Individual (Personal) Pension
Who can participate in PPS?
Persons with the capacity to exercise civil rights and anyone over the age of 18 can participate, while those under the age of 18 can participate as a participant with the signature of a legal representative.
What is the purpose of the Private Pension System?
As a complement to the Social Security System, it aims to increase the welfare level of individuals by providing them with an additional income during retirement by directing their retirement savings towards investment, to increase employment by creating long-term resources for the economy and to contribute to economic development.
How can I retire from the Private Pension System?
The individual is entitled to retirement after completing the age of 56, provided that they remain in the system for at least 10 years from the date of entry into the Private Pension System.
What is the minimum and maximum amount I can start the system with?
The amount may vary according to the plan chosen by the participant, there is no upper limit on payments.
Can I pause my payments?
During the term of the pension contract, contributions may be suspended. If no payment is made to the relevant account within three months following the due date of the unpaid contribution, it is considered that the payment has been suspended in the relevant contract.
Can I have multiple pension contracts?
Multiple pension contracts can be held in the same company or in different companies.
How is the State Contribution eligibility period calculated?
State contribution eligibility rates vary according to the time spent in the Private Pension System.
After 01.01.2013, the period you were in the system |
Entitlement rate of the amount in the state contribution account |
|---|---|
Less than 3 years |
%0 |
3 <= Duration 6 years |
%15 |
6 <= Duration < 10 years |
%35 |
10 years or more (before age 56) |
%60 |
Pension (remaining in the system for 10 years or more and reaching the age of 56), loss of life or disability |
%100 |
If the contribution amount paid exceeds the amount required to benefit from the upper limit of the State Contribution within the year, will the State Contribution amount carry over to the next year(s)?
Yes, in case of a contribution payment exceeding the upper limit of the State Contribution during the year, the State contribution for the excess amount is reflected in the contract in the following year(s).
What is the tax deduction rate if I retire or leave the system?
The participant can leave the Private Pension System at any time. However, in this case, they will not be able to benefit from the advantages of retirement. Payments made to those who have paid contributions for less than 10 years and left without earning the right to retire are subject to withholding tax at the rate of 15%, and payments made to those who have paid contributions for 10 years and left without earning the right to retire and the amount of income included in the vested state contribution are subject to withholding tax at the rate of 10%. Payments made to those who are entitled to pension and those who leave the system due to compulsory reasons such as death, disability or liquidation, and the amount of income included in the state contribution are subject to withholding tax at the rate of 5%.
What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of pension funds compared to other funds?
Earnings of pension investment funds are exempt from income tax and corporate tax. There is a 15% withholding tax on deposit funds but no withholding tax on pension mutual funds.
Can I invest my savings free of interest?
You can grow your savings interest-free. With our interest-free private pension plans, we invest in funds that are allowed to be traded according to Islamic finance principles and that comply with interest-free and participation banking principles.
Can I access information about my pension account at any time?
On the pension company's website, participants can access their accounts by logging in using the internet passwords provided to them, and can access their savings status, fund returns, payment periods and perform transactions related to the private pension contract.
What is the Transfer of Receivables Application?
The transfer of receivables practice allows participants in need of cash to pledge all or part of their receivables arising from private pension contracts, excluding state contributions, as collateral at banks without the need to leave the PPS.
By pledging your savings in the PPS as collateral, you can obtain loans from banks with favorable financing options. The transfer of receivables in the private pension system is valid for banks that have started to implement the transfer of receivables, and the appropriate financing options to be applied by banks may vary.
1.What are the Transferable Contracts?
Individual Contract
Group Individual Contract
Automatic Participation Certificate
Group Individual Sponsor Agreement
2. Which Contracts Are Not Transferable?
Contracts under the Pension Income Plan
Employer Group Pension Contract
VASA (first three years as of the effective date)
Contracts subject to injunction, asset freeze, attachment, bankruptcy, pledge and all kinds of similar administrative and judicial claims
Contracts not exceeding 6 months from the date of transfer
Ongoing contracts for the transfer of receivables under another receivable
Contracts in process of transfer or termination
3. How is the Transfer Process Progressing?
During the application of the participant who wants to transfer their receivable to the bank, the bank, provided that the participant's consent is obtained, inquires through Emeklilik Gözetim Merkezi (EGM) whether there is sufficient amount that can be subject to the transfer of the receivable for the loan requested according to their preference or the participant's total transferable amount information, and informs the bank of the contract and savings amount that can be subject to the transfer of the receivable after the specified rules and controls. In determining the amount that can be subject to the transfer of the receivable, the deduction income that the pension companies can collect by deduction from the savings in the contract during the loan term is taken into account.
An Agreement on Transfer of Receivables Arising from the Private Pension Contract is concluded between the bank and the participant, and the process is initiated with the approval of the pension companies.
The amount transferred by the participant to the bank is converted into cash from all funds in the participant's account and the transfer of the central receivable is invested in pension investment funds.
If the amount subject to transfer is from the savings in the contract included in the participation pension plans or if there is a transfer transaction to participation banks, the transfer of the interest-free central receivable is invested in the pension investment fund. Other amounts are invested in an interest-bearing centralized transfer of receivables pension investment fund.
4. How Does the Transfer of Receivables End?
Following the notification to the pension company via EGM that the amount subject to the transfer of receivables contract has been collected or the relevant loan debt has been closed, the transfer of receivables contract is terminated and the amount invested in the transfer of receivables funds is converted into cash and distributed in accordance with the current fund allocation preferences of the participant.
In the event that at least two consecutive credit installments of the participant who transfers their receivables are not paid and the bank warns that all installments will become due and payable if the payment is not made within the following 30 days, the pension company terminates the private pension contract subject to the transfer and makes a payment to the bank by deducting the amount to be paid to the participant. The remaining amount, if any, is paid to the participant.
5. Which Rights Can I Exercise During the Transfer of Receivables Contract?
You can make Fund Changes on your savings other than the amount subject to the transfer of the receivable.
You can continue to pay contributions to the contract.
During the term of the transfer of receivables contract, you cannot terminate your contract or transfer your savings to other companies.
You cannot transfer your receivables arising from contracts to the bank as collateral for your existing loans or third party loan debts.
What is the state contribution, and at what rate is it paid?
The state contribution scheme—unique to the Individual Pension System—was introduced as of 1 January 2013. Under this scheme, an additional amount equal to 25% of each contribution you pay into the system was accumulated in your state contribution account linked to your contract. With the Law No. 7351, titled “Law on Amendments to the Individual Pension Savings and Investment System Law and Certain Other Laws and Decree Law No. 375”, published in the Official Gazette dated 22 January 2022 and numbered 31727, this rate was increased from 25% to 30%. However, pursuant to the “Decision on the Redetermination of the State Contribution Rate for Contributions Paid in Turkish Lira within the Individual Pension Savings and Investment System and the Additional State Contribution Provided in Case the Right of Withdrawal Is Not Exercised (Decision No. 10811)”, published in the Official Gazette dated 7 January 2026 and numbered 33130, the state contribution rate was reduced from 30% to 20% by a Presidential decision, effective as of 1 January 2026.
If I make a payment on behalf of my spouse and child, can they also benefit from the State Contribution?
Yes, in order to benefit from the state contribution, the state contribution is deposited regardless of the person who pays the contribution on behalf and account of the participant.
Who can benefit from the State Contribution?
Every Turkish citizen and blue card holders who have a private pension contract can benefit from the state contribution, no action is taken in this regard, regular payments are automatically credited to the contract by the state. (Except for participants included in the employer group pension plan)
I have pension contracts in multiple companies, how is the State Contribution calculated?
The upper limit for the state contribution is applied on a participant basis. The state contribution amount calculated for the total contribution amount paid by the participant who pays contributions to more than one contract in the same period is distributed to the contract according to the weight of the contribution amount paid per contract in the relevant month. The amount of contributions paid within a calendar year and to be taken into account in the calculation of state contribution is equal to the annual gross minimum wage.
Can the state contribution be seized?
State contribution cannot be attached or pledged.
After canceling my existing pension contract in the system, if I start a new contract, can I continue to be eligible for the State Contribution?
In case of termination of an private pension contract between 29/06/2012 - 29/06/2014, state contribution is not paid from other existing pension contracts and new private pension contracts until 31/12/2014.
Does the pension system include health, accident, or death coverage?
There are no health, accident and death coverages in the Private Pension System.
Which members or employees can transfer to the pension income plan?
Active members who have completed 56 years of age and have at least 10 years of vested service and inactive members, as well as active members who have earned the right to retire according to the service provider regulations, can transfer to the pension income plan.
The member or employee is required to transfer at least 4 times the monthly gross minimum wage to the contract during the establishment of each contract. The amount of the minimum wage to be taken as basis here is the gross monthly minimum wage in effect on the date of the relevant transfer.
Is it possible for a member or employee to transfer their savings in the same service provider to multiple companies or to multiple contracts in the same company?
Yes, the member or employee can transfer to multiple companies or multiple contracts within the same company.
If a participant who has transferred to more than one contract terminates one or more of their contracts, but another contract established by transfer remains in force, how is their pensionable period affected?
In the event that the participant in question terminates any of these contracts, the periods vested at the time of transfer will remain valid for the participant's ongoing contracts.
Which principle is taken into account in the calculation of the time spent by the transferring member or employee at the relevant service provider?
The legislation to which the service provider is subject is taken as basis in the calculation of the time actually spent by the transferring member or employee in the relevant service provider. Accordingly, periods such as military service, unpaid leave, suspension of membership, etc., which are not included in the membership period, if any, are not taken into account in the duration calculation.
What will be the procedure for the payment of the savings belonging to the participant who passed away during the partial transfer?
In the event that the participant dies while the transfer is made in parts, the savings transferred to the private pension system shall be paid to the beneficiaries, and the savings of the deceased participant, if any, remaining in the relevant service provider shall not be subject to transfer on their behalf. On the other hand, if there are inactive members who are newly added to the service provider as beneficiaries under the relevant service provider's legislation as a result of the participant's death, these individuals may make a separate transfer on their behalf for their remaining savings.
Is there a limit on the annual payments that can be made from the pension income plan during the first 3 years in the system after the transfer?
The upper limit for the payments that can be made to the participant from the pension income plan during the first 3 years from the date of the first transfer is calculated according to the principles below and can be revised on the next contract anniversary or on the participant's birth date, with updated information (current savings and participant age).
a) Participants over the age of 56 cannot be paid more than the maximum monthly amount calculated according to the PMF table below. The upper limit for the amount that can be paid per contract under programmed reimbursement is determined according to the life expectancy in the table. For example, for a participant who is 56 years old on the date of the first transfer, the maximum amount that they can receive monthly for the first year will be "Total savings in the contract/214".
b) When making payments to participants younger than 56 years of age, the maximum amount that they can receive per month is calculated by dividing their total savings by the following monthly period and no payment can be made more than the calculated maximum monthly amount
i. If the last age at which the member can receive payment from the service provider is available, the full number of months between the age at the time of transfer and the last age is taken as the basis. For example, the maximum amount that a participant who is 8 years old on the date of the first transfer and who is entitled to receive an orphan pension until the age of 18 according to the relevant service provider legislation, can receive monthly during the waiting period will be "Total savings in the contract/120". In any case, the full number of months cannot be less than 36, as the participant cannot receive the full amount of their savings before 3 years.
ii. If the last age at which the member can receive a pension from the service provider is not available or not available, 214 months is taken as the basis.
Under what conditions can a participant who transfers to an private pension contract for savings purposes later be included in the pension income plan?
During the waiting period, the participant who obtains the right to retire according to the private pension legislation can switch to a pension income plan by meeting an amount limit of at least 4 times the monthly gross minimum wage. The amount of the minimum wage to be taken as basis here is the gross monthly minimum wage valid on the date of transition to the pension income plan.
How will the period of entitlement to state contribution be determined for contracts established by transfer?
Pursuant to the Additional Article 1 of the Law, the period that the participant has actually stayed in the private pension system since 01.01.2013 is subject to state contribution. In this context, the period of entitlement to state contribution starts with the date of the first transfer to the private pension system.
Is it possible to transfer contracts established by transfer to another company?
Within 3 years from the date of the first transfer, the amounts in the savings and state contribution account under a pension contract established by transfer cannot be transferred to another pension company.
For contracts to be established by transfer, is it possible to apply the eligibility conditions for the employer contribution in the relevant service provider to the private pension system?
Contributions paid on behalf of members or employees by the service provider can be transferred under the employer group pension contract. The vesting period for these contracts starts with the date of transfer and cannot be determined to be shorter than the waiting period. The implementation in this regard is carried out within the framework of the provisions of the Regulation on the Private Pension System and the Table of Minimum Vesting Rates by Years.
Which period's gross minimum wage will be taken as the basis for the payments to be made for the missing periods within the scope of paragraph 7.4 of the Regulation and for the earned time calculation of the savings transferred to the company separately? Will a state contribution be paid for these payments?
Such payments are based on the gross monthly minimum wage in effect on the date the relevant (initial or additional) transfer amount is actually paid to the company. These payments are added to the total amount transferred to the private pension system. No state contribution is paid for contributions made within this scope.
Can my PPS savings be used as loan collateral?
With the amendment made in the second paragraph of Article 17 of Law No. 4632, the possibility to transfer the receivables of private pension contracts has been introduced and it is possible to transfer the PPS contract to the receivables during the loan utilization. In this way, it was aimed to reduce the exit of participants from the system by taking their private pension savings due to financial needs, and it was thought that it would be beneficial to provide access to loans at favorable conditions by transferring the PPS savings to the receivable.
Can employees over the age of 45 also benefit from the Automatic Participation System?
Article 2 of Law No. 4632 was amended to allow employees over the age of forty-five to be included in the automatic participation system upon their request. Thus, it will be possible for an employee who reaches the age of 45 to save by taking advantage of the state contribution limit in the automatic participation system.
I can qualify for retirement after the regulations regarding retirement age victims (EYT). Can I also retire from the Private Pension System?
In order to be eligible for retirement from the Private Pension System, one must have completed the age of 56, provided that they have been in the system for at least 10 years from the date of entry into the PPS.
I will receive a lump sum retirement bonus after EYT / I will start receiving a regular salary. Can I invest this money in the PPS contract?
Retirement bonuses can be invested as a lump sum and regular pensions as monthly contributions to the PPS contract. In this way, you benefit from the 20% state contribution and at the same time your savings continue to grow in value in pension funds.
What is the Partial Payment practice in the Private Pension System?
In the private pension system, up to 50% of the savings in the contract can be partially paid to the participant without exiting the system in cases of marriage, housing purchase, education and natural disasters. For the education status, a contract for those under 18 years old can be subject to partial payment on 01.06.2026. Therefore, partial payment in case of education is not currently practiced).
How much of the contract savings can be taken in case of partial payment?
Up to 50% of savings can be taken.
What are the conditions for applying for partial payment?
In order to benefit from the right to partial payment in case of marriage or purchase of a house;
The contract applied for must be in force for at least 5 years,
Any partial payment right has not been exercised for at least 5 years,
At least five times the monthly gross minimum wage amount valid as of the last application date from the previous partial payment date or from the effective date of the contract if the right to partial payment has not been exercised before,
The participant has not previously exercised their right to partial payment in any of their contracts regarding the partial payment situation to be applied for,
A commitment that the contract will not be terminated with an exit transaction within 3 years from the date of partial payment, except in cases of retirement, death or disability.
In the event of a natural disaster, the right to partial payment can be exercised;
The participant who suffered damage in areas declared as a disaster affecting general life must apply for partial payment within six months following the date of the natural disaster,
The participant has not previously exercised the right to partial payment in case of a natural disaster in any of its contracts,
Within 3 years from the date of partial payment, a commitment must be given that the contract will not be terminated with an exit transaction, except in cases of retirement, death or disability.
What is the amount of State contribution that can be received in case of partial payment?
For partial payments made in case of marriage or house purchase, state contribution is paid at the rate of 20% of the partial payment amount upon submission of the required documents. In case of partial payments in case of natural disasters, 25% of the amount subject to partial payment is paid when the necessary documents are submitted. This amount is deducted from the State contribution account in the participant's contract. The State contribution payment is limited to the amount in the State contribution account of the relevant contract at the date of payment.
What are the circumstances in which the right to partial payment can be exercised?
The right to partial payment can be exercised in cases of marriage, housing purchase, education and natural disasters. For the education status, a contract for those under 18 years old can be subject to partial payment on 01.06.2026. Therefore, partial payment in case of education is not currently practiced).
Can I leave the PPS at any time after I benefit from the partial payment right?
If the right to partial payment is exercised in case of marriage, housing purchase or natural disasters, a commitment is given that the contract will not be terminated with an exit transaction within 3 years from the date of partial payment, except in cases of retirement, death or disability. In case this commitment is not fulfilled; the State contribution amount paid within the scope of the right to partial payment shall be deducted from the amount to be paid to you together with the interest calculated according to the default interest rate specified in Article 51 of the Law on Collection Procedure of Public Receivables numbered 6183 dated 21/7/1953 as of the payment date.