Is my contract actually a Riester contract?
The reform only affects certified Riester contracts. Many savers hold a private unit-linked pension insurance or a basic (Rürup) pension instead – and nothing changes for those. Three features decide.
The three features of a Riester contract
- Certification under the AltZertG. The policy or annual statement shows a certification number and the term “Altersvorsorgevertrag”. No certificate, no allowances; no allowances, no Riester.
- Allowances. The statement lists basic and child allowances; there is an allowance number and a (standing) allowance application at the Central Allowance Office.
- Contribution guarantee and annuitisation. At retirement at least contributions plus allowances are promised; at most 30% may be paid out as a lump sum.
What is often confused
| Contract | Tier | Subsidy | Riester? | Affected by the reform? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riester pension insurance (classic or unit-linked), Riester fund or bank savings plan, Wohn-Riester | 2 | allowances + special-expense deduction up to €2,100 | yes | yes – four options from 2027 |
| Private unit-linked pension or life insurance | 3 | no allowances; half-income taxation on payout | no | no – contract continues unchanged |
| Basic pension (“Rürup”), also unit-linked | 1 | special-expense deduction up to the ceiling; no allowances | no | no |
| Occupational pension (direct insurance, Pensionskasse) | 2 (occupational) | tax- and social-contribution-free contributions; Riester subsidy within occupational pensions is rare | usually no | no |
| Capital-forming benefits, building society savings without Riester | – | employee savings bonus, housing premium | no | no |
“Unit-linked” therefore says nothing about the tier. There are unit-linked Riester contracts (e.g. Allianz InvestFlex, WWK Premium FörderRente), unit-linked basic pensions and unit-linked private contracts – the same investment concept in three subsidy worlds.
How to check in two minutes
- Look on the latest statement for “Zulage”, “Zulagennummer” or “Zertifizierungs-Nr.” – if any appears, it is Riester.
- If it says “Basisrente” or “Rürup”, it is tier 1.
- If neither appears and the contract is called “private Rentenversicherung”, it is tier 3.
- The statement scanner checks these markers automatically and tells you when a document does not look like Riester.
Quick answers
My unit-linked pension insurance has a contribution guarantee – is it Riester?
Not necessarily; private contracts can have guarantees too. You recognise Riester by allowances and the certification number, not by the guarantee.
Can I transfer a basic (Rürup) pension into the Altersvorsorgedepot?
No. The reform only covers certified pension contracts (Riester). Basic pensions stay in tier 1.
What you can check now
- Does your statement show an allowance number or a certification number?
- Have you received allowances in recent years or filed a standing allowance application?
- What is the product called in the policy – “Altersvorsorgevertrag”, “Basisrente” or “private Rentenversicherung”?
- Pension Contract Certification Act (AltZertG) §§ 1 and 5
- § 10a and §§ 79 ff. EStG (allowances), § 10(1) no. 2b EStG (basic pension), § 20(1) no. 6 EStG (private insurance)
- Retirement Provision Reform Act (Altersvorsorgereformgesetz), Bundestag 27 March 2026, Bundesrat 8 May 2026, promulgated 26 May 2026 (BGBl. 2026 I No. 156)
This page provides general information about statutory rules. It is not legal, tax or investment advice and makes no recommendation for any individual contract. For a personal assessment, consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentralen) or licensed advisers are the right address – where to get advice.