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For expats in Germany

German pension calculator: see what your mix could pay you

Freelancer or employee, find out how state, company and private pensions could add up for you, including the subsidies and tax breaks most expats miss. It takes about three minutes.

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No sign-up
Nothing you enter is stored
Built with a licensed insurance broker

1
Layer 1State pensionPaid through her payslip€0 a month
1
Layer 1Rürup pensionTax-deductible€0 a month
3
Layer 3Private pensionFlexible and portable€0 a month

Example

Sara, 33

AI engineer, employed

€72,000 salaryAdds €700 a month

Estimated pension from 67€0a month before tax

1State pension€0

1Rürup pension€0

2Company pension€0

2Altersvorsorgedepot€0

3Private pension€0

€Tax and social security saving now€0

Pensions a month at 67, before tax. Layers 1, 2 and 3. An example, not a recommendation.

2
Layer 2Company pensionEmployer adds €0 a month€0 a month
2
Layer 2AltersvorsorgedepotState subsidy €540 a year€0 a month
€
Help she getsTax and social security saving€0 a month

An example from the calculator, not a recommendation. Pensions in euros at retirement, before tax.

We compare insurance-based pension products across providers, including

How this page works

1Play with the numbers
Enter your situation and see how different pensions could add up. Nothing is saved.
2Understand your options
See how the three layers of German pensions work, what travels with you, and how tax applies.
3Get personal advice
To build your actual pension, book a consultation with Ina. Recommendations are always made person by person.

Pension calculator for Germany

Build your German pension mix

Start with your situation, then tell us what you could add each month on top of any state pension contributions. We’ll suggest a starting mix you can adjust layer by layer.

A guide, not advice. The calculator shows what kind of mix and payout is possible using general 2026 rules. It doesn’t know your full situation, so it can’t tell you what you should do. That happens in a personal consultation.

1. Your situation

I work as

I’m in the KSK (artists and writers)

Gross salary per year

€

Age now

Retire at

Years already paid into the German state pension

Children

Health insurance in retirement

Product costs, including broker commission

I plan to retire outside the EU/EEA (for example the UK, Switzerland or the US) I’m a US citizen or green card holder

2. What you could add each month

Your state pension contributions already come out of your payslip. Tell us what you could add on top each month, after tax savings, and we’ll suggest a mix: free money from your employer and the state first, then a balance of tax-deductible and flexible pensions.

Extra I can put aside each month

3. Your mix and estimated pension

Layer 1: basic provision

Lifelong pensions that can’t be cashed in, with the biggest tax deductions.

Layer 2: subsidised pensions

Employer top-ups and state subsidies, in exchange for tighter rules.

Layer 3: private pension

No tax break when you pay in, but low tax on a lifelong pension and the most flexibility.

Your monthly pension from 67, before tax

€0

Pension before deductions
Income tax (estimate)
Health and care insurance (estimate)
Left to spend

Your extra contributions€0a month, after tax savings

Help you get€0a month from tax, subsidies and employers

Monthly pension for every €100 a month you pay

Before tax in retirement, in today’s money. Higher means better value.

Like what you see?

This is a sketch, not a plan. Ina can turn it into real numbers from real insurance products, based on your situation.

Book a pension consultation

An indicative model, not advice or an offer. Pension amounts are shown in euros at the time you retire, assuming 2% inflation a year, contributions that rise with inflation, and returns after the product costs you choose (which include typical broker commission). Contribution amounts are today’s. The state pension assumes your earnings keep pace with prices. Funded products are converted to a lifelong pension at about €30 a month per €10,000 at 67. State pension: 2026 values (pension value €42.52, average earnings €51,944, contribution ceiling €101,400). Tax uses the 2026 income tax rates, single filing, without solidarity surcharge or church tax. Health contributions in retirement are estimates. Actual figures come from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung and your product providers.

Three layers, one pension

How the German pension system works

Pensions in Germany are built in three layers. Most people get the first layer through work. The other two are where you can add to it, each with its own mix of tax breaks, subsidies and flexibility.

Layer 1

Basic provision

The state pension from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, plus the Rürup pension (Basisrente). Both pay for life and can’t be cashed in, and contributions get the biggest tax deductions.

Employees pay into the state pension automatically. Most freelancers don’t, unless they’re in the KSK or choose to.

Layer 2

Company and subsidised pensions

The company pension (betriebliche Altersvorsorge), paid from your gross salary with an employer top-up, and the new Altersvorsorgedepot, with state subsidies from 2027.

Rules are tighter, but this is where the free money is.

Layer 3

Private pensions

Private pension insurance (private Rentenversicherung). No tax break when you pay in, but only a small part of a lifelong pension is taxed, and you have the most flexibility.

The layer that travels best if you leave Germany.

Private pension in Germany

Private pension insurance in Germany

Private pension insurance (private Rentenversicherung, often just called Privatrente) is a contract with an insurer: you pay in monthly or as a lump sum, the money is invested, and you get a lifelong pension or a payout when you retire.

You pay in from income you’ve already been taxed on. In return, a lifelong private pension is taxed lightly: only part of each payment counts as income (17% if you start at 67). You can usually change contributions, take a lump sum instead, and keep it if you move abroad.

Is private pension insurance worth it? It depends on what you already have. It works best as one part of a mix, after you’ve used the employer top-ups and state subsidies you’re entitled to. Costs vary a lot between contracts, so comparing products matters as much as choosing the layer.

Rürup pension (Basisrente)

A private pension in layer 1. Contributions are fully tax-deductible up to €30,826 a year, including your state pension contributions. Paid only as a lifelong pension, from 62. Often a good fit for freelancers and higher earners.

Company pension (betriebliche Altersvorsorge)

Paid from your gross salary through your employer, who adds at least 15% on the part that’s free of social security. Worth it for most employees, though payouts attract health insurance contributions.

The 2027 pension reform

Germany’s new private pension, the Altersvorsorgedepot, replaces Riester from 2027, with state subsidies for employees and, for the first time, freelancers. Read the guide

Pension in Germany for foreigners

What if you don’t retire in Germany?

Where you live when your pension starts matters more than where you saved. The calculator assumes you retire in Germany or elsewhere in the EU, unless you tell it otherwise.

For the German state pension, you need at least five years of contributions to qualify, and years worked in other EU countries or countries with a social security agreement can often count towards them. If you leave Germany before then, you may be able to claim back your own contributions instead, depending on your nationality.

Retiring in the EU or EEA

All layers pay out as normal, and you keep your subsidies and tax relief. Which country taxes your pension depends on the tax treaty between Germany and your new home.

Retiring outside the EU or EEA

The UK, Switzerland and the US count as outside. Most pensions can still be paid to you abroad, but the Altersvorsorgedepot’s subsidies and tax relief are reclaimed, and Germany may keep taxing some payouts. Depending on your nationality and where you live, the state pension can also be reduced.

How well each layer travels
Pension	Paid abroad?	Worth knowing
State pension	Yes	Rules depend on your nationality and destination
Rürup pension	Yes	German tax may still apply
Company pension	Yes	German tax may still apply
Altersvorsorgedepot	Yes	Subsidies reclaimed outside the EU/EEA
Private pension insurance	Yes	The most portable layer

Pension age in Germany

What is the retirement age in Germany?

For anyone born in 1964 or later, the standard retirement age in Germany is 67. For earlier years it rises step by step. You can retire from 63 with at least 35 years of contributions, but your state pension is permanently reduced by 0.3% for every month you retire early.

Standard retirement age by year of birth
Born in	Standard retirement age
1959	66 and 2 months
1960	66 and 4 months
1961	66 and 6 months
1962	66 and 8 months
1963	66 and 10 months
1964 or later	67

Tax

How tax works on German pensions

Most German pensions follow one simple idea: pay less tax now, pay tax later. Contributions to layers 1 and 2 are tax-deductible or come out of your salary before tax. In return, the pension is taxed as income when you receive it, usually at a lower rate than while you’re working.

Private pension insurance works the other way round. You pay in from income you’ve already been taxed on, but if you take it as a lifelong pension, only a small part is taxed: 17% of each payment if you start at 67.

Because the layers are taxed differently, a mix spreads your tax across working life and retirement. That’s why the calculator shows the help you get now and an estimate of tax and health insurance later.

This is general information about how the rules work, not tax advice. Your family, other income and where you’ll live all change the picture. We don’t give tax advice ourselves, but we can refer you to a tax adviser.

A word of warning for US citizens

The US taxes its citizens and green card holders wherever they live. Many German pension products, especially fund-based ones, can be treated as PFICs (passive foreign investment companies), which come with punitive US tax rules and extra reporting. Speak to a US tax adviser before choosing any product. In the calculator, tick “I’m a US citizen” to see a more cautious mix.

Ina PilkingtonLicensed insurance broker

Pension consultation

Turn your mix into a real plan

The calculator shows what’s possible. A consultation shows what’s right for you, because every recommendation depends on your situation.

Your work, family and where you might retire
How your state pension fits with company and private options
Real insurance-based products compared across providers
How each product works if you move countries
Setting up the pensions you choose

Book a pension consultation

We don’t give tax advice, but we can refer you to a tax adviser when you need one.

FAQ

Pension in Germany: frequently asked questions

What is the retirement age in Germany?

For anyone born in 1964 or later, the standard retirement age is 67. It’s slightly lower for people born before 1964. You can retire from 63 if you have at least 35 years of pension contributions, with a permanent deduction of 0.3% for every month you retire early.

What is the Rentenversicherung? (Deutsche Rentenversicherung in English)

Rentenversicherung means pension insurance. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV) is the German state pension insurance, which runs the state pension. Employees pay into it automatically through their payslip, with the employer paying half. It pays a lifelong pension that rises with wages, and it also covers disability and survivors’ pensions.

Do I get a German pension after 5 years of work?

You need at least five years of contributions to qualify for a German state pension at the standard retirement age. Contribution periods in other EU countries, and in countries with a social security agreement with Germany, can often count towards those five years.

What happens to my pension if I leave Germany?

Your entitlement doesn’t disappear. You can usually claim it from abroad when you reach retirement age. Depending on your nationality, you may instead be able to apply for a refund of your own contributions after leaving. Which option applies depends on your nationality and on social security agreements.

Is there a minimum pension in Germany?

There’s no fixed minimum pension. People with at least 33 years of contributions on low earnings can get a top-up called the Grundrente, and people whose income in old age is too low can apply for basic support (Grundsicherung im Alter).

Where do I find my German pension insurance number?

Your pension insurance number is the same as your social security number (Sozialversicherungsnummer). You get it when you first start work in Germany, and it’s on your payslips and the letter from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung.

Is private pension insurance in Germany worth it?

It depends on your situation. It’s flexible, it travels well and it’s taxed lightly as a lifelong pension, but there’s no tax break when you pay in and costs vary a lot between products. That’s why it makes sense to look at it alongside the other layers rather than on its own.

Is this calculator financial advice?

No. It’s an indicative tool that shows what kind of mix and payout is possible under general rules. Actual recommendations are made in a personal consultation, and actual figures come from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung and your product providers.

Ready to build your pension for real?

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This page and calculator give general information and illustrative estimates only. They are not investment, insurance or tax advice and not an offer. Expats In Wonderland GmbH is a licensed insurance broker under § 34d GewO (see our Impressum for registration details). We focus on insurance-based pension products.