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Germany Altersvorsorgedepot (Riester Replacement) Calculator (2027)
Calculate your state subsidies (Grundzulage & Kinderzulage) and projected ETF balance under Germany's 2027 Altersvorsorgedepot.
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The 9/10 calculation checks whether your GKV years in the second half of working life, plus three years per child, reach the KVdR pre-insurance threshold. Enter approximate dates to plan the next document check. Your health fund decides legal status using exact insurance periods; the result does not price a private policy or guarantee a cheaper contribution.
What KVdR status changes
KVdR is a compulsory GKV membership status for eligible statutory-pension applicants, not a separate insurer. Contributions can apply to statutory pension, occupational pensions and certain work income. DRV pays half of the health contribution on statutory pension; rent and capital income are generally outside compulsory KVdR health assessment. An occupational or private pension needs classification before you assume it is exempt. Long-term-care contributions are separate, so a 9/10 pass is not a full premium quote.
How the nine-tenths period is measured
The usual framework runs from first gainful employment to the statutory pension application, not automatically from age 15. At least nine tenths of the second half must be documented GKV membership or qualifying family insurance. The widget uses ages and years to estimate that ratio; the health fund uses exact start, end and insurance dates and checks other statutory conditions.
The child credit (Kinderpauschale) advantage
To help parents qualify for the KVdR, a special amendment introduced in 2017 allows a credit of 3 years (36 months) of GKV membership for every child. This credit is granted to both parents, regardless of who raised the child, and applies regardless of whether the child was actually insured in the public GKV or private PKV system. This credit is added directly to your GKV years when evaluating the 9/10 rule.
The freelancer trap: voluntary GKV vs PKV in retirement
If the KVdR test fails, ask the health fund which voluntary GKV or PKV route is legally available. Voluntary GKV can assess pension, rent and capital income, subject to a 2026 minimum assessment base of €1,318.33 and a ceiling of €5,812.50 a month. Statutory-pension income generally uses the 14.6% health base plus the fund's additional rate, while some other income uses a reduced 14.0% base. DRV can subsidize the statutory-pension health portion; it does not pay your long-term-care contribution. Use the comparison page for a limited rent-and-capital example, then get the insurer's full assessment.
What the numbers actually mean for you
Why this one rule decides your health costs for 30 years
KVdR is compulsory GKV membership for a pension applicant who meets the applicable conditions, including the nine-tenths pre-insurance period. Health contributions can apply to statutory pension, occupational pension and certain work income. DRV pays half of the health rate on the statutory pension. Rent and capital income are generally outside compulsory KVdR assessment, but a private pension needs its legal classification checked before being labelled exempt.
Voluntary GKV may be an option when KVdR eligibility fails. Its health contribution base can include rent and capital income, with different statutory base rates for different income types, a minimum assessment amount and a monthly ceiling. The eligibility tool calculates none of those premiums. Use the linked comparison's limited health-only scenario with your rent and capital income, then obtain a health-fund statement that also includes occupational pensions, work income and long-term-care contributions.
Only the second half of your career counts
The test measures the interval from first employment to pension application, then examines its second half. At least 90% of that half must consist of qualifying GKV membership or family coverage once the child credits are applied. Insurance before the midpoint does not itself fill a gap later. A person with mixed GKV, PKV and foreign periods needs exact monthly dates, because a rounded-years result near the line can flip after the health fund checks records.
A late move to PKV can reduce the share of GKV coverage in the second half, but the effect of an additional working year depends on both the shifting midpoint and the insurance status in that year. SGB V section 6(3a) restricts some compulsory GKV re-entry after 55 when a five-year prior-insurance test and other conditions hold; it is not an absolute ban for every person. Ask the health fund about lawful routes before relying on this age-only illustration.
The child credits rescue more cases than any other rule
Since August 2017, each child adds a flat 3 years of deemed GKV membership to BOTH parents' second-half tally, biological, adopted, step, or foster, and regardless of whether the child was privately insured. Two children turn a 14-year record into a 20-year one, which converts a clean fail into a comfortable pass in the example above.
The credits exist because the old test structurally punished parents (career gaps, family insurance switches), and they are claimed, not automatic: the Krankenkasse checks eligibility when the pension application lands, and you provide the children's details with it. Freelancers with mixed PKV/GKV histories and children should never assume failure before counting the credits, three years per child moves the answer more than almost any late-career insurance decision.
If the entered history falls short after child credits, the displayed 'years short' is the deficit for the dates currently entered. It is not the exact number of calendar years to delay pension application: moving that date also changes the total interval and midpoint. Test a revised timeline, then ask the health fund to verify the precise periods and whether a delay is lawful and worthwhile.
How the 9/10 rule math works
The KVdR calculator estimates one legal pre-insurance condition for compulsory pensioner membership in Germany. The health fund checks exact dates and other eligibility conditions.
The formula doubles credited GKV years (actual GKV years in the second half plus 3 years per child, capped at that half's length) and divides by the interval from first employment to pension application. A result of at least 0.9 meets this approximate nine-tenths test.
Calculation Steps:
- Input the age when you first took up gainful employment and the age when you expect to apply for a statutory pension.
- Subtract the start age from the retirement age to calculate the total duration of your working career in years.
- Divide the working career by 2 to determine the duration of the second half of your working career.
- Multiply the second half duration by 90% (0.9) to calculate the GKV coverage years required under the 9/10 rule.
- Input the number of years you spent in public GKV (either as compulsory, voluntary, or family coverage) during the second half of your career.
- Input the number of children you have. Multiply the child count by 3 to calculate your Kinderpauschale credit years.
- Add the credit years to your actual GKV years in the second half. Note that the total GKV years cannot exceed the duration of the second half of your career.
- Compare the credited years to the requirement. Meeting this estimated nine-tenths condition still needs confirmation from the health fund before KVdR status can be claimed.
Worked example
Step 1: A freelancer first started working at age 20 and plans to retire at age 60. The total career duration is 40 years.
Step 2: The second half of their career starts at age 40 (20 + 20) and lasts for 20 years. The 9/10 rule requires 90% GKV coverage during this period: 20 years × 0.9 = 18 years required.
Step 3: The freelancer was privately insured (PKV) for 6 years in GKV-exemption during this second half, leaving them with only 14 actual GKV years.
Step 4: The freelancer has 2 children, giving them a credit of 6 years (2 × 3 years).
Step 5: The virtual GKV years are calculated: 14 actual years + 6 credit years = 20 years (capped at the second-half duration of 20 years).
Step 6: Credited GKV years (20) exceed the required 18, so the example meets the nine-tenths condition. The health fund must confirm the exact history and pension eligibility.
Input definitions
Review the glossary of terms used in the calculation model below. Click on highlighted links to read more in-depth definitions in our financial glossary:
| Parameter | Definition & Context |
|---|---|
| Age of First Employment | The age when you first took up gainful employment. The legal interval begins with that employment, not a universal age-15 fallback; enter an approximate age here and have exact dates checked. |
| Planned Retirement Age | The expected age at statutory pension application. The legal interval ends at the application date, which can differ from the last day of work. |
| Actual GKV Years in Second Half of Career | The number of years you were insured in the statutory public health insurance (GKV) system during the second half of your working life (midpoint to retirement). |
| Number of Children | The total number of children (biological, step, adopted, or foster) you have. Each child grants both parents a credit of 3 GKV membership years. |
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