Bases for determining early retirement cases from 2026
The Ministry of Home Affairs issues a list of areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions as a basis for determining cases that can retire early.
According to Circular No. 26/2025 of the Ministry of Home Affairs, workers, vocational learners, vocational practitioners and workers without labor relations; foreign workers working in Vietnam can retire early if working in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions, but not more than 5 years older than the retirement age.
The retirement age in 2026 for men is 61 years and 6 months, for women is 57 years old, according to the roadmap for adjusting the retirement age of employees stipulated in Decree No. 135/2020/ND-CP.
Circular No. 26/2025 also stipulates that the working time of employees before January 1, 2021 in places with regional allowances of coefficient 0.7 or higher or places with regional allowances of 25% or higher is determined as working time in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions to serve as a basis for determining cases that can retire at a lower age than the retirement age under normal working conditions.
The working period of employees from January 1, 2021 to before January 1, 2026 in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions to serve as a basis for determining cases that can retire at a lower age than the normal retirement age under normal working conditions is applied according to the List of areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions to serve as a basis for determining cases that can retire at a lower age than the retirement age under normal working conditions issued with Circular No. 19/2021 dated December 15, 2021 of the Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs.
In particular, the working period of employees from July 1, 2025 to before January 1, 2026 in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions to serve as a basis for determining cases that can retire at a lower age than the retirement age under normal working conditions is determined according to the working period in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions in June 2025.
Details of the list of areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions:
Read the original here
