By Vangelis Dourakis

“Inflated»The Minimum cost of redemption of stamps For those who wish to retire by taking advantage of this route: the new increase in the minimum wage may have pushed a number of basic benefits to higher levels, but on the other hand it has also raised the costs to acquire fictional years of insurance. The reason that “inflates” the minimum cost is that the redemption becomes with a 20% levy on the average of the monthly earnings of the last 12 months before the application is submitted.

Thus, in cases where the insured receives earnings equal to the minimum wage, the 20% of which the acquisition amount is calculated is calculated on the basis of the minimum earnings. And so his adjustment to I go up and up the relevant costs.

How much did it grow and why the cost of redemption of stamps

It should certainly be noted that this development only affects themselves salaried insured persons And not freelancers as for them each month of fictional time acquisition costs as much as the monthly levy of the pension industry, which has already increased by 2.7% from 1/1/2025.
So with regard to the employees and for applications to be submitted from April 1, 2025, the minimum costs for the acquisition of fictional time rises to 176 euros a month, from 166 euros that cost before the increase in the minimum wage.

The same calculation basis, ie 20% on the minimum wage, is also used in cases of unemployment or part -time.
With the new minimum wage at € 880 from April 1, the minimum cost of fictional time redemption increases – and in these cases – to 176 euros a month from 166 euros with the minimum of 830 euros.

If the insured persons, who have remuneration within the limits of the new minimum wage or below, if they work part -time, if they apply for a fictional time recognition from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, will be charged EUR 10 an additional one for each month of redemption, with € 120 for each month.

What applies to public officials, freelancers and farmers

In the State, things are different as for applications submitted from 1/1/2020 onwards, the acquisition is made by a 20% contribution to the insured’s basic salary, without a minimum cost, as with the minimum wage.
In the case of freelancers – as mentioned above – but also for farmers, each month of recognition costs as much as the monthly levy for the pension industry, with relative amounts already increasing by 2.7%, from January 1, when the cost of recognizing fictional periods were automatically adjusted.
For example:

  • An employee paid with the minimum wage, who will apply for a one -year acquisition, after April 1, 2025, he will have to pay EUR 2,112, up from € 1,992 with the minimum wage at 830 euros.

A freelancer who pays the first category contribution from 1/1/2025, if he applies to a two -year acquisition of fictional time at 2025, will pay 4,334 euros.

How it locks the cost of acquiring fictional years

The cost of redemption may “lock” at specific levels based on the date of application.

The application for the recognition of fictitious time can now be submitted and activated later, near retirement, at the cost being determined at the time of the application.

The insured who will use this option will freeze the cost of redemption of fictional time based on the salaries or the minimum wage of 2025, for example. If the redemption is paid a lump sum, a 2% discount is given for each full redemption year.

Insured employees, however, should also be remembered: On April 1, 2026, a new increase in the minimum wage will be announced, which means that the minimum cost of redemption for the new applications to be submitted then (from 1/4/2026) will be re -increased.