Germany’s Early-Retirement Rules in 2025: Who Qualifies and What Counts

Overview

• The regular retirement age reaches 67 for people born in 1964 or later, with earlier cohorts phased up from 65 to 67 by birth year.
• The no‑deduction path for at least 45 contribution years now starts as high as age 65 for those born in 1964 or later, while the 35‑year route allows earlier retirement with a permanent 0.3% monthly cut.
• Qualifying periods include insured work, certain contribution‑paying Minijobs, child‑rearing, care, military or civilian service and specific social‑benefit credits, whereas ALG I in the final 24 months before a planned start is excluded except after employer insolvency or full business closure.
• Planning steps remain key: rely on the Rentenauskunft from age 55, file the pension application at least three months before the intended start and note that post‑2023 there is no earnings cap for working alongside a pension.
• From 1 July 2025 a pension point is worth €40.79, making a 45‑point ‘standard pension’ €1,835.55 before deductions, yet average old‑age pensions at end‑2023 were €1,348 for men and €908 for women.