Cookie Notice By accepting all cookies, you ensure the best possible user experience. Read more about cookies and their use or change your cookie settings.
Can you earn a pension from light entrepreneurship without YEL insurance?
Can you accrue pension without YEL insurance? Generally, no. Read why YEL is the only way to accrue pension as a light entrepreneur and when it is mandatory.
The short answer is: no, it does not. This is one of the biggest differences between salaried work and light entrepreneurship.
In salaried employment, the employer automatically pays pension contributions (TyEL) even on small salaries. For light entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs, pension accrual is linked to YEL insurance.
If you have YEL insurance: Your pension accrues based on the earned income you have confirmed in your insurance.
If you do not have YEL insurance: You will not accrue any pension, even if you work and invoice customers.
That is why it is important to monitor whether you are reaching the YEL limit (€9,423.09 in 2026). Once you exceed this limit, insurance becomes mandatory, but it is also the only way to secure your future pension from self-employment.
