The retirement application packet (SF-3107)
Retiring from federal service starts with a paper packet, built around one form: the SF-3107, Application for Immediate Retirement. Depending on your situation, you also attach a spouse consent form, military service records, a life insurance election, and proof of health coverage. Getting the packet complete the first time is what keeps your retirement on schedule.
6 min read · By RetireCiv Editorial · Updated June 29, 2026
What is the SF-3107?
The SF-3107, Application for Immediate Retirement, is the form that starts your FERS retirement. It collects your service history, your annuity elections, and the basic information OPM needs to compute your pension.
It is built for an immediate annuity, the kind that begins right after you separate. If you are retiring now rather than deferring or postponing your pension, this is the form you file.
The form alone is rarely enough. Depending on your marital status, your military service, your life insurance, and your health coverage, you attach additional forms and documents to the same packet.
Filing accurately matters more than filing fast. A complete, correct packet moves through OPM far faster than an incomplete one, which is why the rest of this lesson focuses on getting it right the first time.
What is the SF-3107 form?
The SF-3107 is the Application for Immediate Retirement under FERS. It is the core document you file to start your federal retirement, covering your service history and the elections that determine your annuity, such as your survivor benefit choice. Most other retirement paperwork attaches to or supports this central form.
Do I file the SF-3107 if I am not retiring right away?
No. The SF-3107 is for an immediate annuity, one that starts right after you separate. If you are leaving federal service before you are eligible to retire and plan to claim a pension years later, you are looking at a deferred retirement instead, which uses different paperwork and a different timeline.
What else attaches to the packet?
Several forms and documents commonly join the SF-3107, depending on your situation. The most common additions are a spouse consent form, military service records, a life insurance election, and proof of health coverage.
If you are married, your spouse generally has to consent to anything other than the maximum survivor annuity. That consent is its own form, and OPM is strict about how it must be completed.
If you served in the military, copies of your service records support any potentially creditable time, even years you are not paying a deposit to credit. If you carry FEGLI life insurance, a separate election form records what happens to that coverage in retirement.
If you want to carry FEHB into retirement, documentation of your coverage history supports the five-year rule. The table below lists the common pieces and what each is for.
Common pieces of the packet
| Document | When it applies |
|---|---|
| SF-3107 | Always, for an immediate FERS retirement |
| SF-3107-2 (spouse consent) | Married, electing less than the maximum survivor benefit |
| DD-214 copies | Any potentially creditable military service |
| SF-2818 (FEGLI election) | Enrolled in federal life insurance |
| FEHB coverage proof | Want to carry health coverage into retirement |
Do I need my spouse to sign anything to retire?
If you are married and choosing anything less than the maximum survivor annuity, yes. Your spouse must complete a consent form, SF-3107-2, attached to your application. OPM requires the form to be complete and unaltered; it does not accept versions with crossed-out or whited-out corrections, so it pays to get it right the first time.
Why do I need my DD-214 if I am not buying back military time?
Because the record documents any potentially creditable military service, even if you choose not to pay a deposit for it. OPM uses it to confirm your service history is accurate. Submitting copies of all your DD-214s with your application avoids a follow-up request that could slow down processing.
What mistakes cause delays?
Small errors are the most common reason a retirement packet stalls. Missing signatures, incomplete sections, and altered forms are the usual culprits, not anything complicated about your service history.
The spouse consent form is especially strict. OPM rejects an SF-3107-2 that has been corrected with cross-outs or white-out, requiring a clean, properly executed replacement, which can add real time to your case.
Missing attachments are another common cause. If your packet references military service or life insurance but the supporting form or record is missing, your case can sit waiting for it rather than moving forward.
A careful first pass is worth the extra time. Reviewing every signature, every attachment, and every section before you submit is the single best way to keep your retirement on schedule.
- Missing or incomplete signatures on any form in the packet.
- An altered SF-3107-2 spouse consent form with cross-outs or white-out.
- Missing DD-214 copies when military service applies.
- An incomplete or missing FEGLI election when you carry life insurance.
- Gaps in your FEHB coverage documentation if you want to keep health coverage.
What is the most common reason a retirement application gets delayed?
Small, avoidable errors: missing signatures, incomplete sections, and forms that were altered after the fact, especially the spouse consent form. None of these involve anything complicated about your career, which is why a careful review before submitting is the most effective step you can take to keep your case on schedule.
Can I fix a mistake after I submit my application?
Often, yes, but it takes time. If OPM finds a missing signature, an incomplete form, or a missing attachment, your case generally sits until you supply the correction. That back-and-forth is exactly what slows a retirement down, which is why reviewing the full packet carefully before you submit it is worth the effort.
How do you put the packet together?
Start with your agency’s HR or benefits office well before your planned date. They walk you through the SF-3107 and tell you exactly which attachments apply to your situation.
Gather your supporting documents early. Locate your DD-214s, confirm your FEHB coverage history, and decide your survivor benefit election so your spouse’s consent form, if needed, is ready to complete.
Review every form before you submit. Check that every required signature is present, every section is complete, and nothing has been altered with cross-outs or white-out.
Once your packet is in, the clock starts on OPM processing. Our next lesson covers how long that takes and how interim pay bridges the gap until your annuity is finalized. To see how your retirement income comes together, run your free readiness score while you prepare.
When should I start preparing my retirement application?
Well before your planned retirement date. Gathering documents like your DD-214s and your FEHB coverage history, and deciding elections like your survivor benefit, takes time. Starting early with your HR office gives you room to fix any gaps before you submit, rather than discovering them after you have already filed.
Who helps me complete the application?
Your agency’s HR or benefits office is the first stop. They can confirm which forms and attachments apply to your specific situation and review your packet before you submit it to OPM. Using their review is one of the most effective ways to catch a missing signature or incomplete section before it causes a delay.