Old-age pension

All employees in Germany accrue an old-age pension. So you do not accrue entitlements if you are self-employed in Germany. You only accrue old-age pension rights for yourself. If your partner does not work in Germany, he or she does not accrue German old-age pension rights. However, if your partner lives in the Netherlands, he or she will usually accrue Dutch old-age pension rights (AOW). Are you employed part-time in Germany and earn less than EUR 450 per month? Then you are “marginally employed†and only accrue a small old-age pension.

The amount of your old-age pension later depends, among other things, on how high your income was and how long you worked in Germany. The longer you worked in Germany and the more you earned, the higher your German old-age pension will be. Would you like information about the amount of your German pension entitlement in the meantime? Ask your German pension insurance. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung [German pension insurance] (DRV) will also pay out your old-age pension later.

Your pension will be paid between your 65th and 67th birthday, depending on your date of birth. The old-age pension is paid from the first day of the month following the month in which you reach retirement age. Only those who have a birthday on the first day of the month will receive their pension from the first day of the month in which they reach retirement age. Would you like to receive your old-age pension earlier? In some cases, the pension can be paid from the age of 60. However, you will then receive a smaller old-age pension. You can get more information from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung [German Pension Insurance].

Where you apply depends on where you live when your pension starts. If you live in the Netherlands, you should apply for your old-age pension at the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB). Are you living in Germany at the time? Go to www.deutscherentenversicherung.de to find out where you can apply. It is best to apply six months before your AOW pension or German pension starts. The SVB and the German pension insurance will then have enough time to determine your pension entitlement.

If you stop working in Germany, you will not accrue any further old-age pension rights in Germany. If you live or work in the Netherlands, you will usually (re)accrue AOW pension rights in the Netherlands.

If you move to another country, your accrued old-age pension rights will not change. As long as you work in Germany, you will continue to accrue an old-age pension.

If you want to retire earlier, you may be able to get an early German old-age pension. For further information, please contact the Deutsche Rentenversicherung [German Pension Insurance].

Your income in old age

You may only receive a German old-age pension from the age of 67. However, you will often also receive other pension benefits. What other benefits can you get?

• A Dutch old-age benefit (AOW).
• A supplementary occupational pension from the Netherlands or Germany (collective insurance). You accrue a company pension through your employer. Your employer can give you more information about this.
• Supplementary private pension. You have to take out an insurance policy yourself (old-age pension, life annuity).

Retirement age

The following table shows the entry dates for the various pensions up to and including 2031, as determined in 2021.