How Many Years Do You Have to Work in Canada to Get a Pension?

There isn’t one magic number of years you have to work to get “a pension” in Canada. It depends on which pension you’re talking about:

• CPP (Canada Pension Plan): Based on how long and how much you contributed

• OAS (Old Age Security): Based on how long you’ve lived in Canada, not how long you’ve worked

Most people end up with a mix of CPP + OAS + personal savings in retirement.

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Government pensions are helpful, but they’re rarely enough on their own. You still need your own savings.

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CPP: How Long Do You Have to Work?

For CPP (Canada Pension Plan):

• To qualify at all, you must:

  • Be at least 60, and

  • Have made at least one valid contribution to CPP

So technically, even a small amount of work and contributions can qualify you for some CPP.

However, how much you get depends on:

• How many years you contributed

• How much you earned and contributed in those years

• When you start your pension (you can start as early as 60, or delay past 65)

To get maximum CPP, you’d need to contribute at or near the yearly maximum for about 39 years. Most people get less than the maximum.

How Many Years to Get Old Age Security (OAS)?

Old Age Security (OAS) is different:

• It’s not based on work or contributions

• It’s based on how long you’ve lived in Canada as an adult

Basic rules:

• To get any OAS at all, you generally must:

  • Be 65+, and

  • Have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after age 18 (if you live in Canada when you apply)

• To get the full OAS, you generally need about 40 years of residence in Canada after age 18

So the real question for OAS isn’t “How many years do I have to work?” but “How many years have I lived in Canada after 18?”

Why You Still Need Your Own Savings

Even with CPP and OAS, many people find they need extra income in retirement to:

• Keep up with housing, food, and healthcare

• Travel or help family

• Handle inflation over time

That’s why it’s important to:

• Save consistently (even small amounts)

• Use high-interest accounts and tax-advantaged tools (like RRSPs and TFSAs)