Purchase/Transfer from other scheme

 

As a member of the Fund, you have the option to purchase periods of service and/or membership at the Pension Fund by payment of a transfer value from another pension scheme or using your own funds. 

Transfers from other pension schemes can be made at any time during your contract. Purchases using your own funds can only be made once you have accrued at least five years of service.  In both cases, the transfer must be completed before your contract end date.

Periods of Service and Membership

A period of service includes the period for which contributions have been paid and any periods purchased by transferring from another pension scheme in which provision is made for contributions by the employer.
A period of membership is a period of service (as defined above) and any periods purchased using a member’s own funds i.e. not a transfer from another pension scheme.

To find out more...

 

There are two types of purchase: 

TRANSFER FROM ANOTHER PENSION SCHEME

You may have worked at other organisations and contributed to other private pension schemes prior to your arrival at CERN/ESO. You may therefore want to transfer your previous “assets” into the CERN Pension Fund.

You may request approval from the Fund to transfer from a previous pension scheme allowing you to purchase additional months of service and membership. The Fund accepts transfers from pension schemes in which provision is made for contributions by the employer. 
 

Cost:

The cost of the transfer is calculated as a percentage of your reference salary at the time the request is made. The applicable percentage depends on your age when the request is made.

To find out more...

How to proceed:

  1. Please first contact your previous scheme to ensure that a transfer to the CERN Pension Fund is permitted (as some schemes do not allow this);
  2. You should provide the Fund’s Benefits Service (pension-benefits@cern.ch) with a breakdown from your previous pension scheme, including the transferable amount;
  3. The Fund’s Benefits Service will provide you with a document showing simulations of your benefits, taking into account the proposed transfer;
  4. Should you wish to proceed, based on the conditions and simulations provided, please request approval from the Fund by signing the document and returning to us;
  5. If your request is approved, the Fund’s Benefits Service will provide you with the bank account details that should be communicated to the previous scheme;
  6. The payment should be received within 6 months from the date of approval;
  7. Should the payment not be received within 6 months, you will be required to make a new request. Please note that new simulations would be provided based on your age and your contractual conditions in force at the time. 

OWN FUND PURCHASE

A purchase using your own funds is only possible for members who have accrued at least five years of service and only increases your period of membership. This type of purchase does not allow you to increase your period of service.

The approval of the Fund is required prior to making such a purchase.

Cost:

The cost of the transfer is calculated as a percentage of your reference salary at the time the request is made. The applicable percentage depends on your age when the request is made.

To find out more...

How to proceed:

  1. Please contact the Fund’s Benefits Service (pension-benefits@cern.ch) and mention the period of membership that you would like to purchase or the amount that you would like to use for a purchase;
  2. The Fund’s Benefits Service will send you a document with simulations of your benefits, taking into account the proposed purchase;
  3. Should you wish to proceed, based on the conditions and simulations provided, please request approval from the Fund by signing the document and returning to us;
  4. If your request is approved, the Fund’s Benefits Service will provide you with the bank account details for the payment;
  5. The payment should be received within one month from the date of approval. 
  6. Should the payment not be received within one month, you will be required to make a new request. Please note that new simulations would be provided based on your age and your contractual conditions in force at the time.

FAQ

Before coming to CERN, I contributed to other pension schemes. Can I transfer my contributions to the CERN Pension Fund?

Yes, the CERN Pension Fund accepts transfers from pension schemes in which provision is made for contributions by the employer. Please first contact your previous scheme to ensure that a transfer to the CERN Pension Fund is permitted (as some schemes do not allow this).

I would like to fill gaps in my pension during my career. How can I do this?
  • Transfer from another pension scheme: the CERN Pension Fund accepts transfers from pension schemes in which provision is made for contributions by the employer. Please contact your previous pension scheme to ensure that a transfer is permitted.
  • Purchase using own funds: if you have already accrued five years of service, you have the option to buy added periods of membership with your own funds. This type of purchase is calculated according to rates defined in chapter III of the Fund’s Regulations and your reference salary at the time of the request. 

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Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is provided for your convenience and to facilitate your understanding and interpretation of your pension rights and obligations. In the event of ambiguity or any inconsistency or conflict between the information provided on this website and the Fund’s Rules and Regulations, the latter will prevail. In particular, the decisions taken by the Fund will be based solely on the Fund’s Rules and Regulations.

Pursuant to a decision of the CERN Council on 17 December 2015, legally registered partnerships are treated as equivalent to marriage in determining family rights and obligations within the CERN pension scheme as from 1 January 2016.