Government Prepares to Raise Retirement Age for Military Personnel and Police Officers in 2025

The Romanian Government is preparing significant changes to the retirement age for military personnel and police officers, with implementation expected this year. The measure forms part of broader efforts to control budgetary expenditure against a backdrop of staffing shortages in these sectors.

According to government officials, spending in the security and public order sectors will not be brought under control through personnel reductions — given the existing shortfall — but rather through adjustments to the retirement age. The changes will observe principles of fairness and will include transitional arrangements for those who are already entitled to retire.

Individuals who have currently reached retirement age and are eligible to retire will benefit from a transitional arrangement, similar to that applied to magistrates. This means they will be able to retain their existing rights regardless of when they choose to retire, so as to avoid a mass wave of retirements.

A differentiated approach based on the type of activity

The new regulations will take into account the specific nature of different roles within public order structures. A distinction will therefore be drawn between administrative or security duties — which can be performed up to the standard retirement age — and operational activities requiring intense physical effort.

For personnel carrying out security duties at institutional premises, where no significant physical exertion is involved, the retirement age could be extended to 65. Conversely, for gendarmerie officers serving in mobile brigades who intervene in high-tension situations and carry heavy equipment, earlier retirement formulas are being sought.

This differentiated approach aims to strike a balance between the state's budgetary requirements and the practical realities facing different categories of personnel within the security forces, taking into account the specific physical demands of each role.