Guide to Retirement in Singapore (2026)

Singapore is one of the fastest-ageing societies in the world. Against this backdrop, Singapore’s policy has been to keep those who are willing and able to work in employment for longer. With effect from 1 July 2026, the minimum retirement age in Singapore is 64 (up from 63). The laws governing retirement are set out in the Retirement and Re-employment Act (RRA), and it only applies to workers who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents.

This article explains the protections that the RRA affords older workers in relation to the updated retirement age, an employer’s obligation to offer re-employment to workers reaching the minimum retirement age, and answers some common questions about retirement as follows:

• What is the statutory retirement age in Singapore?
• Can I retire before the statutory retirement age?
• Does reaching the statutory retirement age end my employment?
• Can my employer dismiss me because of my age?
• What happens when I reach retirement age?
• What if my employer does not offer me re-employment?
• If my employer wants to terminate me after retirement age, must they give notice?
• What can I do if I have a dispute with my employer?

What is the Statutory Retirement Age in Singapore?

The minimum retirement age has increased from 63 to 64 starting from 1 July 2026. However, this does not apply to every older worker. The new retirement age of 64 only applies to employees who turn 63 on or after 1 July 2026. Under the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) guidelines, the retirement age depends on the worker’s date of birth:

Singapore has further planned to raise the retirement age to 65 by 2030.

Can I Retire Before the Statutory Retirement Age?

Yes. The statutory minimum retirement age does not require you to keep working until then. You may choose to leave employment earlier, subject to the terms of the employment contract and the ordinary rules governing termination in the Employment Act, such as giving notice.

The important distinction is between choosing to retire and being forced to retire because of your age. The RRA does not oblige you to keep working but, instead, protects employees from being forced to retire before the retirement age (64). The statutory retirement age is a legal protection against age-based dismissal, rather than a mandatory requirement for the employee to remain working until that age.

Does Reaching the Statutory Retirement Age End My Employment?

A 2026 Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) decision, JIS v JIT, highlights an important point for both employees and employers: reaching the statutory retirement age does not automatically bring an employment contract to an end. The employment relationship continues until the employer lawfully exercises its power of termination.

In JIS v JIT, an employer terminated an employee’s contract after the latter turned 63 (the statutory retirement age then). Although the employment contract stated that 2 months’ notice was required, the employer argued that no notice was needed because reaching the retirement age was the “natural end” of his employment. The ECT disagreed, holding that the employer must comply with the express terms of the contract and give the necessary notice. The tribunal ordered the employer to pay the employee S$26,350, S$11,600 as salary in lieu of notice (2 months of salary) and S$14,750 in Employment Assistance Payment under the RRA.

Can My Employer Dismiss Me Because of My Age?

Under section 4(2) of the RRA, an employer must not dismiss an employee on the ground of age before that employee reaches the statutory retirement age (64). This is also clearly reflected in the broader tripartite framework on wrongful dismissal: employers should not dismiss an employee on account of age before the statutory retirement age or higher contractual retirement age.

Therefore, an employer cannot simply tell a 60-year-old employee that they are being dismissed because they have become “too old”. However, the protection should not be understood to mean that an older employee can never be dismissed. An employer may still terminate an employee for a legitimate reason unrelated to age, subject to the applicable contractual and statutory requirements. For example, an employee who is 61 may potentially be dismissed because of genuine misconduct or other lawful grounds.

What Happens When I Reach Retirement Age?

Just before you reach retirement age (64), and if you are eligible, your employer must offer you re-employment. Re-employment is the statutory requirement that employers offer to keep eligible employees on a new contract once they hit the minimum retirement age until the re-employment age, rather than letting the employment relationship simply end. With effect from 1 July 2026, the re-employment age is 69 (up from 68).

MOM recommends that an employer start discussions as early as possible, not less than 6 months before the employee turns 64 and offer a re-employment contract at least 3 months before their retirement date. This is to help older workers who wish to continue working as long as they are willing and able to.

Under section 7 of the RRA, an employee is eligible for re-employment if:

1. The employee is born on or after 1 July 1952; and
2. The employer assesses the employee as —
   1. having at least satisfactory work performance; and
   2. being medically fit to continue working.

Among other requirements, your re-employment contract should be for at least 1 year, renewable every year up to the maximum re-employment age (69). Additionally, the first initial contract of re-employment should start on the same day you reach the minimum retirement age (64). However, if another employer offers you employment and you accept the offer, your previous employer will not need to offer you re-employment.

What If My Employer Does Not Offer Me Re-Employment?

If your employer (1) does not offer you re-employment in accordance with the RRA, or (2) your employer arranges for another employer to re-employ you, and you do not agree to that arrangement, your employer is liable to pay you an Employment Assistance Payment. This payment is calculated by taking into account the tripartite guidelines: a one-off payment equivalent to 3.5 months’ salary, subject to a minimum of $6,250 and a maximum of $14,750.

It is important to note that employers should consider all available re-employment options within the organisation to find a suitable job for the employee, and that the Employment Assistance Payment is a last resort to help employees tide over the period while they seek alternative employment.

In JIS v JIT, the employer offered the employee re-employment for a term of 6 months, which was shorter than the minimum 1-year term prescribed by section 7A(6) of the RRA. The tribunal held that, in the absence of the employee’s agreement to a shorter term, this offer did not discharge the employer’s statutory obligation to offer re-employment under section 7A. Having failed to discharge that obligation, the employer was liable to pay an Employment Assistance Payment, and the tribunal allowed the maximum claim of $14,750.

If My Employer Wants to Terminate Me After Retirement Age, Must They Give Notice?

Yes. In JIS v JIT, since the employer failed to give the contractually stipulated 2 months’ notice, the tribunal awarded the employee S$11,600 as salary-in-lieu damages. You should therefore check your employment contract to determine the notice period that your employer is required to provide.

What Can I Do If I Have a Dispute With My Employer?

For disputes concerning unlawful dismissal on grounds of age or denial of re-employment, employees should act quickly. MOM states that employees should file an appeal to MOM within one month of their last day of employment.

Where the dispute involves the unreasonableness of the terms and conditions of an employer’s re-employment offer, or the unreasonableness of any Employment Assistance Payment offered, or unlawful dismissal on grounds other than age, employees should lodge a case for mediation with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).

Mediation through TADM is compulsory before an employment claim can generally be filed in the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT). The mediator does not decide the dispute. Instead, he or she is a neutral party who helps the employer and employee arrive at a fair outcome grounded in legal and contractual obligations. This process resolves most disputes without the need for adjudication. The Employment Standards Report 2025 records that more than 80% of employment claims were resolved at TADM, with the remainder referred to the ECT.

Where the dispute remains unresolved, the employee may proceed to the ECT after obtaining the necessary Claim Referral Certificate from a TADM mediator. If the ECT judges that a dismissal is wrongful, the employer may be ordered to reinstate the employee to the former job and pay for any income loss due to the wrongful dismissal or pay the employee a sum of money as compensation.f

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The key takeaway is that reaching the statutory retirement age does not mean an employee is automatically out of a job. If an employer wants to end the employment, it must exercise its contractual right of termination and give the requisite notice or pay the employee salary in lieu.

Additionally, just before an eligible employee hits the retirement age, employers should be in discussion with their employees on re-employment and offer them re-employment in accordance with the RRA. If they fail to do so, they will be liable to pay an Employment Assistance Payment.

The case of JIS v JIT shows the consequences of getting this wrong. The employer there treated the retirement age as an automatic end to the employment, dismissing the employee without the two months’ notice his contract required. Its re-employment offer was for six months, falling short of the one-year minimum under section 7A(6) of the RRA.

If you are facing a retirement-related dispute, it is recommended that you consult an employment lawyer. While lawyers cannot represent you at TADM mediation or at hearings before the ECT, legal advice can help you identify the correct avenue of redress, assess whether your employer has met its obligations under the RRA, quantify what you are entitled to claim, and avoid omissions that may weaken your case. It is best to seek advice as soon as possible, as employment-related claims are highly time-sensitive.