What is a Personal Pension?
A personal pension is a pension savings product designed for you to save for your retirement. It could be suitable if you are self-employed or if your employer does not offer you access to a pension scheme. It’s tax efficient because you can claim tax relief on contributions that you make and you don’t pay tax on any investment growth within your pension fund and you may receive a tax free lump sum at retirement.
Aviva Personal Pension at a glance
Minimum contribution
Regular contribution – €100 monthly or €1,000 yearly
Single contribution €5,000
Investment Choice
We offer a wide range of investment funds to choose from
Aviva My Future ESG Lifestyle Strategy
Personalised and cost-effective default pension savings strategy
Online Service
View key policy information & access online tools
| Warning: Due to the nature of this product, it is important to ensure that it remains suitable for you. We recommend that you engage with your financial advisor on a regular basis to ensure its ongoing suitability Warning: If you invest in this product, you may lose some, or all, of the money you invest. Warning: The value of your investment may go down as well as up. Warning: The income you earn from this investment may go down as well as up. Warning: This product may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates. |
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Why would I need a pension?
If you want to improve your income in retirement and don’t want to rely solely on the State Pension to provide your income in retirement – you will need to plan your retirement now, because it really is your responsibility, no one else is going to do it for you.
How prepared are you for retirement?
At Aviva, we have carried out extensive research across Ireland to explore just how adequately we are prepared for our retirement. We discovered that 43% of 35-54-year olds expect financial hardship in retirement and 60% have inadequate retirement funds. Overall, half of our population is likely to carry some level of debt into retirement. (Source Aviva, September 2019).
Will you have enough money to enjoy your retirement?
Talk to an independent financial broker to find out how much you need to put into a pension today to ensure you enjoy the longest holiday of your life.
Is the Aviva Personal Pension right for you?
To invest in our Personal Pension you must be:
The Aviva Personal Pension may suit if you:
- Are self-employed or not part of an employer sponsored pension scheme and want to take control of your retirement savings.
- Are seeking a tax-efficient way to save for retirement, with tax relief on contributions and tax-free investment growth.
- Are comfortable making regular or lump-sum contributions, starting from €100/month or €5,000 single contributions.
- Want flexibility and control, including the ability to choose from a wide range of investment funds, including ESG and lifestyle strategies.
- Understand investment risk and are prepared for fluctuations in fund value over time.
- Value digital access, with online tools to manage and monitor their pension.
- Are planning for long-term financial independence and want to supplement or replace the State Pension.
- Don’t need to access your money before age 60 (or until you retire).
- Are happy with the charges on this product.
- Are happy with the choice of funds into which you can invest your contributions and are happy to take risk with the aim of generating returns.
- Are currently paying income tax and would like to take advantage of the tax relief currently available on personal pension contributions.
The Aviva Personal Pension may NOT suit if you:
- Are an employee already in an occupational pension scheme. Cannot commit to regular contributions.
- Need access to funds before your retirement age. Are risk-averse and want capital guarantees.
- Not eligible for tax relief (e.g., non-taxpayers).
- Are unemployed or a member of your employer’s pension scheme.
- Are looking for a short term investment plan that will not be used for your retirement.
- Are not happy with the charges on this product.
- Are not happy with the choice of funds into which you can invest your contributions and are not happy to take risk to generate returns.
- Can’t afford to contribute at least €100 monthly or €1,000 yearly.
Investments that work for you
Investing your money
We all have different preferences for how we like to invest and we aim to match our offering with your needs. With the help of your financial broker, you can opt for a simple ready-made multi-asset solution, a completely bespoke portfolio or something in-between.
Aviva My Future ESG Lifestyle Strategy
We focus on your pension, so you don't have to
This personalised and cost-effective default pension savings programme invests your contributions in funds on your behalf with the aim of managing the risks your money is exposed to throughout your journey to retirement.
Tools & Calculators
Fund Centre 
How are your funds performing and where are they invested? Find out using our daily updated fund centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I take out a personal pension plan? Show more Show less
For the Aviva personal pension plan the minimum age is 19 next birthday and the maximum age is 72 next birthday.
How much can I put into my personal pension? Show more Show less
There’s no limit to the amount you can pay into your personal pension, but tax relief is only available on amounts up to a certain level depending on your income, your age and Revenue limits. This is set out in the table below (November 2025):
| Age attained during the year | Tax relief limit (based on a percentage of earnings) |
|---|---|
| Under age 30 | 15% |
| 30 to 39 | 20% |
| 40 to 49 | 25% |
| 50 to 54 | 30% |
| 55 to 59 | 35% |
| Aged 60 and above | 40% |
There’s a limit on how much of a member’s earnings can be taken into account for the purposes of the above percentages. The maximum earnings limit is currently set at €115,000 (in 2024). So, if a member’s earnings are greater than this figure their tax relief will only be based on their earnings up to €115,000 – anything above that limit doesn’t qualify for tax relief.
How does the tax relief on a personal pension work? Show more Show less
Tax relief reduces the real cost of your pension. The tax you save is calculated at the highest rate of income tax that you pay (currently 20% or 40%). An example of how this works is set out below:
Monthly pension contribution = €100
Tax relief @ 40% = €40
Total net monthly cost to you = €60
If you pay income tax at the 20% rate, your tax relief will be €20 and your total net monthly cost will be €80.
How do I claim the tax relief? Show more Show less
If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to include your pension contributions in your self-assessment tax returns to get income tax relief. If you’re an employee and your personal contributions are taken from your bank account, you can apply to your local inspector of taxes to have your tax credits adjusted to reflect your pension contributions.
Can I take my money out if I need it in the future? Show more Show less
Once you’ve put money into a personal pension you can’t withdraw it until you reach age 60.
What happens if I have to retire early because of ill health? Show more Show less
If you have to retire early because of ill health, you can take your benefits from your personal pension immediately.
What happens if I die before I retire? Show more Show less
If you die before you retire, we’ll pay the value of your Aviva personal pension to your estate. As with any inheritance, your beneficiaries may have to pay inheritance tax on any benefits we pay to them.
Can I use my Aviva personal pension as security for a loan? Show more Show less
No. You can’t transfer the rights to your Aviva personal pension plan plan to a bank or another institution as security for a loan.
What is the minimum term for setting up an Aviva personal pension? Show more Show less
The minimum investment period for paying regular contributions to the Aviva personal pension is 3 years.
How can I pay my contributions? Show more Show less
You can pay regular or single contributions to the personal pension. The Aviva personal pension can also accept transfers from other pension arrangements. You can pay regular contributions by direct debit every month.
You can pay in a single contribution at anytime by electronic funds transfer. You can do this instead of, or as well as, paying regular contributions.
Can I change how much I pay into my Aviva personal pension? Show more Show less
Yes. You can increase your contributions at any time. You can also reduce your contribution to the minimum allowed (which is €100 monthly or €1,000 yearly) or to take a break from making contributions if you want to.
However, don’t forget that reducing or stopping your contributions will affect the value of your pension fund when you retire. Before making any decision to reduce or stop your contributions you should speak with your financial broker.
Can I save more automatically? Show more Show less
Yes. When you take out an Aviva personal pension, you can choose to have contributions increase by 5% each year. Before making any decision on your contributions you should speak with your Financial Broker.
What are my options at retirement? Show more Show less
Our separate ‘Retirement Guide’ explains all of the various options that may be available to you at retirement or talk to a Financial Broker today!
Useful Documents
The document below is a downloadable PDF you can save or print.
Expert advice
Want expert advice on pensions and retirement? Contact your Financial Broker today.
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Warnings
Important information to consider.
| Warning: Due to the nature of this product, it is important to ensure that it remains suitable for you. We recommend that you engage with your financial advisor on a regular basis to ensure its ongoing suitability Warning: If you invest in this product, you may lose some, or all, of the money you invest. Warning: The value of your investment may go down as well as up. Warning: The income you earn from this investment may go down as well as up. Warning: This product may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates. |
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