Administrative services A-Z

Forms: yes

Online procedure possible: yes

Written form required: yes

Personal appearance required: no

• Application for orphan's pension at the German Pension Insurance for download
• Online application for orphan's pension without registration
• Online application for orphan's pension with registration
• Open cached online orphan's pension application

In the case of the orphan's pension, a distinction is made between the half-orphan's pension and the full orphan's pension. You will receive a half-orphan's pension if there is still one dependent parent and a full orphan's pension if both dependent parents have died.

The half-orphan's pension amounts to 10 percent, the orphan's pension 20 percent of the insured person's pension to which the deceased parent would have been entitled or which he or she has already received.

In addition to both full and half-orphan's pensions, you receive a supplement based on the pension periods completed by the deceased parent or parents. If an orphan is entitled to several half-orphan's pensions, only the highest is paid.

If the parent or parents died before reaching the age of a certain year, the orphan's pension is reduced. For deaths before 2012, this age limit was 63 years. From 2012, the age limit will be gradually raised from 63 to 65 years until 31.12.2023.

Orphans' pensions are paid regularly until the orphan's 18th birthday. Under certain conditions, you can receive the orphan's pension until you reach the age of 27.

Since 1 July 2015, no income has been taken into account for orphans' pensions.

Note: If you adopt an orphan who already receives an orphan's pension, she will continue to receive it. It continues to be paid unchanged even if the orphan marries.

Surviving children receive an orphan's pension from the pension insurance institution if the deceased parent or parents have fulfilled the general qualifying period of 5 years. These include:

• contribution periods (compulsory and voluntary),
• replacement times,
• child-rearing periods,
• periods of pension equalisation and pension splitting between spouses,
• periods of marginal employment with contributions paid by the employer, and
• Supplements to earnings points for earnings from marginal employment exempt from compulsory insurance.

The following are entitled to an orphan's pension:

• biological or adopted children of the deceased,
• stepchildren and foster children who were taken into the household of the deceased and
• grandchildren and siblings who were included in the household of the deceased or who were mainly maintained by him/her,

If you:

• are not yet 18 years old or
• are not yet 27 years old and:
  • are in education or vocational training of more than 20 hours per week,
  • do voluntary service, or
  • cannot take care of themselves due to physical, mental or emotional disability.
• An orphan's pension may also be paid for transitional periods of no more than four calendar months, for example between two training courses.
• Beyond the age of 27, an extended orphan's pension entitlement may arise, for example through the previous completion of voluntary military service during the probationary period.

• valid identity card or passport
• Birth or parentage certificate of the child
• Death certificate of the deceased parent
• when applying for an orphan's pension for an adult orphan:
  • proof of education or vocational training, or
  • Proof of voluntary service.
• in the case of application by other persons:
  • Power of attorney or
  • Order of the Court of First Instance.
     

none

You can apply for the orphan's pension in writing, in person or online:

Written application:

• Download the application and investment form for the orphan's pension on the website of the German Pension Insurance. Fill it out completely and compile the required documents.
• You can submit your completed and signed application with the required documents either:
  • send it by post to your pension insurance institution or
  • at one of the local counselling centres.

Application via online procedure:

• Go to the online portal of the German Pension Insurance. Log in there with your signature card, your identity card (if electronic proof of identity is activated) or your electronic residence title.
• Fill out the form and upload the necessary documents. You then submit your pension application online.

Personal application in the consultation:

• Compile the necessary documents for the application and make an appointment at an information and advice centre of the German Pension Insurance.
• During the consultation, your pension application is usually recorded electronically and forwarded online.

Note: Your pension application can also be submitted for you by a person you trust. Please submit a corresponding power of attorney to your pension insurance provider. As long as the power of attorney is valid, your pension insurance institution will only contact your authorised representative.
 

• Retroactive payment of the orphan's pension: up to 12 calendar months before the month of claim

The institution of the German pension insurance responsible for the deceased parent.

• Addresses and service numbers of the competent institutions of the German Pension Insurance

You can find the pension insurance institution responsible for you via the information and advice centre finder of the German Pension Insurance.

Phone: 0800 1000-4800 (Toll-Free)
Service hours:
Monday to Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

• Information and advice centre finder of the German Pension Insurance
• Information on the service telephone for deaf and hearing-impaired people on the website of the German Pension Insurance

• § 48 Sixth Book of the Social Code (SGB VI)

If there is an accident insurance event (e.g. an accident at work), an orphan's pension can also be paid from the accident insurance. There are different prerequisites and calculation bases here.

• Information on the orphan's pension on the website of the German Pension Insurance
• Information on technical terms from pensions and rehabilitation on the website of the German Pension Insurance

Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)