Title 22 › CHAPTER 52 — FOREIGN SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER VIII — FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY › Part I — Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System › § 4052
People must retire at the end of the month when they turn 65 if they have at least 5 years of service credit toward retirement (military and naval service do not count). They will get retirement benefits under the system. Two special groups face earlier separation: certain Department of State special agents under the 1998 Act, and certain Foreign Service criminal investigators/inspectors at USAID OIG who would have qualified under civil service rules. Those people are separated at the end of the month they turn 57, or after 20 years of service if they are already over 57. An agency head can delay that separation until age 60 for public interest. The office must give at least 60 days’ written notice, and the separation does not take effect without the employee’s consent until that 60-day notice has passed. Presidential appointees confirmed by the Senate may stay until their appointment ends, and the Secretary may keep any required retiree on active duty up to 5 more years; after that authorized time ends, the person is retired at the end of that month.
Full Legal Text
Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
22 U.S.C. § 4052
Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110