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Have child-raising periods credited

Deutsche Rentenversicherung · Mothers' pension and child-raising periods

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Child-raising periods are compulsory contribution periods that the state credits for raising a child – without any own contributions having been paid for them. They increase your later pension directly and also count towards qualifying periods and as basic pension periods. They are only taken into account if they are recorded in your insurance account.

Under § 56 SGB VI, the child-raising period begins after the end of the month of birth and ends after 36 calendar months. For children born before 1 January 1992, a shorter period of 30 calendar months has applied so far (§ 249 SGB VI) – this is the so-called Mothers' Pension II (Mütterrente II).

This is changing: with the Mothers' Pension III (Mütterrente III), 36 months will also be recognised for children born before 1992. The rule comes into force on 1 January 2027. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung points out, however, that payment will only begin in 2028 due to the technical effort involved in implementation – anyone already receiving a pension before January 2028 will receive a back payment. No separate application is needed for this.

Last updated26 August 2026
Legal basis§ 56 SGB VI · § 57 · § 249
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de and the Deutsche Rentenversicherung
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information page: we are not the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, not an authority and not a paid advice service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in simple terms; the competent body is always authoritative. Mothers' Pension III comes into force on 1 January 2027; according to the DRV, payment will not begin until 2028. All information without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document administrative procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Born from 199236 monthsThree years per child
Born before 199230 monthsFrom 1 Jan 2027: also 36
CostsFree of chargeApplication and advice
Consideration period (Berücksichtigungszeit)Until the 10th birthdayIn addition to the raising period
Required documents

What you need

The child’s birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde)

The central piece of evidence. What is required is the birth certificate or a certified copy of the entry in the register of births. For children born abroad, a translation is also required; multilingual certificates are available for many countries, which saves having to translate them.

Identity card (Personalausweis) and pension insurance number (Versicherungsnummer)

To assign the periods to the correct insurance account. If you married and changed your name during the raising period, also enclose the marriage certificate so that the periods are assigned to the correct account.

Matching declaration from both parents

The raising period is only assigned to one parent. Without a declaration, it goes to whoever raised the child predominantly – in the case of joint raising, the mother in cases of doubt. With a joint declaration, you can instead assign the period to the father; it generally only has effect for the future.

Proof of the place where the child was raised

Only periods of raising within Germany are generally credited. For raising abroad, crediting is only considered under narrow conditions – for example in the case of a posting. Registration certificates prove habitual residence.

Evidence for adopted and foster children

Raising periods can also be recognised for adopted, step- and foster children. Enclose the adoption order or the documents relating to the foster relationship and the child's admission into the household.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Check the insurance history for gaps

    Check in your insurance history whether child-raising periods have been recorded for each child. Missing raising periods are one of the most common gaps of all – especially for women who were not in compulsorily insured employment during the raising years and therefore had no reason to contact the pension insurance.

  2. 2

    Gather the birth certificates

    Have the birth certificate ready for each child. If a certificate is missing, the registry office of the place of birth will issue a new one; this is subject to a fee, but straightforward. For children born abroad, check early on whether a translation is required.

  3. 3

    Apply for the determination of the raising periods

    There is a dedicated form for recognition: V0800, the "application for the determination of child-raising periods / consideration periods due to child-raising" (explanatory notes in V0810). If both parents raised the child jointly and the period is to be assigned to the father, V0820, the "declaration on the assignment", is also needed. Alternatively, submit the application online via the eServices. The general account clarification, by contrast, runs via form V0100.

  4. 4

    Clarify the assignment between the parents

    Decide which parent the raising period should be assigned to. Without a matching declaration, it goes to the parent who raised the child predominantly. Assignment to the father is only possible with a joint declaration and generally only has effect for the future – retroactively only within narrow limits.

  5. 5

    Check the notice of determination

    After the account clarification, you receive a notice of determination (Feststellungsbescheid) in which the recognised periods are determined. Check for each child whether the correct number of months is recorded – 36 for children born from 1992, currently 30 for those born before. You can lodge an objection against errors within one month.

  6. 6

    Wait for Mothers' Pension III – no application needed

    For children born before 1992, the raising period increases to 36 months on 1 January 2027. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung makes clear that calculation and payment for pensions already in payment take place largely automatically; a separate application is not required. A prerequisite, however, remains that the raising periods are recorded in the account at all.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Crediting and advice are free of chargeFees only for certificates
Application for creditingFree of charge
Account clarification (Kontenklärung)Free of charge
AdviceFree of charge
Birth certificate (registry office)Approx. €10–15
Value per raising yearAround 1 earnings point
Pension value per earnings point€42.52

Recognition of the raising periods costs nothing; fees only arise if you need a new birth certificate from the registry office – usually around €10 to €15 per copy under the local fee by-law. Economically, the effect is considerable: for each year of child raising, around one full earnings point is credited, because the raising is assessed at the level of average earnings. At a pension value of €42.52, one earnings point corresponds to a good €42 of monthly gross pension – three years of raising therefore bring in the region of €125 a month, for life.

Good to know

Important notes

Mothers' Pension III arrives on 1 January 2027. For children born before 1992, the child-raising period then rises from 30 to 36 months. Until then, the 30-month rule of § 249 SGB VI applies unchanged. Anyone who reads today that it is already 36 months is confusing the decided legal position with the one currently in force.

Payment only begins in 2028 – with a back payment. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung explicitly points out that payment of Mothers' Pension III will not begin until 2028 because of the very high technical effort involved in implementation. However, because the rule comes into force as early as 1 January 2027, those affected whose pension begins before January 2028 will receive a back payment.

No separate application needed for Mothers' Pension III. For people already receiving a pension before 1 January 2028, calculation and payment take place largely automatically, according to the DRV. For new applications, the entitlement is checked as part of the normal pension determination.

Raising period and consideration period are two different things. Alongside the 36 or 30 months of child-raising period, § 57 SGB VI also provides for the consideration period until the child's 10th birthday. It does not bring its own earnings points, but it helps with qualifying periods and protects entitlements – for example to a pension for reduced earning capacity.

Only one parent gets the period. The raising period is not split. Without a matching declaration, it goes to the parent who raised the child predominantly. Assignment to the other parent requires a joint declaration and generally only has effect for the future.

Multiple births and closely spaced births extend the period. If further children are raised while a raising period is still running, it is extended for the younger child by the months of simultaneous raising. For twins, this results in a total of six years instead of three.

A year of raising is worth about one earnings point. The raising is assessed at the level of the average earnings of all insured persons. Anyone who also worked during this time can collect points above the average – up to the contribution assessment ceiling.

Fathers, adoptive and foster parents can also receive periods. Child-raising periods are not limited to biological mothers. What matters is who actually raised the child, and that the raising took place within Germany.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Assuming the periods are recorded automatically. Child-raising periods are only in your account if they have been reported and proven once. Especially for women who were not employed during the raising years, they are often missing entirely – and with them up to three earnings points per child.

Putting off the clarification until the pension application. The later you leave it, the harder the proof becomes. Certificates get lost, documents from abroad are hard to obtain. Clarify the periods while the documents are still accessible.

Believing that 36 months already apply to children born before 1992. Until 31 December 2026, it is 30 months. The increase only comes into force on 1 January 2027, and payment only begins in 2028. Anyone calculating with 36 months today is calculating too high.

Wanting to submit an application for Mothers' Pension III. A separate application is not provided for; implementation takes place largely automatically. What makes sense instead is checking now whether the raising periods are recorded in your insurance account at all – without this basis, the automatic increase has no effect either.

Expecting the assignment to the father to apply retroactively. A matching declaration generally only has effect for the future. Anyone wanting to have the periods reassigned years later will, as a rule, be too late.

Overlooking the consideration period. The period up to the child's 10th birthday does not bring earnings points, but it can decide on qualifying periods and the preservation of entitlement to a pension for reduced earning capacity. It should also be recorded in the account.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How many months are credited per child?

For children born from 1 January 1992 onwards, it is 36 calendar months; the period begins after the end of the month of birth (§ 56 SGB VI). For children born before 1992, it is currently 30 calendar months under § 249 SGB VI. On 1 January 2027, this value also rises to 36 months.

What is Mothers' Pension III and from when does it apply?

Mothers' Pension III equalises the child-raising periods for children born before 1992: instead of 30, up to 36 months will in future be recognised. The rule comes into force on 1 January 2027. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung points out, however, that payment will not begin until 2028 because of the very high technical effort involved in implementation.

Will I get Mothers' Pension III retroactively?

Yes. Because the rules already come into force on 1 January 2027 but payment only begins in 2028, those whose pension begins before January 2028 will receive a back payment for the intervening period. For people already receiving a pension before 1 January 2028, calculation and payment take place largely automatically, according to the DRV.

Do I have to apply for Mothers' Pension III?

No. A separate application is not required – the pension insurance implements the increase of its own motion, and for new applications as part of the normal pension determination. It is important, however, that the child-raising periods are actually recorded in your insurance account. If they are missing there, the automatic increase does not take effect either.

How much pension does a year of raising bring?

Child-raising is assessed at the level of the average earnings of all insured persons, so that around one full earnings point is credited per year of raising. At a current pension value of €42.52, one earnings point corresponds to a good €42 of monthly gross pension. Three years of raising therefore bring in the region of around €125 a month – for life.

Who gets the raising period, the mother or the father?

The period is only assigned to one parent and is not split. Without a matching declaration, it goes to the parent who raised the child predominantly; in the case of joint raising, that is the mother in cases of doubt. With a joint declaration by both parents, the period can be assigned to the father – this declaration generally only has effect for the future.

What is the difference to the consideration period?

The child-raising period comprises 36 or 30 months and brings actual earnings points. The consideration period under § 57 SGB VI, by contrast, runs until the child's 10th birthday and does not bring its own earnings points. It does, however, help with meeting qualifying periods and can preserve the entitlement to a pension for reduced earning capacity.

Do raising periods count towards the basic pension (Grundrente)?

Yes. Child-raising periods count towards the basic pension periods under § 76g SGB VI. Since at least 33 years are required for the basic pension supplement, and whether this threshold is reached often comes down to just a few months, missing raising periods can cost the entire supplement.

Do raising periods also apply when raising takes place abroad?

Generally, only periods of raising within Germany are credited. Crediting for raising abroad is only considered under narrow conditions, for example if you or your spouse remained compulsorily insured in Germany during this time because of a posting abroad. Have such cases checked individually in an advice session.

Related official procedures

Account clarification (Kontenklärung)
Have raising periods recorded
Free of charge
Grundrente
Raising periods count towards your pension
Free of charge
Old-age pension
Pension on account of old age
Free of charge

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