Conditions for switching from Bağkur to SSK and retiring allow insured persons to transfer at least 3.5 years before their planned retirement. By consolidating service periods, they can combine Bağkur and SSK contributions. Many prefer to switch to SSK before retirement because retiring under SSK generally offers more advantages than retiring under Bağkur.
What are the conditions to switch from Bağkur to SSK?
The conditions an insured person must meet to transfer from Bağkur to SSK are listed below:
- Insured persons can transfer from Bağkur to SSK when at least 3.5 years remain until their retirement date.
- Those who previously paid Bağkur contributions and then move to SSK must complete the service consolidation procedure to combine their periods.
- After transferring from Bağkur to SGK and completing service consolidation, the retirement conditions are determined by the Social Security Directorate (SGK).
- After switching to SSK, beneficiaries must pay 30 days of premiums under SSK to access health services.
- When calculating the final 3.5 years eligible for transfer, military service and maternity contribution purchases are not counted. The insured must actually work for those 3.5 years before making the transfer.
- Those whose health coverage was suspended due to Bağkur contribution debt can regain access to health services after transferring to SSK and paying 30 days of contributions under SSK.
- The institution that receives premium payments for the last 3.5 years is the institution that grants retirement. Therefore, those who switch from Bağkur to SSK within the last 3.5 years will retire under SSK.
What should be done to transfer from Bağkur to SGK?
Those who wish to transfer from Bağkur to SSK should first submit a petition to the Bağkur Directorate to close their Bağkur registration. Individuals working for multiple employers who want to consolidate service periods should apply to SGK to have their contribution days combined; this is done by submitting a written application to SGK.
What is the 1,261-day rule?
The institution from which a person working in multiple systems will retire is determined by the 1,261-day rule. For those whose insurance start date is before October 1, 2008, if they have paid at least 1,261 contribution days within the last seven years, the institution that received those contributions is the one from which they will retire.
For example: consider someone who started as a Bağkur insured on October 2, 1997. If this person paid Bağkur contributions for ten years, then closed the business and began working under SSK in 2007, and at least 3.5 of their last 7 years were under SSK, they will be considered retired under SSK.
For those who began insurance after October 1, 2008, the retirement institution is determined by which institution received the greater amount of contribution payments.
Why is switching from Bağkur to SSK more attractive for retirement?
Reviewing the conditions for transferring from Bağkur to SGK and retiring shows that retiring under SSK is generally more advantageous than retiring under Bağkur.
The main advantages are listed below:
- SSK retirement pensions are typically higher than Bağkur pensions. On average, SSK pensions can be about 10% to 15% higher, which leads many beneficiaries to prefer retiring under SSK.
- After transferring from Bağkur to SSK, some insured persons may be eligible for earlier retirement. Those with insurance starts in 2000 or earlier may have the opportunity to retire up to ten years earlier in certain cases.
- Considering the conditions for transferring from Bağkur to SGK and retiring, it can be possible to retire with fewer paid contribution days under SSK. While Bağkur insured may need around 9,000 days to retire, SSK insured persons may be able to retire with between approximately 5,000 and 7,200 days, depending on their circumstances.