The Sächsische Ärzteversorgung is a joint professional pension fund (Versorgungswerk) for doctors and veterinarians in Saxony. Its membership leaflet explains unusually clearly how contributions are built up and what the fund pays out. That makes Saxony a good example of how a fund structures its contribution types.
Short answer: Anyone who starts work as a doctor or veterinarian in Saxony registers with the Landesärztekammer or Landestierärztekammer and becomes a compulsory member of the Sächsische Ärzteversorgung by law. According to the leaflet, the application for exemption from statutory pension insurance must be filed within three months of starting work, and again at every change of job (leaflet dated 2019, check the rules, as of October 2026).
The Most Important Points
- Membership arises by law with licensure (Approbation) or a professional permit; registration with the chamber should follow promptly.
- Exempted employees pay as much as they would into the statutory pension scheme, but at least the minimum contribution.
- Self-employed members pay the standard contribution equal to the statutory maximum for employees, and a reduction can be requested.
- The fund covers old age, occupational disability and survivors, with the disability pension payable without a waiting period.
- The leaflet is dated 2019, so figures and rules should be confirmed with the fund.
How is the contribution in the Sächsische Ärzteversorgung built up?
The leaflet distinguishes by the member’s situation. It gives no euro amounts, only reference values. For career starters that is an advantage, because you understand the rule even if the numbers change every year.
| Situation | Contribution according to the leaflet (2019) |
|---|---|
| Employed, exempted from pension insurance | Contribution equal to the pension insurance contribution, at least the minimum contribution |
| Self-employed | Standard contribution, equal to the statutory maximum for employees, reduction on application |
| Start-up of a practice | Self-classification possible in the first two calendar years |
| Periods without medical or veterinary work | Half the minimum contribution |
| Parental leave without medical work | Contribution-free |
| Voluntary extra payments | Together with compulsory contributions at most up to the annual maximum contribution |
From age 55 a personal contribution limit also applies, based on the contributions of the last five years. Between ages 50 and 55 this limit can be raised by voluntary payments.
Worked example on the rule. Assumption: you are employed and exempted, and the pension insurance contribution on your pay is EUR 1,000 per month (placeholder value). You then pay EUR 1,000 to the fund as long as this is above the minimum contribution. If it were below, the minimum contribution would be due.
Who becomes a member, and when?
The Saxon Heilberufekammergesetz ties membership in the fund to the chamber and refers to the bylaws for details (revosax.sachsen.de, in German). The leaflet adds: graduates become members by law with licensure or a professional permit if they have not reached the age limit and are not disabled. Existing entitlements can be transferred under conditions when changing pension systems.
How does the exemption work in Saxony?
Members working as doctors or veterinarians can be exempted. According to the leaflet the application must be filed within three months of starting work to avoid double contributions, and repeated when you change jobs. The fund provides an application form (exemption application, version dated May 2022, in German). The legal basis is § 6 SGB VI, and the procedure is outlined in the general guide.
Which benefits does the fund name?
| Benefit | Leaflet (2019) |
|---|---|
| Old-age pension | From the standard retirement age of 67 (born 1961 or later), early from 62 with deductions, deferral to 70 possible |
| Occupational disability pension | For permanent or temporary inability to practise, without waiting period and from the first contribution |
| Rehabilitation subsidies | For measures to maintain or restore working capacity where no other body is responsible |
| Widow’s and widower’s pension | For the surviving spouse, registered partners treated equally |
| Orphan’s pension and child benefit | For children up to 18, up to 27 in training |
For the same date the fund states about 19,000 contributing members, 4,500 beneficiaries and a balance sheet total of more than EUR 4 billion. Current figures are on the fund’s website.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to apply again after a change of job?
Yes, according to the leaflet a new exemption application is needed when you change jobs. The exemption basically applies to the specific activity (§ 6 para. 5 SGB VI).
Does the fund pay a disability pension from the start?
The leaflet names no waiting period, so the benefit exists from the first contribution. Amount and conditions follow from the bylaws, and a comparison with private cover can make sense in an individual case.
What do I pay during parental leave?
According to the leaflet parental leave is contribution-free if no medical or veterinary work is done. Separate rules apply to a practice of your own.
Are the figures current?
The leaflet used is dated 2019. Treat it as a description of the system and confirm every rule against the current bylaws.
What to do now
- Register promptly with the Landesärztekammer after licensure or permit.
- Ask the fund for the current bylaws and the present values for the minimum and standard contribution.
- Submit the exemption form within three months of starting work.
- Repeat the application at every change of job and note the deadline in your calendar.
Related guides
- Ärzte in Weiterbildung: PKV, Versorgungswerk und BU richtig kombinieren
- Assistenzarzt Gehalt: Tarif, Stufen und Nachtdienst
- Ärzteversorgung Niedersachsen: Beitrag, Befreiung und Leistungen für Berufseinsteiger
- PKV oder GKV beim ersten Job: Entscheidungshilfe mit Rechenbeispiel (in German)
Sources: Sächsische Ärzteversorgung, membership leaflet (in German) (dated 2019); Sächsische Ärzteversorgung, exemption application (in German) (dated May 2022); Saxon Heilberufekammergesetz (in German) (accessed October 2026); § 6 SGB VI (in German) (accessed October 2026). For help with placing your case, a personal consultation with Academycon is available: How we work.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
