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Apply for an orphan's pension

Deutsche Rentenversicherung · Half and Full Orphan's Pension

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The orphan's pension is payable to children after the death of a parent, provided that parent has completed the general qualifying period of five years. It is an independent entitlement of the child – regardless of whether the surviving parent receives a survivors' pension – and it must be applied for separately.

Under § 67 SGB VI, the half orphan's pension is 10 per cent and the full orphan's pension is 20 per cent of the deceased person's pension (pension type factors 0.1 and 0.2). A half orphan is a child who still has one parent liable to provide maintenance; a full orphan is a child who has lost both parents.

Under § 48 SGB VI, the entitlement exists until the 18th birthday and is extended until the 27th birthday at the latest if the child is in school or vocational training, is performing a voluntary service, or is unable to support themselves because of a disability. Transitional periods of up to four calendar months between two stages of training are also covered.

Last updated26 August 2026
Legal basis§ 48 SGB VI · § 67
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de and the Deutsche Rentenversicherung
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information site: We are not the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, not an authority and not a paid advice service — we do not submit applications for you. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in simple terms; the competent body is always binding. The amount depends on the deceased person's earnings points. All information is provided 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.
Half orphan's pension10 %One parent deceased
Full orphan's pension20 %Both parents deceased
In principle until18 yearsWith training until 27
Application deadline12 monthsFor full retroactive effect
Required documents

What you need

Death certificate (Sterbeurkunde) of the parent

As the original or as a certified copy from the Standesamt (registry office) of the place of death. For a full orphan's pension, the death certificates of both parents are required. Order several copies, as they are requested in parallel by different bodies.

The child’s birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde)

To prove descent and age. For stepchildren, foster children or adopted children, additional documents showing the child-parent relationship are required – these children, too, can be entitled if they had been taken into the deceased person's household.

Training or school certificate

From the 18th birthday onwards, this is the decisive piece of proof. A current certificate from the school, university or training company is required. The training must predominantly occupy the person's working capacity; for school and vocational training, the benchmark is a workload of more than 20 hours per week.

Pension insurance number (Versicherungsnummer, also called Rentenversicherungsnummer or Sozialversicherungsnummer) of the deceased person

The calculation is based on this number. It appears on the Versicherungsnummernachweis (proof of your pension insurance number), on pension notices (Rentenbescheide) and on payslips. Without it, the insurance account cannot be matched.

IBAN of the child or of the legal representative

For children who are minors, the pension is paid to the legal representative. From the age of 18, the payment goes to the child themselves – remember to update the bank details in good time.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Check your entitlement

    Check whether the deceased person has completed the general qualifying period of five years and whether a half orphan's pension or full orphan's pension applies. Also clarify the age: up to 18, the entitlement exists without further requirements; after that, only in the case of training, voluntary service or disability.

  2. 2

    Obtain the documents

    Obtain the death certificate and the birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) from the Standesamt, as well as – if the child is already 18 – a current training or school certificate. Look up the deceased person's pension insurance number; their most recent pension notice considerably speeds up processing.

  3. 3

    Submit the application

    The application can be made online, in writing or in person at an advice centre, and it is free of charge. For children who are minors, it is submitted by the legal representative. It makes sense to submit the application together with the application for the survivors' pension – both entitlements exist independently of one another, but the documents largely overlap.

  4. 4

    Observing the Twelve-Month Deadline

    If the application is submitted within twelve calendar months of the month of death, the pension is paid retroactively from the date of death. After that, it only begins with the month of application. Because so much has to be dealt with at the same time during the year of bereavement, this deadline is particularly often overlooked.

  5. 5

    Submitting Proof After the 18th Birthday

    On the 18th birthday, the entitlement ends automatically if no training certificate is available. Submit the proof in good time beforehand so that payment is not interrupted. A new piece of proof is required at every change of training stage.

  6. 6

    Report changes

    Report any discontinuation or change of training, as well as the start of economic activity. Anyone who does not report training that has already ended continues to wrongly receive the pension and must repay it in full.

Fee information

Costs and payment

The application is free of chargeFees only for certificates
Pension applicationFree of charge
AdviceFree of charge
Death certificate (registry office)Approx. €10–15
Pension type factor, half orphan0,1
Pension type factor, full orphan0,2
Pension value per earnings point€42.52

The application and the advice are free of charge; fees only apply for civil status documents (Personenstandsurkunden) from the Standesamt, usually around €10 to €15 per copy, according to the relevant municipal fee by-law (Gebührensatzung). The amount of the orphan's pension results from the deceased person's earnings points, multiplied by the pension type factor (0.1 for half orphans, 0.2 for full orphans) and the current pension value (aktueller Rentenwert) of €42.52. Unlike with the survivors' pension for spouses, the orphan's own income has no longer been taken into account since 2015 – even a training salary does not reduce the orphan's pension.

Good to know

Important notes

Own entitlement, own application. The orphan's pension is an independent entitlement of the child and is not automatically granted together with the survivors' pension of the surviving parent. Anyone who only applies for the widow's or widower's pension leaves the orphan's pension unclaimed.

No income deduction for the orphan. The orphan's own income – such as a training allowance or secondary employment – has no longer been taken into account for the orphan's pension since 2015. This rule is often confused with the income offset that still applies to the widow's pension.

Until 27 only with proof. Beyond the 18th birthday, the pension is only continued if school or vocational training, a degree course, voluntary service or a disability is proven. Without timely proof, payment stops automatically on the 18th birthday.

Transitional periods are covered. Between two stages of training – for example between the Abitur and the start of a degree course – the entitlement continues for up to four calendar months. If the gap lasts longer, no pension is payable for the intervening period.

Voluntary services also count. A voluntary service within the meaning of § 32 Abs. 4 EStG – such as the Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr (voluntary social year) or the Bundesfreiwilligendienst (federal voluntary service) – extends the entitlement in the same way as training does.

Disability without an age limit. If the child is unable to support themselves because of a physical, mental or psychological disability, and the disability occurred before the 27th birthday, the orphan's pension can also be paid beyond the age of 27.

Stepchildren and foster children can also be entitled. Not only biological and adopted children are entitled; if certain requirements are met, stepchildren and foster children who had been taken into the deceased person's household can be entitled too.

Payment to the child themselves from the age of 18. Until the age of majority, the pension goes to the legal representative, after that to the child. Update the bank details in good time so that the payment does not go astray.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Not applying for the orphan's pension at all. It is not automatically granted together with the survivors' pension. Anyone who only thinks of their own pension misses out on the children's entitlement – often for years.

Submitting the training certificate too late. Payment ends automatically on the 18th birthday. Anyone who only submits the proof afterwards has a gap in payment that is not always made up in full.

Missing the twelve-month deadline. After the expiry of twelve calendar months from the month of death, the pension only begins with the month of application. The earlier months are lost.

Assuming that secondary employment harms the pension. The orphan's own income has no longer been taken into account since 2015. Anyone who, out of concern, forgoes a training allowance or secondary employment loses money for no reason at all.

Not reporting the discontinuation of training. If the training ends prematurely, the entitlement ceases. If this is not reported, overpayments arise, and they are reclaimed in full.

Overrunning transitional periods. Between two stages of training, only up to four calendar months are covered. Anyone who delays the start of their degree course for longer loses the pension for the entire intervening period.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How much is the orphan's pension?

The half orphan's pension is 10 per cent and the full orphan's pension is 20 per cent of the deceased person's pension; this results from the pension type factors 0.1 and 0.2 in § 67 SGB VI. The specific amount depends on the deceased person's earnings points, multiplied by the current pension value of €42.52 (since 1 July 2026). For full orphans, a supplement may also apply.

Until when is the orphan's pension paid?

In principle until the 18th birthday. It is extended until the 27th birthday at the latest if the child is in school or vocational training, is performing a voluntary service, or is unable to support themselves because of a physical, mental or psychological disability (§ 48 SGB VI). Transitional periods of up to four calendar months between two stages of training are also covered.

Is secondary employment or a training allowance taken into account?

No. The orphan's own income has no longer been taken into account for the orphan's pension since 2015. Secondary employment, an internship or a training allowance therefore do not reduce the pension. This distinguishes the orphan's pension from the widow's and widower's pension, for which the person's own income is still taken into account under § 97 SGB VI.

Does the orphan's pension have to be applied for separately?

Yes. It is an independent entitlement of the child, which is not automatically granted together with the survivors' pension of the surviving parent. In practice, it makes sense to submit both applications together, because the required documents largely overlap.

What is the difference between a half orphan and a full orphan?

A half orphan is a child who has lost one parent and still has one parent liable to provide maintenance; the pension is 10 per cent. A full orphan is a child who has lost both parents; the pension is 20 per cent. For full orphans, the entitlements from the insurance of both parents are taken into account.

What happens if training is discontinued?

The entitlement ends as soon as the training is no longer continued. Report the discontinuation to the pension insurance without delay. If payment continues even though no entitlement exists any longer, the overpaid amount must be repaid in full – this not infrequently adds up over several months.

Does the entitlement also apply to stepchildren and foster children?

Yes, if certain requirements are met. In addition to biological and adopted children, stepchildren and foster children can also be entitled if they had been taken into the deceased person's household. In these cases, enclose the documents showing the child-parent relationship or the foster relationship.

How long do I have to submit the application?

If the application is submitted within twelve calendar months of the month of death, the pension is paid retroactively from the date of death. If the application is submitted later, the pension only begins with the month of application, and the earlier months are lost for good.

Related official procedures

Survivors’ pension
Widow's and Widower's Pension
25% or 55%
Child-raising periods
Pension for Child-Raising Years
Free of charge
Old-age pension
Pension on account of old age
Free of charge

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