Retirement Age in Germany: When People Retire and If Early Retirement Is Possible

Official Retirement Age in Germany

The official retirement age in Germany is gradually rising from 65 to 67 years old, depending on your year of birth. This is the age when you can retire without any reduction in your pension payments.

In the past, the standard retirement age was 65. However, because people are living longer and there is more pressure on the pension system, the government decided to increase the retirement age step by step. This change depends on your year of birth. The table below shows how to work out your retirement age based on when you were born.

Table: Increase of Retirement Age in Germany from 65 to 67 Years ¹

* Example: If someone was born in 1950, their normal retirement age is 65 years and 4 months (because 4 years have passed since 1947, and 1 month is added for each year).

** Example: If someone was born in 1960, their normal retirement age is 66 years and 4 months (because 2 years have passed since 1959, and 2 months are added for each year).

Early Retirement: Is It Possible to Retire Before the Official Age?

In Germany, you can retire before the official retirement age. However, in most cases this means your pension payments will be reduced for life.

Early retirement is possible if you meet certain conditions. Here are some important points:

• The minimum age for early retirement is usually 63.
• You need to have paid into the pension system for a minimum number of years (different rules apply for 35 or 45 years of contributions).
• If you retire before the standard age, your pension is usually reduced.

Your pension will be reduced by about 0.3% for each month you retire early. This means about 3.6% less for every year before the official retirement age. If you retire two years early, your pension will be about 7.2% lower — and this reduction is permanent. You can find information about the minimum pension and state support for pensioners at these links.

If you have a long insurance record, depending on your year of birth, early retirement may be possible. The exact details and your personal options can be checked at a pension office consultation centre.

So, retiring at 63 is not a right for everyone. It is only possible if you have paid into the pension system for many years and depending on your year of birth.

Special Cases and Benefits When Retiring

In some situations, you can retire under special rules. This applies to people with disabilities and certain professions.

• Pension due to disability (Erwerbsminderungsrente).
  If someone cannot work fully or partly because of health reasons, they can get a disability pension before reaching the normal retirement age. The amount depends on your contribution record and a medical assessment.
• People with officially recognised disabilities (Schwerbehinderung).
  If you have a disability degree of at least 50%, you may be able to retire earlier. The exact age depends on your year of birth. In some cases, you can retire early without reductions; in others, your pension may be reduced.
• Mine workers (Bergleute).
  Special rules apply to people working in mining. If they meet certain requirements, they can retire earlier.
• Women from older generations.
  Special rules used to apply to women born before certain years (older generations). The retirement age is now the same for men and women born more recently.

Your year of birth and how long you have paid into the pension system are important in all these cases. The exact conditions can be checked at the pension office, as the details may vary.