to Denmark after having worked abroad.

To be eligible for early retirement benefits or an early retirement certificate, you need to have had an income of at least DKK 228,348 within the past three years. Half of this required income have to come from income earned in Denmark.

Working outside the EEA

You can continue to be a member of the unemployment insurance fund if you are going to a country outside the EEA to work for a temporary period. This means that you can continue to pay the early retirement contribution while staying abroad.

To be eligible for early retirement benefits or an early retirement certificate, you need to have had an income of at least DKK 228,348 within the past 3 years. Half of this required income have to come from income earned in Denmark.