Retirement/pension
Are you nearing retirement or considering voluntary early retirement? We will gladly assist you along the way and answer your questions.
Salaried employees
Salaried employees can apply for old age pension upon reaching the legal retirement age. Contact the German Statutory Pension Insurance Scheme for further details. Submit your claims within 3 months of fulfilling the legal retirement conditions.
If you meet certain conditions as a salaried employee, you may be entitled to supplementary pension (in German only). We have also collected crucial information on this topic for you.
Advice on retirement and pensions
If you have legitimate claims, you are eligible for Versorgungsberatung (advice on social security with a focus on retirement and pensions) in the center for personnel and payroll services (Zentrum für Personaldienste, ZPD). There, you can inquire about your future eligibility for supplementary pension benefits.
Contact staff in HR Services first, however. If we are unable to assist you in special cases, contact the Versorgungsberatung.
Advising requirements
Make sure your retirement plans do not affect your eligibility for supplementary pension benefits This is essential even if changes are made for official reasons (e.g., leave is a matter of public interest).
The Versorgungsberatung can advise you if you have a legitimate interest:
- You have reached the age of 55;
- You want to apply for disability retirement;
- You are considering part-time work, partial retirement in accordance with the Altersteilzeittarifvertrag (phased retirement wage agreement), or want to take a leave of absence without pay, but have not yet reached the age of 55.
The Versorgungsberatung will tell you the amount of supplementary pension benefits you can expect. This will, however, include only the gross amount with general reference to statutory tax and social security insurance.
Civil servants
Civil servants receive a pension when they reach retirement age. Contact the ZPD for details. The ZPD calculates your pension benefits based on your pensionable periods of service rendered. These are, in particular, periods
- as a civil servant,
- as a soldier, and
- in a private law employment relationship in the civil service.
Furthermore, your final pensionable remunerations are factored in. These comprise
- base salary,
- pensionable bonuses, and
- family allowance.
Entering retirement
Civil servants enter retirement
- upon reaching the general retirement age;
- upon reaching a special age limit (e.g., in law enforcement);
- when applying for phased retirement from the age of 63 (with a reduction in benefits);
- if they are permanently incapacitated (with a reduction in benefits);
- if they have a severe disability to which a special legal age limit applies (with a reduction in benefits).
Contact the ZPD if you have further questions about Versorgungsausgleich (statutory equalization of pensions) upon divorce, decisions about the recognition of prior service periods as pensionable, and expense settlements for pensioners suffering from the consequences of work accidents.
Postponing retirement
If the civil servant consents, retirement upon reaching the age limit may be postponed for work-related reasons for up to 3 years.
Pursuant to Section 16 subsection 7 of the Hamburg higher education act (Hamburgisches Hochschulgesetz, HmbHG) professors may only postpone retirement in substantiated exceptional cases. The legal prerequisite of the existence of special scholarly or artistic activities makes it clear that ensuring the continuity of teaching or bridging a vacancy in themselves are insufficient reasons for postponing retirement. With each postponement request to the Executive University Board, the office of the dean submits a separate form outlining the reasons given. Under these circumstances, an agreement will be reached between the professor and the University via the faculty as to the actual commencement date of retirement. The agreement requires approval from the office of the dean and the Executive University Board.
Direct retirement postponement requests by civil servants (excepting professors) may also be approved, if the postponement is in the interest of the office in which they work. The decision is subject to approval by the employer.
The decision about postponement of retirement is made by the Senate of the City of Hamburg. Civil servants shall receive notification of the decision before legal commencement of their retirement.
Advice on retirement and pensions
The Versorgungsberatung will advise you on your future pension entitlement. You must be an active civil servant of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
Furthermore, you must have a legitimate interest. This pertains especially to the consequences of personal plans. These may also extend to matters of official interest.
Legitimate interest
You have a legitimate interest if
- you have reached the age of 55;
- you were or are on partial or full leave of absence (e.g., part-time, sabbatical) or are planning leave of absence; or
- retirement due to incapacity is pending.
As a rule information will be provided in writing. You may request 1 further alternative calculation. For advice on social security, retirement, and pensions contact HR Services or the Versorgungsberatung directly. Requests for advice in writing must be lodged at least 6 months before the retirement date (except in cases of occupational incapacity).
Requests
Please direct all written requests via email to:
- beamtenversorgung@zpd.hamburg.de<br />(beamtenversorgung"AT"zpd.hamburg.de) ZPD service number: +49 40 42805-4250
Requests to the ZPD should include the following information:
- Full name
- Date of Birth
- Current employer
- Expected effective date of retirement
- Expected working hours before retirement
The Versorgungsberatung does not provide advice on questions about entering retirement, part-time employment, or leaves of absence. Contact HR Services for more information. You can arrange for a personal appointment with the Versorgungsberatung after receiving their written response to your request for information.
Taking leave upon retirement
If your civil service employment ends during the leave year because you reach the age limit, you are entitled to one-twelfth of the annual leave pursuant to Sections 5–10 of the Hamburg vacation regulation (Erholungsurlaubsverordnung, HmbEUrlVO) for each full month of employment in accordance with Section 11 subsection 1 HmbEUrlVO.
This also applies in the case of retirement upon application or early retirement due to permanent incapacity.
Examples:
- Retirement on 1 February 2021 with a vacation entitlement of 30 days:
= 1 full month of employment, i.e., 1/12 of 30 days
= 2.5 days, rounded pursuant to Section 3 subsection 2 HmbEUrlVO: 3 days vacation
- Retirement on 1 August 2021 with a vacation entitlement of 30 days:
= 7 full months of employment, i.e., 1/12 of 30 days
= 17.5 days, rounded pursuant to Section 3 subsection 2 HmbEUrlVO: 18 days vacation
Further information
Salaried employees
Civil servants
- Rundschreiben zum Verfahren bei Anträgen auf Hinausschieben des Ruhestands (PDF) (circular on the application procedure to postpone retirement)
- Informationen für in den Ruhestand eingetretene Professorinnen und Professoren (PDF) (information for retired professors)
Forms
Civil servants
- Antrag auf Hinausschieben des Ruhestands (DOCX) (application for postponed retirement)
Legal basis
- Pension sharing act (Versorgungsausgleichsgesetz, VersAusglG) on the webpages of the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (Bundesministerium für Justiz und Verbraucherschutz, BMJV)
Salaried employees
- Collective wage agreement (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst der Länder, TV-L) on the webpages of the Tarifgemeinschaft der Länder (TdL)
Civil servants
- Hamburg civil servants act (Hamburgisches Beamtengesetz, HmbBG) on the webpages of the City of Hamburg
- Hamburg civil service pension act (Hamburgisches Beamtenversorgungsgesetz, HmbBeamtVG) on the webpages of the City of Hamburg
- Hamburg civil service pay scale act (Hamburgisches Besoldungsgesetz, HmbBesG)
- § 16 Hamburgisches Hochschulgesetz (HmbHG) on the webpages of the City of Hamburg