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Specialists Explain What Changes in the Retirement Rules by Age and How Those Who Have Completed 15 Years of Contribution Can Save While Awaiting the Right
The doubt is common among workers who have already reached 15 years of contribution, but who do not yet have the minimum age required by INSS. Many believe they need to continue paying monthly to secure the benefit, but this is not always necessary. The retirement by age follows specific criteria, and knowing these details can avoid wasting money and making wrong decisions that delay access to the benefit.
The Brazilian social security legislation requires, in general, 15 years of contribution for men and women who started contributing before the Social Security Reform in November 2019. Those who began contributions after this date need to reach 20 years (in the case of men). In addition, it is necessary to be 65 years old for men and 62 for women. These are the parameters for the most common retirement by age in the general INSS system.
Exceptions That Anticipate Retirement
There are situations in which the benefit can be granted before the standard age.
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People with disabilities, for example, have the right to retire earlier, provided they prove 15 years of contribution in a condition of disability.
In this case, men can retire at 60 years old and women at 55.
The same applies to rural workers who engage in activities in the field and prove their ties to family farming.
In this category, men can retire at 60 and women at 55 years, maintaining the minimum time of contribution required by law.
Strategy for Those Who Have Already Completed 15 Years of Contribution
A recurring doubt among insured individuals is: “if I have already completed 15 years of contribution, should I continue paying monthly until I reach retirement age?”.
The answer depends on the individual situation, but specialists advise that those who have already reached the minimum required and maintain their insured status can adopt a more economical strategy.
In many cases, it is enough to make one contribution every six months to maintain the link with the system and avoid losing insured status.
This practice reduces monthly expenses and still guarantees coverage in case of disability or illness until retirement begins.
On the other hand, those who have stopped payments for more than three years and lost their link need to contribute again for at least 12 months before revalidating their right.
Workers who have been without contributions for long periods should seek professional guidance before attempting retroactive payments, as the INSS may not recognize those contributions.
How to Avoid Losses and Maintain the Right in the INSS
Before stopping payments, it is ideal to confirm if all contribution periods are correctly recorded in the CNIS (National Cadastre of Social Information) and if the worker actually has 15 valid years of contribution.
For those who are still in doubt, the safest way is to schedule a consultation with a specialist in social security law.
This analysis identifies the best strategy — whether to maintain sporadic contributions, correct ties, or wait for the right moment to request retirement by age — avoiding the risk of spending unnecessarily.
Completing 15 years of contribution is just the first step.
Understanding how to preserve the link and the ideal time to request the benefit makes a direct difference in income and financial peace of mind.
And you, have you checked if all your contributions are valid in the INSS or do you still have doubts about when you will be able to retire?
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