Retirement Age in Germany: 67, Early Retirement, Deductions

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Germany’s regular retirement age is reaching its final step: everyone born in 1964 or later retires at 67. Retiring earlier is possible, but each month costs part of the pension, so many people bridge the gap with savings of their own. The private pension guide compares the options, and the broker comparison shows where to start an ETF savings plan for that purpose.

Retirement age by year of birth

The regular old-age pension needs five years of insurance. Severely disabled people, with a disability degree of at least 50 and 35 years of insurance, can retire without deduction at 65 if born in 1964 or later, or from 62 with a deduction of up to 10.8%.

Retiring early

With 35 years of insurance you can retire from 63. All pension-relevant periods count toward the 35 years: compulsory and voluntary contributions, school and university periods and years spent raising children. For every month before your regular retirement age the pension is reduced by 0.3%. Retiring at 63 instead of 67 therefore means 48 months and the maximum deduction shown in the table.

You can offset the deduction, fully or partly, with a special payment into the pension insurance from age 50. Ask the Deutsche Rentenversicherung for the special pension statement that shows the amount. If you then do not retire early after all, the payment raises your pension instead, it is not paid back.

The pension for the especially long-term insured needs 45 years and comes without deduction, at 65 for everyone born in 1964 or later. It cannot be drawn any earlier, not even with a deduction. Compulsory contributions from work, self-employment, care, unemployment or illness count toward the 45 years, as do child-raising periods. Unemployment benefit in the last two years before retirement counts only after an insolvency or the closure of the employer’s business. Voluntary contributions count only if you also have at least 18 years of compulsory contributions.

Working longer

If you draw your pension later than the regular age, it rises by 0.5% for every month you wait. You can also combine pension and work: since 2023 there is no limit on additional earnings, even with an early old-age pension, and you can take a partial pension of at least 10% of the full amount. From 2026 the Aktivrente makes wages of up to €2,000 a month tax-free for employees who have reached the regular retirement age and keep working in a job subject to social insurance.

If you have worked in other countries

Years in the EU and in countries with a social security agreement help you reach the 5, 35 or 45 years. Each country still applies its own retirement age, so you may receive one pension at 60 and another at 67. Ask each country in time for the earliest date and the deadline for your claim. The countries and rules are on social security agreements.

Bottom line

Find your birth year in the table and check your yearly statement for your insurance years. If you want to stop before the regular age, work out the deduction early and decide whether a special payment or your own savings should cover it.

Part of the German pension system. Related: statutory pension · pension taxes · history of the German pension.

Frequently Asked Questions