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Procedure descriptions

Pension insurance - apply for pension information and account clarification

Whether you are employed or self-employed in the meantime, unemployed or ill - in the course of your life, various periods relevant to pension law come together. German Pension Insurance stores these in your insurance account. You can view the data stored in your account at any time. Your pension insurance provider will send you an insurance history for this purpose.

A complete and up-to-date insurance account is the basis for meaningful pension information.

If the data stored is incomplete or incorrect, you must have the account corrected. You can do this by submitting an account clarification application. The amount of your future pension can only be calculated correctly if your insurance account is complete and correct.

Responsible authority

Your pension insurance provider

Details

Prerequisite

There must be pensionable periods (e.g. contribution periods due to employment) in the insurance account.

Procedure

You can request to view your insurance history informally. The responsible pension insurance institution will then send you the insurance history.

If you notice gaps in your insurance history, you can submit an electronic application for account clarification. You can find the application in the online services of Deutsche Rentenversicherung in the Insurance section.

You can also obtain this application independently either from the nearest information and advice centre of the German Pension Insurance Baden-Württemberg or from your city or municipal administration.

An insurance history will be sent to you with your first pension informationfrom your 27th birthday . You only need to have paid contributions for five years.

When you are 43 years old, your pension insurance provider will automatically send you another insurance history to check the periods you have saved. You will then receive an insurance history every six years.

Insured persons are contacted by post at regular intervals and asked to check the details in their insurance account. Insured persons receive an access code with the letter. This enables them to reply to the letter via the Internet. The access code is only valid once for this reply and expires after 6 months at the latest.

You can use the German Pension Insurance service to request information and, if necessary, the application for account clarification online. To do this, you must enter your insurance number. The documents will then be sent to you by post.

To access your data online, you will need a signature card or an ID card with electronic proof of identity (eID).

Everything at a glance: My customer portal

In addition to the regional centres and information and advice centres of Deutsche Rentenversicherung Baden-Württemberg, voluntary insurance advisors as well as your city or municipal administration can also help you fill out the forms.

Keep always have your insurance number to hand whenever you contact your pension insurance provider. This applies to every contact, whether in writing, by telephone or online. This will enable the person in charge to process your insurance matter more quickly.

If you have already submitted a pension application and have noticed that there are still gaps in your insurance account, you can submit the missing documents to your pension insurance provider or your municipal or local authority. You can also enclose copies of the documents with the written application. Original documents or confirmed copies are only required if they have been expressly requested.

Confirmation for pension purposes is free of charge from your municipal or local authority.

Deadlines

none

Required documents

The following documents may be required to clarify or complete your insurance account:

  • Proof of contributions paid to the statutory pension insurance scheme (e.g. offsetting certificates)
  • Birth certificate or identity card/passport
  • Birth certificates of children (also for fathers)
  • Marriage certificates in the event of a name change
  • Proof of:
    • Training periods (school, technical college, apprenticeship, studies)
    • Periods of unemployment or periods spent looking for training
    • Periods of illness
    • Employment abroad

Costs

none

Processing time

The processing time for an account clarification procedure can take several weeks.

Miscellaneous

Are you finding it difficult to obtain precise data or evidence, or are you unsure whether the documents you have are sufficient? Then seek advice from your pension insurance provider or your municipal or local authority.

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg, 21.07.2025

Contact

Bürger- und Standesamt (Bürgeramt)
Grabenstraße 15
89522 Heidenheim an der Brenz
Fax (0 73 21) 3 23-33 32