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Pay voluntary contributions

German Pension Insurance · Voluntary insurance

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With voluntary contributions you can top up your pension account in a targeted way – for example to meet a qualifying period, close gaps or increase your later pension. Under § 7 SGB VI this option is open to everyone who is not subject to compulsory insurance once they have turned 16 – expressly including Germans habitually resident abroad.

You decide the amount yourself, within a fixed range. For 2026 the minimum contribution is €112.16 and the maximum contribution is €1,571.70 per month – the latter corresponds to the contribution rate of 18.6 per cent on the contribution assessment ceiling of €8,450. You can change, suspend and resume the amount at any time.

What matters is the deadline: under § 197 SGB VI voluntary contributions are only valid if they are paid by 31 March of the following year. Anyone wanting to pay in for 2026 therefore has until 31 March 2027. After that, the year is finally closed – a back payment is not possible outside narrow special provisions.

Last updated26 August 2026
Legal basis§ 7 SGB VI · § 197 · § 161
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de and the figures of the German Pension Insurance
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. Whether voluntary contributions are worthwhile in your specific case depends on your insurance history. 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.
Minimum contribution 2026€112.16Monthly
Maximum contribution 2026€1,571.7018.6% of €8,450
Payment deadline31 MarchOf the respective following year
From age16 yearsAlso from abroad
Required documents

What you need

Pension insurance number and identity document

To match your account. If you have never paid contributions before and therefore have no pension insurance number, one will be issued as part of the application. The Versicherungsnummernachweis will then be sent to you by the pension insurance's data office.

Application for voluntary insurance

Before the first payment, the pension insurance checks whether you are actually entitled at all – anyone subject to compulsory insurance generally may not pay voluntarily. If you pay in without this clarification, the contribution can be rejected and transferred back.

Current insurance history (Versicherungsverlauf)

The basis of any sensible decision. Only the insurance history shows how many months you still need for a qualifying period – five years for the standard old-age pension, 35 for the pension from 63, 45 for the deduction-free pension. Without this figure, you are paying in blind.

Evidence of your insurance status

For self-employed people, the business registration or tax assessment; for people abroad, evidence of nationality and residence. This proves that no compulsory insurance applies and that voluntary insurance is permitted.

Bank details for the direct debit mandate

You can either transfer payments individually or issue a SEPA direct debit mandate. The mandate is the most effective way to avoid missing the March deadline – a year once missed cannot be made up.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Clarify your eligibility

    First check whether you are allowed to pay voluntarily. This is permitted for all persons not subject to compulsory insurance from age 16, including Germans habitually resident abroad. Voluntary insurance is excluded once you draw a full old-age pension or once the month has passed in which you reached the standard retirement age.

  2. 2

    Define your goal

    Clarify what you are paying for. If you are only a few months short of the general qualifying period of five years, the benefit is enormous: without it, there is no pension entitlement at all; with it, a lifelong pension. If, on the other hand, the aim is simply a higher pension, calculate the return specifically – the minimum contribution brings significantly fewer earnings points than the maximum contribution.

  3. 3

    Use the free advice service

    Have an information and advice office calculate, free of charge, what effect a particular payment would have. This is especially important when deciding whether it would be better instead to make a compensation payment for pension deductions under § 187a SGB VI – both are payments, but with different effects.

  4. 4

    Submit the application

    Apply for voluntary insurance in writing, online via the eServices, or in person. The pension insurance will confirm your eligibility and state the payment arrangements. Only pay in after that.

  5. 5

    Choose a contribution amount and pay

    Set an amount between €112.16 and €1,571.70 a month. You are not bound by this: the amount can be changed at any time, payments can be suspended and resumed later. A direct debit mandate prevents the deadline from being missed.

  6. 6

    Observe the March deadline

    Contributions for a calendar year must be paid by 31 March of the following year, otherwise they are invalid. For 2026 the deadline ends on 31 March 2027. Anyone who misses it cannot top up the year retrospectively – this is the most common and most costly oversight with voluntary insurance.

Fee information

Costs and payment

You decide the amount yourselfWithin the statutory range
Minimum contribution per month€112.16
Maximum contribution per month€1,571.70
Contribution rate18,6 %
Contribution assessment ceiling€8,450/month
Deadline for the contribution year31 March of the following year
Application and adviceFree of charge

The range follows from the contribution rate of 18.6 per cent: the maximum contribution of €1,571.70 corresponds exactly to 18.6 per cent of the contribution assessment ceiling of €8,450 a month. You can choose the amount freely within this range, change it monthly, suspend it and resume it; this creates no commitment for the future. Voluntary contributions are tax-deductible as retirement provision expenses. They are economically most valuable when they are the only thing that makes a qualifying period achievable in the first place: if, for example, only a few months are missing from the general qualifying period of five years, a comparatively small payment decides whether a pension entitlement arises at all.

Good to know

Important notes

The March deadline is a cut-off period. Under § 197 SGB VI, voluntary contributions are only valid if they are paid by 31 March of the following year. For 2026, therefore, by 31 March 2027. After that, the year is finally closed.

Also possible from abroad. § 7 SGB VI expressly allows voluntary insurance for Germans habitually resident outside Germany too. For emigrants, this is the only way to continue a German pension record that has already begun.

Not alongside compulsory insurance. Anyone subject to compulsory insurance – for example as an employee – may in principle not pay voluntary contributions. Clarify your status beforehand, otherwise the payment will be rejected.

Ends with the standard retirement age. Voluntary insurance is excluded once you draw a full old-age pension or once the month has passed in which you reached the standard retirement age.

The biggest lever is the qualifying periods. If months are missing from the general qualifying period of five years, the payment decides whether a pension entitlement exists at all, not just its amount. It can be similarly effective for reaching the 35 years for the pension from 63.

Not to be confused with the deduction compensation. Payments under § 187a SGB VI specifically offset the pension reduction from an early pension start; voluntary contributions, by contrast, generally increase earnings points. Which route is cheaper depends on the individual case – have both calculated against each other.

Tax-deductible. Voluntary contributions count as retirement provision expenses and can be claimed as special expenses in your income tax return. This noticeably improves the return, but is often overlooked.

Flexible rather than binding. You take on no obligation for the future. The contribution amount and payment rhythm can be adjusted at any time, payments can be suspended and resumed later.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Missing the 31 March deadline. The most expensive mistake. A year not topped up in time cannot be made up. A direct debit mandate or a fixed calendar reminder reliably prevents this.

Paying in without looking at your insurance history. Whether the payment is worthwhile depends on how many months are missing for which qualifying period. Anyone who pays in without this figure is not optimising anything, just paying in.

Paying although compulsory insurance applies. Voluntary contributions are in principle not permitted alongside compulsory insurance. The payment is rejected, and valuable time is lost – possibly along with the deadline.

Assuming the minimum contribution is enough. It is enough to meet a qualifying period, but not for a noticeably higher pension. Anyone who does not clarify their goal may pay too little for years for the intended purpose.

Forgetting the tax deductibility. Voluntary contributions are retirement provision expenses. Anyone who does not declare them in their tax return gives away a significant part of the benefit.

Confusing voluntary contributions with the deduction compensation. Both are payments, but they work differently. Anyone who actually wants to offset deductions but pays voluntary contributions instead will not achieve their goal.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Who is allowed to pay voluntary contributions?

Under § 7 SGB VI, everyone aged 16 or over who is not subject to compulsory insurance – for example self-employed people without compulsory insurance, homemakers, or people without economic activity. Germans habitually resident abroad are expressly included too. Voluntary insurance is excluded once a full old-age pension is drawn or once the month has passed in which the standard retirement age was reached.

How much are the contributions in 2026?

You choose the amount yourself within a statutory range. In 2026 the minimum contribution is €112.16 and the maximum contribution is €1,571.70 a month. The maximum contribution corresponds to the contribution rate of 18.6 per cent on the contribution assessment ceiling of €8,450 a month. You can change the amount at any time, suspend payments and resume them later.

By when must I pay?

By 31 March of the year following the contribution year (§ 197 (2) SGB VI). Contributions for 2026 must therefore be paid by 31 March 2027 at the latest. This deadline is a cut-off period: if it is missed, the year is finally closed and cannot be topped up retrospectively outside narrow special provisions.

What are voluntary contributions most worthwhile for?

They are most effective when they are the only thing that makes a qualifying period achievable in the first place. If, for example, only a few months are missing from the general qualifying period of five years, a comparatively small payment decides whether a pension entitlement arises at all. The same applies to the 35 years required for the old-age pension for long-term insured persons from 63. If, on the other hand, it is only about a somewhat higher pension, you should have the return calculated specifically.

Can I also pay in from abroad?

Yes. § 7 SGB VI expressly allows voluntary insurance for Germans habitually resident outside Germany too. For emigrants, this is often the only way to continue a pension record started in Germany and complete qualifying periods.

Are the contributions tax-deductible?

Yes. Voluntary contributions to the statutory pension insurance count as retirement provision expenses and can be claimed as special expenses in your income tax return. This noticeably improves the effective return and is often overlooked.

What is the difference compared with the compensation payment for deductions?

Payments under § 187a SGB VI specifically offset the pension reduction from an early pension start; they are possible from age 50 and are specifically quantified on application (Form V0210). Voluntary contributions under § 7 SGB VI, by contrast, generally increase earnings points and can complete qualifying periods. Have both options compared in the free advice service to see which route is cheaper in your particular case.

Can I pay voluntary contributions alongside a job?

Generally not. Anyone subject to compulsory insurance as an employee may in principle not pay voluntary contributions. Clarify your insurance status with the pension insurance before the first payment – otherwise the contribution will be rejected and transferred back, which in the worst case costs you the March deadline.

Related official procedures

Account clarification (Kontenklärung)
First know your gaps
Free of charge
Old-age pension
Qualifying periods and deductions
Free of charge
Rentenauskunft
Have the effect calculated
Free of charge

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