Retirement even after 40. We check which professions can still count on such a solution

In Poland, retirement age is 60 for women and 65 for men. For many people, this is still a distant prospect. However, some professional groups can end their careers much earlier, even before the age of 50. This is all due to the specific nature of the work, which involves risk, physical effort or special conditions.

People interested in early retirement should consult ZUS or KRUS , depending on the type of employment. There you can get detailed information about the benefits you are entitled to and the conditions that must be met. It is also worth following current changes in regulations that may affect the right to early retirement.

Mine workers can count on earlier benefits if they meet the conditions set out in the Mining Act. For men who have worked directly underground for at least 25 years , retirement is available regardless of age. In practice, this means the possibility of leaving at the age of 43-45.

Women can retire after 20 years of underground work and 5 years of total service.

Artistic professions with high physical demands , such as dancers, acrobats or musicians playing wind instruments, may retire earlier.

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For example, ballet dancers can get the benefit at age 40 (women) or 45 (men) if they have at least 15 years of professional experience . These rules are designed to protect people whose career opportunities end much earlier than the rest of society.

Officers who were first accepted into service before 1 January 2013 may acquire the right to a retirement pension after 15 years of service . In turn, those who began service from 1 January 2013 must have worked for at least 25 years.

The regulations also take into account other periods of activity that may be included in the seniority period, e.g. the time of compulsory military service .

Professions covered by special regulations include:

• pilots
• air traffic controllers
• steel workers
• railway workers
• persons employed in special conditions or of a special nature

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Two criteria are key here: the type of work and a sufficiently long period of service - usually from 15 to 25 years under conditions specified by law.

The idea of ​​introducing seniority pensions in Poland appeared in the 1980s, but legislative work in this area began much later. The project assumes the possibility of retirement after 35 years of work for women and 40 years for men, regardless of age.

Currently, in May 2025, work on seniority pensions is still ongoing and a specific date for their introduction has not yet been set.