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Retirement

Civil servants are normally required to retire from service upon reaching prescribed normal retirement age. This policy helps to inject new blood to the civil service and maintain career aspirations for younger officers.

The pensions legislation provides that the normal retirement age for civil servants appointed on pensionable terms is 55 under the Old Pension Scheme and 60 under the New Pension Scheme.  The pensions legislation has also provided that the prescribed retirement age for disciplined services officers under the New Pension Scheme is 55 or 57.  As for those officers eligible for the Civil Service Provident Fund (CSPF) benefits, the applicable retirement ages are as follows -

  • 60 for civilian officers and 55/57 for disciplined services officers appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2000 but before 1 June 2015 (or 65 for civilian officers and 60 for disciplined services officers, regardless of their ranks, for those who have opted to extend their service); and
  • 65 for civilian officers and 60 for disciplined services officers, regardless of their ranks, appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2015.

Further employment of officers beyond normal/prescribed retirement age may be considered subject to the applicable arrangement and criteria.

On retirement, an officer is eligible for retirement benefits as provided in the pensions legislation or specified in his/her terms of appointment.  Officers appointed before 1 June 2000 on terms which attract pension benefits may be granted pension benefits under respective pension schemes upon retirement.

Other officers who are not appointed on pensionable terms, including officers appointed on or after 1 June 2000 on new probationary or new agreement terms, would be provided with mandatory provident fund benefits under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (save for those exempted from the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance).  For those appointed on new permanent terms, they would be eligible for benefits under the CSPF Scheme.