1. RCAR: who is covered and how the scheme works
The RCAR is one of Morocco's three main basic pension schemes, alongside the CNSS (private-sector employees) and the CMR (tenured civil servants). It has legal personality and financial autonomy and is managed by the Caisse Nationale de Retraites et d'Assurances (CNRA) within the welfare division of the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG).
| RCAR fact sheet | Detail |
|---|---|
| Creation | Dahir-law No. 1-77-216 of October 4, 1977 |
| Manager | CNRA (CDG welfare division) |
| Covered population | Non-tenured State and local-government employees, staff of public bodies under State financial control |
| Architecture | Mandatory general scheme + supplementary points-based scheme |
| Financial technique | Defined benefits: 2/3 funded, 1/3 pay-as-you-go |
| Contributing members | ≈ 122,000 in the general scheme (2023, CDG figures) |
| Pensioners served | ≈ 151,000 retirees and survivors (2024) |
| Reserves | ≈ 142.8 billion MAD at end-2025 (per CDG) |
Source: Wafir.ma — October 22, 2026
RCAR members include contractual and temporary staff of the State and municipalities, and employees of public establishments and enterprises: offices, agencies, distribution utilities and State-owned companies under State financial control. The scheme guarantees an old-age pension, a disability pension, a survivors' pension (reversible 50% to the spouse and 50% to orphans) and family allowances for retirees.
The RCAR uses a mixed financial technique: two thirds of its commitments are funded (contributions are invested and generate financial income) and one third runs on pay-as-you-go. This explains the relative strength of its reserves: about 132.7 billion dirhams at end-2024, then close to 142.8 billion at end-2025 with a net result of around 1.7 billion, according to CDG results reported by the business press.
RCAR and CMR are two different public funds
The CMR (Caisse Marocaine des Retraites) covers tenured civil and military servants; the RCAR covers non-tenured staff and public-establishment employees. The rules differ sharply: a 28% contribution and retirement at 63 at the CMR, versus 18% and 60 at the RCAR (current rules). If you are granted tenure, your RCAR rights are transferred to the CMR (see the dedicated section).
2. 2026 contributions: general and supplementary schemes
The RCAR has two tiers. The general scheme is mandatory for all members. The supplementary scheme covers the salary bracket above the general scheme's ceiling, provided the employer has signed the membership agreement.
| Scheme | Base | Employee share | Employer share | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General scheme (mandatory) | Fixed emoluments, capped at 4 times the scheme's average salary | 6% | 12% (6% pay-as-you-go + 6% funded) | 18% |
| Supplementary scheme (points-based) | Salary portion above the general scheme's ceiling | 3% | 3% | 6% |
Source: Wafir.ma — October 22, 2026
The general scheme's contribution base consists of all fixed emoluments, excluding expense allowances and family benefits. It is capped at four times the scheme's average salary, a parameter the RCAR sets and revises periodically. Above that ceiling, the upper salary bracket no longer contributes to the general scheme; that bracket is what the supplementary scheme covers.
The supplementary scheme works on points, much like the CIMR. Each year, contributions are converted into points using a reference salary set annually by the RCAR, and the supplementary pension equals the number of accumulated points multiplied by the point value of the settlement year. A member needs at least 1,000 points to receive an annuity; below that, they receive a one-off lump sum.
Executives and higher earners: check your supplementary coverage
If your salary exceeds the general scheme's ceiling, the portion above it earns no rights unless your employer has joined the supplementary scheme. Check your payslip (3% supplementary contribution line) or your career statement in the rcar.ma member area, because your future replacement rate depends on it.
3. Calculating your RCAR pension: formula, SAMCR and examples
The general scheme's pension is set at 2% of the revalued career-average salary per year of valid service. The CNSS uses the average of the last 96 months and the CMR the average of the last 8 years; the RCAR uses the entire career.
The official formula is: gross annual pension = SAMCR × pension rate. The SAMCR (revalued career-average annual salary) is the average of all salaries subject to contribution over the whole career, each adjusted by the scheme's annual revaluation rates up to the settlement year. The pension rate is 2% per year of valid service, which covers years of membership plus validated, transferred or bought-back periods. Per rcar.ma, once the pension rate exceeds 60%, years from the validation of prior service count for only 1% per year.
Two worked examples (illustrative)
These amounts are arithmetic illustrations of the formula, before tax and before any supplementary pension. Because the SAMCR averages the whole career, including early and often low-paid years, the actual replacement rate relative to the final salary is generally below the headline rate. A member with 30 years of service receives 60% of their revalued career-average salary, which can be considerably less than 60% of their last salary.
| Profile | Monthly SAMCR | Years of service | Rate | Gross monthly pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public-office employee, full career | 8,000 MAD | 30 years | 60% | 4,800 MAD |
| Contract worker, average career | 6,000 MAD | 25 years | 50% | 3,000 MAD |
| Same profile, retiring 3 years early (18% reduction) | 6,000 MAD | 25 years | 50% × 0.82 | 2,460 MAD |
Pension revaluation: now capped at inflation
RCAR pensions used to be revalued each year in line with the scheme's average salary growth. Since the parametric reform of decree No. 2.20.935 of July 27, 2021, the annual revaluation follows current regulations and is capped at the inflation rate: +1.4% in 2022 and +2.74% in 2024, per the notices published on rcar.ma. The RCAR announces each year's rate once that cap is applied; the current rate is in the rcar.ma news section.
Public-sector minimum pension: 1,500 MAD
The minimum pension of the public and semi-public schemes (CMR and RCAR) was raised progressively from 1,000 to 1,500 MAD per month between 2016 and 2018 (1,200 MAD in September 2016, 1,350 MAD in 2017, 1,500 MAD since 2018). The government programme presented to Parliament on October 19, 2026 promises to raise the minimum for main pensions gradually to 3,000 MAD per month across the different schemes, with no timetable or legal text so far. Until a decision is published, the applicable minimum remains 1,500 MAD.
4. Retirement age, early retirement and proportional pension
The normal RCAR retirement age is 60 for sedentary jobs and 55 for active (arduous or hazardous) jobs. The scheme offers three other options: leaving early with a reduction, claiming a proportional pension with no age condition, or deferring departure in exchange for an increase.
| Scenario | Conditions | Effect on the pension |
|---|---|---|
| Normal retirement | Age 60 (55 for active jobs), minimum 3 years of valid service | Full pension: SAMCR × 2% × years |
| Early retirement | Between 55 and 60 | Reduction of 0.5% per month of anticipation, capped at 30% (5 years) |
| Proportional pension | 21 years of valid service, no age condition | 30% abatement: SAMCR × rate × 70% |
| Deferral | Postponing settlement beyond the normal age | Increase of 0.4% per month, capped at 24% (per the ACAPS fact sheet) |
Source: Wafir.ma — October 22, 2026
Reduction example: leaving at 57 instead of 60, i.e. 36 months early, costs 36 × 0.5% = 18% of the pension, for life. A member whose full pension would be 4,800 MAD would receive 3,936 MAD. The proportional pension is for members with 21 years of service who leave the public sector before retirement age: the pension is calculated normally, then reduced by 30%. With 21 years of service (42% rate) and an 8,000 MAD SAMCR, that gives 8,000 × 42% × 70% ≈ 2,352 MAD per month.
Before deciding, compare all three scenarios against your career statement. Between retiring at 55 (maximum 30% reduction) and deferring by two years (roughly +9.6%), the monthly pension gap can exceed 50% for the same account of rights. Our early-retirement guide covers the equivalent trade-off on the CNSS side.
5. Pension reform: where things stand for RCAR members
No pension reform has been adopted or officially presented to date. From July 2025, a National Commission and a technical committee (government, unions, employers and pension funds, including the RCAR) examined a systemic reform without reaching any decision. With no consensus, the file was deferred to the government formed after the 2026 legislative elections (Médias24, July 30, 2026). The RCAR rules described in this guide therefore still apply; the table below compares the rules currently in force at the four funds.
| Parameter | RCAR | CMR (civil pensions) | CNSS | CIMR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Non-tenured staff and public bodies | Tenured civil servants | Private-sector employees | Private-sector supplementary (employer membership) |
| Pension contribution | 18% (+6% supplementary where applicable) | 28% (14% + 14%) | 11.89% capped at 6,000 MAD | Contractual points-based rates |
| Calculation base | SAMCR (revalued full career), 2%/year | Average of last 8 years, 2%/year since 2017 (1.5% if early; 2.5% for pre-2017 service) | Average of last 96 months, 50% to 70% | Points |
| Retirement age | 60 (55 for active jobs) | 63 (born 1962 or later) | 60 (55 for underground miners) | Follows the base scheme |
| Minimum pension | 1,500 MAD | 1,500 MAD | 1,000 MAD (1,100 MAD in some cases); 600 to 1,000 MAD for 1,320 to 3,239 days | — |
Source: Wafir.ma — October 22, 2026
Options under discussion, with no decision so far
- Two poles: the structure discussed for several years would group the CMR and the RCAR in a public pole, and the CNSS and the CIMR in a private pole. No legal text creates it
- Retirement age and contributions: these are the sticking points. Unions reject any later retirement age (the UMT refers to a 65-year scenario that the government has never confirmed with an official figure) and any contribution increase. No age or generation-based timetable has been set for RCAR members
- Calculation method: no harmonized formula has been published, and the RCAR's reference salary remains the full-career SAMCR
- Minimum pension: the new government's programme, presented to Parliament on October 19, 2026, promises to raise the minimum for main pensions gradually to 3,000 MAD per month across the different schemes, as part of a comprehensive reform agreed with the social partners. It is a pledge with no timetable or legal text so far, and the RCAR minimum remains 1,500 MAD
What still applies to an RCAR member
No exceptional pension increase has been decided, either for the CNSS or for the public sector. RCAR pensions are still revalued each year under the inflation-capped mechanism described above. Rights already acquired (contributed years, accrued SAMCR) are preserved: if a parametric reform is adopted one day, it would in principle change the rules going forward and leave the counter of past rights untouched, as the 2016 CMR reform did.
Decide nothing based on unofficial figures
The parameters circulating on some websites (retirement at 63 depending on your generation, a +8% pension increase, a calculation on the best 10 years) appear in no official text. Plan your retirement under the current rules: 60, or 55 for active jobs. If you are within 5 years of retirement, simulate your pension under these rules with the wafir.ma multi-scheme simulator, then check each year whether a new text has been published.
6. Claiming your pension: procedure, deadlines and e-services
Settlement is not automatic: the member (or their employer) must file the claim with the RCAR, and the filing date directly affects when the pension starts.
- Who files: the employer submits the file for an active member; a member removed from the payroll (resignation, end of contract) can file directly with the RCAR
- Deadline: if the claim is filed within 3 months of removal from payroll, the pension is due from the day after removal; beyond that, it only runs from the first day of the filing month
- Usual documents: signed settlement request, copy of the national ID card, bank details (RIB), birth certificates of dependent children where applicable, residence certificate if the pension is paid abroad. The exact list per benefit is published on rcar.ma
- Online member area (rcar.ma): login with RCAR number and electronic national ID, career statement, pension simulation, downloadable electronic membership card
- SMART RCAR mobile app (CDG): file and payment tracking; beneficiaries view transfers and certificates in the beneficiary area
Six months before your target departure date, download your career statement from the member area and check line by line the periods declared by your successive employers. Missing periods (secondment, change of organization, old years) must be regularized before settlement: every forgotten year costs 2% of SAMCR, for life.
7. Changing status: transferring rights and mixed careers
Mixed careers are increasingly common in Morocco: a contract worker granted tenure, a public-office employee moving to the private sector, a civil servant hired by a public establishment. What happens to your RCAR rights depends on the direction of the move.
Tenure in the civil service: transfer to the CMR
Upon tenure, rights built up in the RCAR are transferred to the CMR. The member sends the RCAR a certified copy of the tenure decision together with a copy of their national ID, and their RCAR years are taken over in their CMR account. Conversely, a member who previously contributed to another scheme can ask the RCAR to validate or buy back those services, subject to the original scheme's approval.
Moving to the private sector: RCAR rights are preserved
Rights acquired with the RCAR by an employee who joins a private company are not transferable to the CNSS or the CIMR. They remain on the RCAR's books and will, at retirement age, produce an RCAR pension based on the contributed years, payable alongside the CNSS pension earned afterwards. Since the coordination and data-exchange framework agreement signed on July 17, 2017 between the CNSS, the CMR and the RCAR, the funds exchange career data directly, which simplifies settlement for mixed careers. A member with 21 years of RCAR service can also opt for the proportional pension (see above).
Mixed career: two partial pensions
With 12 years at the RCAR and 18 at the CNSS, you will not get a full pension from either fund; you will get two partial pensions paid by two funds. Simulate each block separately with the wafir.ma multi-scheme simulator to see whether a buy-back, a validation or supplementary savings are needed.
8. RCAR + retirement savings: how to top up your pension
At 2% per year of service computed on the full-career average, an RCAR pension rarely replaces more than 50 to 60% of the final salary, and often less for short or fast-rising careers. Three options help close the gap.
- RCAR supplementary scheme: if your salary exceeds the general scheme's ceiling, your employer's membership in the points-based scheme (3% + 3%) is the first tier to secure
- Individual retirement savings plan (bank or insurer pension product): free or scheduled payments, tax-deductible under duration and settlement-age conditions (see our comparison of Morocco's 5 main retirement-savings providers)
- CIMR if you move to the private sector: if your new employer is a member, CIMR points stack on top of your two basic pensions
- Priority: secure mandatory rights first (complete career statement, regularizations, RCAR supplementary scheme), and only then voluntary savings
Order of magnitude: a 40-year-old member targeting an extra 2,000 MAD of monthly income at 60 needs to save roughly 1,000 to 1,500 MAD per month over 20 years, depending on the net return of the chosen vehicle. The later you start, the higher the monthly effort. The wafir.ma multi-scheme retirement simulator projects your RCAR pension (and CNSS or CMR where relevant), then calculates the monthly savings required to reach your target income.
9. FAQ
Q.What is the RCAR in Morocco?
Q.What is the difference between the RCAR and the CMR?
Q.How is an RCAR pension calculated?
Q.What is the retirement age under the RCAR?
Q.Can you retire early under the RCAR?
Q.What is the RCAR contribution rate in 2026?
Q.What happens to my RCAR rights if I am granted tenure?
Q.What happens to my RCAR rights if I move to the private sector?
Q.Does the pension reform affect the RCAR?
Q.How do I check my RCAR account online?
How much will you get at retirement?
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