Leistungen A-Z

Forms: yes
Online procedure possible: yes
Written form required: yes
Personal appearance required: no

• Online-Dienste mit Registrierung der Deutschen Rentenversicherung
• Online-Dienste ohne Registrierung der Deutschen Rentenversicherung

When clarifying the pension insurance account, your contribution periods are assigned table values that correspond to what comparable insured persons in Germany have earned on average.

This means that not only your contribution and employment periods but also, for example, credit periods completed in your country of origin can be credited to your pension insurance account.

For contribution periods from 1950 onwards, the table values distinguish between qualification groups and economic sectors in order to determine your income as realistically as possible. The values are then generally reduced to 60 percent of the full value. This is primarily to adjust for insured persons who live in structurally weak areas and have earned significantly less.

If you moved in after May 7, 1996, benefits cannot exceed a certain maximum value:

The maximum value allowed is 25 earning points per beneficiary. This currently corresponds to a monthly gross old-age pension of EUR 826.25 in the old Länder and EUR 797.25 in the new Länder.

If you are married or living in a consensual union, you will jointly receive pensions totalling a maximum of 40 earning points for your periods under the Foreign Pensions Act. This currently corresponds to a gross old-age pension of EUR 1,322.00 per month in the old federal states and EUR 1275.60 in the new federal states. If you move, the amount of your monthly pension may change under certain circumstances.

• You belong to the group of displaced persons or are a late repatriate.

For the recognition of contribution and credit periods, all documents showing the type and duration of employment or its corresponding interruption are helpful. These are primarily the original insurance documents, for example:

• Work books,
• insurance books,
• identification books,
• employer's certificates and
• Credentials.

Additionally for the recognition of:

• Child-raising periods and child-counting periods: the birth certificates of the children,
• pension benefit periods: the pension certificate or a pension certificate,
• periods of military or alternative service: military service certificate.

As proof of the status as a late repatriate serves:

• the Spätaussiedlerbescheinigung or
• the expellees' identity card.

Note: On the basis of the documents submitted, the pension insurance institution decides in each individual case whether a contribution period has been made credible or even proven. For a proof, there must be no doubt as to the correctness of the alleged fact. If the contribution periods have only been made plausible, only five sixths of the values determined in accordance with the previous explanations can be taken into account.

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You can request clarification of your retirement account online without registration, online with registration, or in writing.

Request clarification of your pension account online without registration:

• Go to the German Pension Insurance website and click on "Online Services."
• Select "Online services without registration" from the drop-down menu and click on "Submit applications".
• On the initial page of the application wizard under "My request concerns..." select "the insurance account".
• On the next page, make the selection "My insurance account has not been previously clarified (initial account clarification)."
• You will be assisted electronically in completing the form and explanations and notes will be displayed.
• Depending on the answers you give, you will be referred to additional questions to be answered or forms to be completed. If necessary, attach supporting documents in accordance with the instructions.
• Send these documents to your pension insurance provider. It is not currently possible to upload documents or send them electronically, so you will have to send them by post.
• At the end of the account clarification process, you will receive an assessment notice from your pension insurance institution. This will list all the periods recorded for you.

Request clarification of your pension account online and with registration:

• Go to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung website and click on "Online services".
• Select "Online services with registration" from the drop-down menu. Now either register:
  • with your identity card (eID) or residence permit (eAT) with activated online ID function or
  • your electronic signature card.
• Once you have registered, click on "Submit applications".
• On the initial page of the application wizard under "My request concerns..." select "the insurance account".
• On the next page, select "My insurance account has not yet been clarified (initial account clarification)."
• You will be assisted electronically in completing the application for account clarification and explanations and notes will be displayed.
• Depending on the answers you give, you will be referred to additional questions to be answered or forms to be completed. If necessary, attach supporting documents in accordance with the instructions.
• Send these documents to your pension insurance provider. It is not currently possible to upload documents or send them electronically, so you will have to send them by post.
• At the end of the account clarification process, you will receive an assessment notice from your pension insurance institution. This will list all the periods recorded for you.

Request clarification of your pension account in writing:

• In view of the complicated legal matter, you should submit the application for account clarification directly to one of the information and advice centres of the German Pension Insurance.
• Compile the necessary documents for the application and make an appointment.
• During the consultation, your application for account clarification will usually be recorded electronically and forwarded online.
• After your application has been examined, you will receive a separate assessment notice on the recognition of the insurance periods.

Please note: The assessment notice determines recognised periods according to the current legal situation. If the legislator changes the legal basis by the time pension payments actually start, this may mean that notices have to be adjusted to the new legal basis.

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Note: In order to avoid later delays, for example when applying for a pension, you should submit a corresponding application already after receiving the late repatriate certificate. This also makes it easier for you to obtain evidence.

• § 149 Sechstes Buch Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB VI)

• Informationen zu Rentenangelegenheiten in der Broschüre „Aussiedler und ihre Rente“ auf der Internetseite der Deutschen Rentenversicherung
• Informationen zur Spätaussiedlerbescheinigung auf der Internetseite des Bundesverwaltungsamtes

Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs