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Apply for an old-age pension

German Pension Insurance · Old-age pension

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The old-age pension is the main benefit of the statutory pension insurance. It is not paid automatically, but only on application – anyone who does not apply receives no money, even if the requirements are met. Which old-age pension applies to you depends on your year of birth and your years of insurance.

The standard retirement age under § 35 SGB VI is 67; five years of insurance (general qualifying period) are enough to establish entitlement. With 35 years of insurance, the pension is already possible from 63, but then with a permanent deduction (§ 36 SGB VI). With 45 years of insurance, the pension is available from 65 with no deduction at all (§ 38 SGB VI).

The deduction is 0.3 per cent for every month you bring the pension forward (access factor −0.003 per month under § 77 SGB VI) – and it remains for life, even after you reach the standard retirement age. Conversely, the pension increases by 0.5 per cent per month if you work beyond the standard retirement age. This page explains which pension type applies to you, how to submit the application, which documents you need and which mistakes cost you real money.

Last updated26 August 2026
Legal basis§ 35 SGB VI · § 36 · § 38 · § 77
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de and the Deutsche Rentenversicherung
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information site: We are not the German Pension Insurance, not an authority and not a paid advisory 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 always has the final say. The individual amount of your pension depends on your insurance history and can only be calculated in each specific case. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
CostsFree of chargeApplication and advice free of charge
Processing timeApprox. 1–3 monthsSubmit the application 3 months beforehand
Standard retirement age67 yearsFrom 63 or 65 with long insurance records
Pension value€42.52Per earnings point, from 1 July 2026
Required documents

What you need

Identity card or passport

For identity verification. If you submit the application at an advice office, bring the original; for the online application your details are sufficient, because you authenticate yourself there anyway. The name must match the one on your insurance account – after a marriage or change of name, also bring the relevant certificate.

Pension insurance number

Your pension insurance number appears on your Versicherungsnummernachweis (proof of your pension insurance number), formerly the Sozialversicherungsausweis, on every Renteninformation and on your payslip. Without it, your insurance account cannot be clearly matched, which delays the application from the outset.

IBAN of the pension account

The pension is paid exclusively into an account; there is no cash payment. The account does not have to be in your name alone, but you must be authorised to use it. With an account abroad, payment can take longer and incur fees.

A clarified insurance account

The most important point: gaps in your insurance history must be clarified before the pension application, otherwise earnings points are missing and the pension ends up permanently too low. School and university periods, child-raising, care, unemployment and periods abroad are particularly often incompletely recorded.

Evidence of special periods

Depending on your life course: birth certificates for your children for child-raising periods, certificates for periods of care, school and university certificates, evidence of military or civilian service, and documents for employment abroad. These periods increase the pension or help you reach the 35 or 45 years.

Details of your last employment

Name and address of your last employer and the date your employment ended. If you received unemployment benefit, sickness benefit (Krankengeld) or transitional allowance immediately before the pension, keep the notices ready – these periods are not always creditable towards the 45-year qualifying period.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Clarify the pension type and the earliest possible start

    First check which old-age pension applies to you at all: the standard old-age pension from 67 with a five-year qualifying period, the old-age pension for long-term insured persons from 63 with 35 years (with a deduction), or the old-age pension for particularly long-term insured persons from 65 with 45 years (with no deduction). Your Renteninformation states the age limit that applies to you. At this point, also work out how large the deduction would be for an earlier start – 0.3 per cent per month adds up to 14.4 per cent over four years, and permanently so.

  2. 2

    Have your insurance account clarified

    If you have not already done so, apply for a Kontenklärung. The pension insurance will then check your entire insurance history and request any missing evidence. This step often takes several months and should therefore be completed at least a year before your planned pension start. Anyone who skips it risks periods going missing that can later only be proven with difficulty, if at all.

  3. 3

    Attend the advice appointment

    Advice from the German Pension Insurance is free and available at every information and advice office, by phone on the nationwide service number, or from an honorary insured persons' adviser (Versichertenältester). Have the specific pension amounts calculated for different pension start dates: the difference between a start in December and in January can amount to several thousand euros over the entire pension term.

  4. 4

    Submit the application in time

    Submit the application around three months before your desired pension start. This can be done online via the eServices of the German Pension Insurance, in writing using the official forms, or in person at an advice office, where the application is completed together with staff. The pension start is always the first of a month; the pension begins at the earliest in the month following the month in which all requirements are met.

  5. 5

    Submit missing documents and answer queries

    The pension insurance will contact you if evidence is missing. Respond promptly – every query extends the processing time. Only submit certified copies or originals when they are explicitly requested, and note down what you sent and when.

  6. 6

    Check your pension notice and observe the deadline

    The pension notice (Rentenbescheid) lists all the periods and earnings points taken into account. Check it line by line against your insurance history. You can lodge an objection against an incorrect notice within one month of notification. This deadline is short and is often missed because the notice is filed away without comment.

Fee information

Costs and payment

The application and advice are free of chargeThe pension insurance does not charge any fees
Pension applicationFree of charge
Advice and RentenauskunftFree of charge
Account clarification (Kontenklärung)Free of charge
Objecting to the decisionFree of charge
Deduction per month brought forward0,3 %
Increase per month deferred0,5 %

Costs do not arise from the procedure itself, but from the amount of the pension. A pension start brought forward by four years permanently costs 14.4 per cent of the gross pension – for a pension of €1,500 that is €216 a month, for life. Conversely, the deduction can be offset in whole or in part by voluntary compensation payments under § 187a SGB VI; the pension insurance calculates the amount required for this on application (Form V0210). Costs can also arise if you engage a pension adviser or a lawyer – advice from the German Pension Insurance itself always remains free of charge.

Good to know

Important notes

Unlimited additional earnings since 2023. The earnings limits for old-age pensions were completely abolished on 1 January 2023. Alongside an early old-age pension, you may earn an unlimited amount without the pension being reduced, and you no longer have to report employment to the pension insurance either. This rule expressly does not apply to pensions for reduced earning capacity – there the limits continue to apply.

Pension value €42.52 since 1 July 2026. On 1 July 2026 pensions rose by 4.24 per cent; since then the current pension value has stood at €42.52 per earnings point. It has applied uniformly in East and West since the 2023 pension adjustment. Your gross pension is calculated, simplified, as earnings points × access factor × pension value.

35 and 45 years count differently. For the 35-year qualifying period, almost all pension-relevant periods count, including credited periods such as school or unemployment. Much stricter rules apply for the 45 years: periods of receiving unemployment benefit are generally counted, except in the last two years before the pension starts – unless the unemployment was due to an employer's insolvency or complete closure of the business.

The pension always starts on the first of a month. The pension is only paid for full months. Anyone who reaches the age limit on the 15th of a month receives the pension from the first of the following month. A birthday shifted by just a few days can therefore cost or gain a whole month's pension.

Deductions can be offset. From age 50, you can have the pension insurance calculate the sum needed to offset the pension reduction from an early pension start. This compensation payment can be made in instalments and is tax-deductible as a retirement provision expense – even if you later decide on a later pension start after all.

Pension and tax. The old-age pension is subject to tax; how high the taxable share is depends on the year your pension started. Whether tax is actually due depends on your total income. An obligation to file a tax return only arises once your total income exceeds the basic personal allowance (Grundfreibetrag).

Health and long-term care insurance continue. Contributions to health and long-term care insurance are deducted from the pension. Anyone who meets the prior-insurance period qualifies for the cheaper health insurance for pensioners (KVdR); anyone who does not meet it pays considerably more as a voluntary member. Check this point before applying for your pension.

The application can also be backdated. If the pension application is submitted within three calendar months of the end of the month in which all requirements are met, it is treated as submitted at the earliest possible date. After that, the pension only starts from the month of application – months lost are lost for good.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Not applying at all. The old-age pension is never paid automatically. Anyone who reaches the standard retirement age and does not apply receives no money – backdating is only possible within narrow limits. This is the most expensive and also the most common mistake.

Only clarifying the insurance account at the time of the pension application. Anyone who only notices gaps when applying for the pension has to obtain evidence for periods decades in the past. Employers no longer exist, schools have destroyed records. Missing periods mean permanently less pension.

Underestimating the deductions. 0.3 per cent a month sounds harmless, but it is permanent: four years earlier means 14.4 per cent less – for life, and the deduction does not disappear even after you reach the standard retirement age. Anyone who only sees this in the notice has already committed themselves.

Miscounting unemployment benefit shortly before the 45-year pension. Many people plan for the deduction-free pension after 45 years of insurance and receive unemployment benefit in the last two years beforehand. These periods generally do not count towards the 45 years – the entitlement is then lost, often by just a few months.

Letting the objection period expire. An objection against the pension notice can only be lodged within one month of notification. After that the notice becomes final; later corrections are only possible to a limited extent, even if the error is obvious.

Submitting the application too late. Anyone who only submits the application months after reaching the age limit loses the months in between once the three-month period has expired. Three months before the desired start is the right time.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

When can I retire at the earliest?

That depends on your years of insurance. With 35 years of insurance, the old-age pension for long-term insured persons is possible from 63, albeit with a permanent deduction of 0.3 per cent for every month brought forward (§ 36 SGB VI). With 45 years of insurance, the old-age pension for particularly long-term insured persons is available from 65 with no deduction (§ 38 SGB VI). Without these long insurance periods, the standard retirement age of 67 applies (§ 35 SGB VI).

How large is the deduction if I retire earlier?

Under § 77 SGB VI, the access factor falls by 0.003 for every calendar month you draw the pension before the age limit that applies to you – equivalent to 0.3 per cent per month or 3.6 per cent per year. Over four years that is 14.4 per cent. The deduction applies for life and does not disappear even once you reach the standard retirement age. Conversely, the access factor increases by 0.005 for every month you defer the pension beyond the standard retirement age.

Am I allowed to work alongside my old-age pension?

Yes, and without limit. The earnings limits for old-age pensions were completely abolished on 1 January 2023 – even with an early old-age pension, earned income no longer leads to a reduction. You no longer have to report employment or self-employed activity to the pension insurance either. Please note: this does not apply to pensions for reduced earning capacity, where the earnings limits continue to apply.

How much pension do I get per earnings point?

Since 1 July 2026 the current pension value has been €42.52 per earnings point; before that it was €40.79. Pensions rose by 4.24 per cent on 1 July 2026. The pension value has applied uniformly in East and West since the 2023 pension adjustment. Your gross pension is calculated, simplified, as earnings points × access factor × pension type factor × current pension value; for the old-age pension the pension type factor is 1.0.

When should I submit the pension application?

Around three months before the desired pension start. That leaves time for queries and for submitting missing documents, and the first payment arrives on time. If the application is submitted within three calendar months of the end of the month in which all requirements are met, it is treated as submitted at the earliest possible date. Anyone who applies later only receives the pension from the month of application.

What does the pension application cost?

Nothing. The pension application, the advice, the Rentenauskunft and the Kontenklärung are free of charge from the German Pension Insurance, as is an objection against the pension notice. Costs only arise if you voluntarily engage a pension adviser or a lawyer.

Can I offset deductions?

Yes. From age 50 you can have it calculated under § 187a SGB VI what amount would be needed to offset the pension reduction from an early pension start. The payment can also be made in instalments and is tax-deductible as a retirement provision expense. If you later decide on a later pension start after all, the amount paid in increases your pension instead.

What do I do if the pension notice is wrong?

Lodge a written objection within one month of notification of the notice – an informal letter is sufficient at first, you can submit the reasons later. The objection is free of charge. After the deadline expires the notice becomes final and can only be corrected under narrow conditions. Above all, check the insurance history attached to the notice.

Does unemployment benefit count towards the 45-year pension?

Generally yes, with one important exception: periods of receiving unemployment benefit in the last two years before the pension starts do not count towards the 45-year qualifying period. This does not apply if the unemployment was caused by an employer's insolvency or complete closure of the business. Periods of receiving unemployment benefit II or citizen's benefit (Bürgergeld) generally do not count towards the 45 years at all.

Do I have to pay tax on my pension?

The old-age pension is in principle subject to tax. How high the taxable share is depends on the year your pension started; the tax-free portion is fixed once and for all. Whether tax is actually due depends on your total income – many pensioners pay no income tax because the basic personal allowance is not exceeded. The tax office (Finanzamt) can advise on this.

Related official procedures

Account clarification (Kontenklärung)
Close gaps before applying
Free of charge
Rentenauskunft
Every three years from 55
Free of charge
Grundrente
Top-up for long insurance records
Free of charge

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