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Applying for the survivors' pension

Deutsche Rentenversicherung · Widow's and widower's pension

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The survivors' pension protects spouses and registered civil partners after the death of the insured person. It is paid only on application and distinguishes two forms: the small and the large widow's or widower's pension.

The small widow's pension amounts to 25% of the deceased person's pension and is paid under § 46 SGB VI for a maximum of 24 calendar months. The large widow's pension amounts to 55% and is paid for an unlimited period – it requires that you are raising a child under 18, have completed your 47th year of life, or yourself have reduced earning capacity.

In the first three calendar months after the month of death – the death quarter (Sterbevierteljahr) – the pension is paid at the full rate of the deceased person's pension (pension type factor of 1.0 under § 67 SGB VI), and this is without any income offsetting. The marriage must generally have lasted at least one year.

Last updated26 August 2026
Legal basis§ 46 SGB VI · § 67 · § 97
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. Transitional arrangements under § 242a SGB VI apply to deaths before 2029. 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.
Small widow's pension25 %Maximum 24 calendar months
Large widow's pension55 %No time limit, from age 47
Death quarter (Sterbevierteljahr)100 %First 3 months, no offsetting
Application deadline12 monthsNo full retroactive effect afterwards
Required documents

What you need

Death certificate (Sterbeurkunde)

The death certificate from the registry office (Standesamt), in the original or as a certified copy. Order several copies from the registry office at once – you will also need them for insurers, banks and the estate, and every reorder costs time and fees again.

Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate

To prove the marriage or registered civil partnership and its duration. The duration of the marriage is legally decisive: if the marriage lasted under one year, there is generally no entitlement, unless special circumstances indicate that it was not a pension-motivated marriage (Versorgungsehe), i.e. one entered into mainly to secure a survivors' pension.

Identity card and both pension insurance numbers

Your own identity document as well as the pension insurance numbers of both you and the deceased person. Without the deceased person's pension insurance number, their pension entitlement – from which your survivors' pension is derived – cannot be determined.

Children’s birth certificates (Geburtsurkunde)

Required if you are raising a child under 18 – in that case you are entitled to the large widow's pension regardless of age. Children also increase the allowance used for income offsetting by 5.6 times the current pension value per child with an entitlement to an orphan's pension.

Proof of income

Payslips, pension notices or tax assessment notices. Your own income is offset against the survivors' pension – but only after the death quarter, and only at 40% of the amount exceeding the allowance.

IBAN and the deceased person's pension notice

Your bank details for payment, as well as – if the deceased person was already receiving a pension – their most recent pension notice. It speeds up the calculation considerably, because the earnings points have already been determined in it.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Clarify entitlement and type of pension

    Check whether you are entitled to the large or only the small widow's pension. The large pension requires that you are raising a child under 18, have completed your 47th year of life, or have reduced earning capacity. Also check the duration of the marriage: under one year, there is generally no entitlement, unless special circumstances indicate that it was not a pension-motivated marriage (Versorgungsehe) – for example a sudden accidental death.

  2. 2

    Obtain the death certificate and documents

    Apply at the registry office of the place of death for several copies of the death certificate. At the same time, gather the marriage certificate, identity document, both pension insurance numbers and proof of income. If the deceased person was already receiving a pension, find their most recent pension notice.

  3. 3

    Apply for an advance if it is urgent

    If the deceased person was already receiving a pension, you can have the death quarter paid out as an advance. This works especially quickly through the Renten Service of Deutsche Post. This bridges the time until the final calculation, without having to wait for the complete notice.

  4. 4

    Submit the application within twelve months

    Submit the application online, in writing or in person at an advice centre. Pay attention to the deadline: if the application is submitted within twelve calendar months after the month of death, the pension is paid retroactively from the date of death. After that, it only starts with the month of application – lost months are lost for good.

  5. 5

    Report income

    Your own income is offset after the death quarter. Report changes to your income promptly so that no overpayments arise that would later have to be reclaimed. The pension insurance regularly reviews the income offsetting.

  6. 6

    Check the decision

    Check whether the correct type of pension, the death quarter, the child supplements to the allowance, and the income offsetting have been correctly taken into account. You can lodge an objection against errors within one month of notification.

Fee information

Costs and payment

The application is free of chargeFees only arise at the registry office
Pension applicationFree of charge
AdviceFree of charge
Death certificate (registry office)Approx. €10–15
Allowance basic amount€1,122.53
Allowance per child+ €238.11
Offset above the allowance40 %

The pension application itself is free of charge; fees only arise for civil status documents at the registry office, the amount of which is set by the local fee by-law (Gebührensatzung) and is usually around €10 to €15 per copy. Economically more significant is the income offsetting under § 97 SGB VI: the allowance amounts to 26.4 times the current pension value, plus 5.6 times per child with an entitlement to an orphan's pension. With the pension value of €42.52 that has applied since 1 July 2026, this comes to €1,122.53 a month, or €238.11 per child. Only 40% of the net income above that is offset. Many overviews online still state €1,076.86 – that is the value that applied up to 30 June 2026.

Good to know

Important notes

The death quarter is not reduced. In the first three calendar months after the month of death, you receive the pension at the full rate of the deceased person's pension, and this is without any income offsetting whatsoever. Only after that does the pension type factor of 0.55 or 0.25 apply, along with the offsetting of your own income.

47 years, not 45. Under the current § 46 Abs. 2 SGB VI, the age limit for the large widow's pension is the completed 47th year of life. Many guides still state 45 years – that was the former limit, which has been raised gradually since 2012. § 242a SGB VI contains transitional arrangements for deaths before 2029.

The one-year rule has exceptions. If the marriage lasted under one year, a so-called pension-motivated marriage (Versorgungsehe) is presumed and the entitlement lapses. This presumption can be rebutted: in the case of a sudden accidental death or an illness that was not known at the time of marriage, the entitlement still exists.

Twelve months to apply. If the application is submitted within twelve calendar months after the month of death, the pension runs retroactively from the date of death. After that, it only starts with the month of application. This deadline is often overlooked because other matters take priority during the first year of mourning.

Children increase the allowance. For each child with an entitlement to an orphan's pension, the allowance rises by 5.6 times the current pension value, currently €238.11 a month. With two children, the allowance is thus around €476 higher – which often decides whether any income is offset at all.

Remarriage ends the entitlement. With a new marriage or the establishment of a new civil partnership, the survivors' pension lapses. A pension settlement (Rentenabfindung) is then paid on application. If the new marriage does not continue, the earlier survivors' pension may revive under certain circumstances.

Divorced spouses can also have entitlements. For marriages divorced before 1 July 1977, a divorced widow's pension may be considered under narrow conditions. Separately from this, the pension equalisation from the divorce affects your own pension.

Apply for the orphan's pension separately. Children of the deceased person have their own independent entitlement to an orphan's pension. This entitlement exists independently of your survivors' pension and must be applied for separately.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Letting the twelve-month deadline lapse. Anyone who submits the application later than twelve calendar months after the month of death only receives the pension from the month of application. The months before that are lost for good – this often happens during the year of mourning.

Confusing the large with the small widow's pension. Anyone who meets the requirements for the large pension but is only granted the small one permanently loses 30 percentage points, and the payment ends after 24 months. Check in the notice which type of pension was used as the basis.

Relying on the outdated age of 45. The age limit for the large widow's pension is now a completed 47th year of life. Anyone who relies on older guides is counting on an entitlement that no longer exists in that form.

Not reporting changes in income. If your income rises, the offsetting changes. Anyone who does not report this initially receives too much and must later repay the overpayment in full – often accumulated over several years.

Ordering only one death certificate. Death certificates are required simultaneously by the pension insurance, insurers, banks and the probate court. A single copy leads to delays at all of these bodies.

Forgetting the children's orphan's pension. Children have their own entitlement, which must be applied for separately. Anyone who only applies for their own survivors' pension leaves money unclaimed that the children are entitled to.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How much is the widow's/widower's pension?

The small widow's or widower's pension amounts to 25% of the deceased person's pension, the large pension to 55% – this follows from the pension type factors of 0.25 and 0.55 in § 67 SGB VI. In the first three calendar months after the month of death, the so-called death quarter, the pension is however paid at the full rate (pension type factor 1.0), with no offsetting of your own income.

When do I get the large instead of the small widow's pension?

You receive the large widow's or widower's pension under § 46 Abs. 2 SGB VI if you are raising your own child or a child of the deceased person under 18, if you have completed your 47th year of life, or if you yourself have reduced earning capacity. If none of these conditions apply, the small widow's pension is paid – for a maximum of 24 calendar months.

Is it true that the age limit is 45?

No, that is out of date. The current § 46 Abs. 2 Nr. 2 SGB VI requires a completed 47th year of life. The former limit of 45 years was raised in stages from 2012. Many guide websites still state 45 years. § 242a SGB VI contains transitional arrangements for deaths before 2029, so a lower limit may apply in individual cases.

How long do I have to submit the application?

Submit the application within twelve calendar months after the month of death, and the pension is paid retroactively from the date of death. For a later application, the pension only starts with the month of application; the months in between are lost. If the deceased person was already receiving a pension, you can have the death quarter paid out as an advance through the Renten Service of Deutsche Post.

Is my own income offset?

Yes, but only after the death quarter and only in part. Under § 97 SGB VI, an allowance of 26.4 times the current pension value remains free of offsetting – with the pension value of €42.52 that has applied since 1 July 2026, that is €1,122.53 a month. For each child with an entitlement to an orphan's pension, the allowance rises by 5.6 times, i.e. by €238.11. Of the income subject to offsetting above that, 40% is offset.

Do I get the pension even after a short marriage?

Generally not: if the marriage lasted less than one year, § 46 Abs. 2a SGB VI presumes a pension-motivated marriage (Versorgungsehe), i.e. one entered into mainly to secure a survivors' pension, and the entitlement lapses. This presumption can, however, be rebutted if special circumstances speak against it – for example a sudden accidental death or an illness that was not known at the time of marriage.

What happens if I remarry?

With remarriage or the establishment of a new registered civil partnership, the entitlement to the survivors' pension ends. A pension settlement is then paid on application instead. If the new marriage is later dissolved, the earlier survivors' pension may revive under certain conditions.

Are the children also entitled?

Yes, children of the deceased person have their own independent entitlement to an orphan's pension under § 48 SGB VI. The half-orphan's pension amounts to 10%, the full orphan's pension to 20% of the deceased person's pension. The entitlement exists until the 18th birthday, or up to the 27th birthday at the latest in the case of school or vocational training. It must be applied for separately.

Does the rule also apply to registered civil partners?

Yes. Registered civil partners are fully equated with spouses in survivors' pension law. The same requirements, the same pension type factors and the same minimum duration of the partnership of one year apply.

Related official procedures

Orphan's pension
Children's own entitlement
10% or 20%
Old-age pension
Apply for your own pension
Free of charge
Equalisation of pension rights (Versorgungsausgleich)
Pension splitting after divorce
Free of charge

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