If you want to register your child for the Frühstart-Rente (early-start pension), the first question is whether an application is needed. Under the bill that the Bundestag passed on 16 October 2026, you as a parent do not file your own application with an authority. The provider of the contract handles the procedure. This guide shows the process step by step and names the points where you still have to act. Who is eligible is covered in Welche Kinder bekommen die Frühstart-Rente zuerst? (in German).
Quick answer: The bill provides for no separate application by parents: once a qualifying contract is concluded, the provider is deemed authorised to apply to the central office for the Frühstartrente, unless you object in text form before the contract is signed (section 5(2), Bundesrat paper 445/26). The law has not yet been promulgated, the Bundestag passed it on 16 October 2026. Last updated: November 2026.
Key points
- The bill provides for no separate parental application. The German pension insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) likewise names no separate application under the federal government plans.
- You conclude a qualifying contract for your child, as a rule a standard depot, and the provider applies for the subsidy.
- You can object to the procedure in text form before the contract is signed.
- Without the child’s tax identification number there is no entitlement.
- Children without their own contract are covered by the federal collective investment, which is planned from 2028.
Do I have to file an application as a parent?
No, at least not in a separate application procedure with the pension insurance. Under section 5(2) of the bill, the provider is deemed authorised, once a qualifying contract is concluded, to apply to the central office for the Frühstartrente. This applies unless the eligible person objects (Bundestag paper 21/7864, section 5). The central office is the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund (section 4). The pension insurance states on its information page that, under the federal government plans, no separate application is needed (Frühstart-Rente page, as of 20 October 2026).
The bill describes an authorisation of the provider. You therefore do not have to submit a form yourself. You do have to find a provider that offers a qualifying contract and sign its contract documents.
How does the registration work in practice?
The process follows from the provisions of the bill. The following table assigns the steps.
| Step | Who acts | Provision in the bill |
|---|---|---|
| Conclude a qualifying contract (standard depot contract for retirement provision) | Parents on behalf of the child | Section 3(1) |
| State the child’s identification number | Parents | Section 1(2) |
| File the application with the central office | Provider as authorised representative, if you do not object | Section 5(2) |
| Transmit application data electronically every quarter | Provider, by the end of the following month | Section 5(4) |
| Payment to the provider, credit to the contract | Central office, quarterly, also retroactively | Section 8(1) |
| Formal notice (Bescheid) | Only on special request | Section 8(3) |
A provider receives no reimbursement of costs from the federal government for the application procedure (section 5(5)). In addition, no acquisition or distribution costs may be charged until the 18th birthday (section 3(2) no. 1).
A sequence example shows the order. Assumption: the law enters into force on 1 January 2027 as in the bill, and your child belongs to the 2020 cohort.
- In 2027 you choose a provider and conclude the contract for your child.
- The provider, as authorised representative, files the application with the central office and transmits the data quarterly.
- The central office pays quarterly to the provider, under section 8(1) also for past months.
- You receive your provider’s information on the contract. You receive a formal notice only if you request it.
When should you object to the procedure?
The right to object exists so that nobody has to be drawn into the procedure against their will. The objection must be declared in text form before the contract is signed. The provider then files no application for your child. How you then file the application yourself is something to clarify with the provider and the pension insurance before signing. For most parents an objection is not needed, because it means the state 10 euros a month do not flow automatically.
What applies to children without a contract?
For eligible children without their own contract, section 21 of the bill provides for a collective investment by the federal government. The related special fund is to be set up on 1 January 2028 (Bundesrat paper 445/26, sections 21 and 22). Section 21 does not describe an application by parents for this case. In its opinion of 25 September 2026 the Bundesrat suggested better information for children in the collective investment. Whether and how this is implemented is open.
Can I register several contracts for one child?
In its opinion of 25 September 2026 the Bundesrat proposed that until age 18 only one standard depot contract per child should receive tax privileges (Bundesrat paper 445/26 (decision)). According to the Bundestag report on the vote, the federal government agreed that private contributions to a second contract should not be privileged. For registration this means: plan one contract for your child into which the state payments also flow, and clarify the tax treatment before a second contract.
Which conditions should you clarify before registering?
- The child has the tax identification number under section 139b of the Tax Code. Without it there is no entitlement under section 16(5) of the bill. More in Frühstart-Rente und Steuer-ID (in German).
- The child has completed the 6th year of life and not yet the 18th, with a first residence in Germany (section 1(2)).
- The child belongs to the first eligible cohort 2020 or a later cohort, otherwise there is only a contract without state payment.
- The contract is a qualifying standard depot contract within the meaning of section 3(1).
Frequently asked questions
Can I register for the Frühstart-Rente now?
No. The law has not yet been promulgated, and the bill provides for entry into force on 1 January 2027. Providers can offer contracts only once the legal basis applies.
Do I have to report anything to the pension insurance?
Under the bill the provider transmits the application data. A separate report by parents is not provided for there. If your circumstances change, for example through a move abroad, ask the Deutsche Rentenversicherung.
Will I receive a formal notice?
Only on special request. Under section 8(3) of the bill, a formal notice is not issued automatically.
What does registration cost me?
The bill prohibits acquisition and distribution costs until age 18. Running costs of the depot are not excluded by that, they are set out in the contract documents.
What to do now
- Clarify whether your child belongs to the 2020 cohort or a later cohort.
- Obtain your child’s tax identification number, from the documents issued at birth or by asking the Federal Central Tax Office (Bundeszentralamt für Steuern).
- Wait for promulgation of the law and then compare providers of standard depots for children.
- Before signing, have it confirmed that the provider files the application for you. You can get a personal assessment from Academycon.
Related guides
- Altersvorsorge 2027: Der Überblick zu Depot, Frühstart-Rente und Riester (in German)
- Welche Kinder bekommen die Frühstart-Rente zuerst? (in German)
- Frühstart-Rente Steuer-ID: Braucht mein Kind eine Steuernummer? (in German)
- Frühstart-Rente Standarddepot: Lohnt sich ein Depot für Kinder? (in German)
Sources: Bundesrat, paper 445/26, bill for an act introducing a Frühstartrente, 14 August 2026; Bundestag, paper 21/7864, Frühstartrentengesetz, 7 September 2026; Bundestag, vote of 16 October 2026; Deutsche Rentenversicherung, information page Frühstart-Rente, as of 20 October 2026.
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
