Do I have to apply for the allowance on the Altersvorsorgedepot myself?

Tilman Freyenhagen

Published on 15 June 2026 · Updated on 7 August 2026 · Managing Director & Partner, Alsterspree Verlag GmbH

The short answer: does the allowance need to be applied for every year?

No, as a rule you don't have to apply for the state allowance on your Altersvorsorgedepot afresh every year. Once you've filed what's known as a standing allowance application with your account provider, the provider takes over drawing down the subsidy automatically every year. The payout is handled directly through the Zentrale Zulagenstelle für Altersvermögen (ZfA, the central body for retirement-asset allowances), so day to day you face no recurring administrative burden^[1].

The one-off standing allowance application as the standard solution

The standing allowance application authorises your provider to transmit the data for your subsidy entitlement to the ZfA electronically every year and to request the amounts owed to you directly into your account. This automation saves time and protects you from missing deadlines. According to the Federal Ministry of Finance, the entire application and transmission process for the new Altersvorsorgedepot is designed to be especially unbureaucratic from 2027^[2]. If you look into the legal basis in our knowledge section, you'll see that this well-established principle of automatic processing considerably increases the convenience for savers.

1. Opening the Altersvorsorgedepot: when setting up your account, you fill in the form for the standing allowance application, providing your tax identification number and your personal details.
2. Meeting the minimum own contribution: to receive the full Grundzulage of up to 540 euros a year, you need to pay the required own contribution into your account regularly.
3. Duty to report changes: as soon as your circumstances change — say, through the birth of a child or a change in your income — you tell your provider promptly, so the allowance calculation can be adjusted correctly.

Through this three-step process, the state subsidy runs permanently in the background. If you want to work out in advance exactly how much your personal allowance and the required own contributions will be, you can use our digital tool, the subsidy calculator, to run through various scenarios for your wealth-building on a source-based, neutral footing.

What is the standing allowance application, and how does it work?

Fortunately, you don't have to fill in a laborious new paper form every year to receive the state subsidy for your Altersvorsorgedepot. With what's known as the standing allowance application (Dauerzulagenantrag, DZA), you authorise your account provider or neobroker, once, to automatically claim the annual state allowance for you from the Zentrale Zulagenstelle für Altersvermögen (ZfA)^[3]. This one-off authorisation permanently takes the administrative burden off your hands and makes sure no state subsidy money is ever missed, since the claim process now runs fully automatically in the background.

How it works: automatic retrieval through the ZfA

Once you've activated the standing allowance application when opening your account, or later through your provider's online customer portal, a standardised, fully digital process starts. Your provider transmits your relevant data (including your tax identification number, your date of birth and details of the contributions you've actually made) electronically directly to the ZfA^[4]. The ZfA then checks your individual entitlement based on your data, works out the exact amount of your Grundzulage and any Kinderzulage, and transfers the subsidy money directly into your Altersvorsorgedepot. There, the capital is generally invested automatically, at no extra cost, according to your chosen investment strategy.

• One-off activation: agree to the standing allowance application directly during the digital account-opening process, or later through your provider's interface.
• Keep your data complete: provide your tax identification number and, if you're entitled to the Kinderzulage, your children's details for correct allocation.
• Duty to report changes: inform your provider promptly of changes in your circumstances, such as a change in salary, the birth of a child, or the loss of child-benefit entitlement.
• Meet the minimum own contribution: make sure your annual payments reach the statutory minimum contribution, so the allowance flows in full and without reduction.

Please note: all calculations and projections in this context are purely illustrative and do not constitute investment advice (not investment advice under § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG). If you want to work out how much your personal state allowance is likely to be, our digital subsidy calculator helps you with a precise, source-based calculation. For comprehensive guidance on all the regulatory rules, our Altersvorsorgedepot guides are also available to you free of charge.

Setting up the contract: how to activate the automatic subsidy

Digital progress makes applying for the state allowances on the new Altersvorsorgedepot pleasantly straightforward. If you open a subsidised account from the 2027 launch onwards, you no longer need to fill in paper forms or deal with complex administrative procedures. Activating the state subsidy is built seamlessly into the digital onboarding process of account providers and neobrokers^[5]. During the opening process, you give your provider a one-off authorisation, the standing allowance application. With this document, you authorise the financial institution to claim the allowances for you automatically, year after year, from the state allowance office and pay them directly into your account. That does away with the annual paperwork entirely.

From onboarding to automatic crediting

1. Step 1: enter your personal details and tax identification number directly during digital registration with your chosen account provider.
2. Step 2: tick the box to activate the standing allowance application once, and give your consent to the electronic exchange of data with the allowance office.
3. Step 3: pay in the required contribution regularly, after which your provider automatically transmits your data to the Zentrale Zulagenstelle für Altersvermögen at year end.

After the initial setup, you generally no longer need to worry about applying annually. Your provider handles all communication with the Zentrale Zulagenstelle für Altersvermögen. That not only saves you time, it also stops allowances lapsing unused because of missed deadlines. What still matters is keeping an eye on the amount of your contributions. If your circumstances change, say through a pay rise or the birth of a child, you should adjust your contribution rate so you don't jeopardise the maximum allowance of up to 540 euros a year^[5].

As a neutral guide, we support you in planning your retirement provision on a sound footing. Through the knowledge section, you get source-based access to every regulatory guideline and the underlying BMF (Federal Ministry of Finance) evidence. If you want to work out how much your state subsidy comes to and how different own contributions affect your final capital, you can use our digital tool, the subsidy calculator, free of charge. If you'd prefer personal support structuring your retirement provision, we're happy to connect you with a qualified independent advice service for a no-obligation expert conversation.

When and how often do you need to act? The key reporting duties

Although the standing allowance application takes the annual paperwork off your hands, it doesn't exempt you from every ongoing duty. The state allowance is only paid out in full by the Zentrale Zulagenstelle für Altersvermögen (ZfA) if the underlying data exactly matches your real circumstances^[6]. As soon as a material change occurs in your personal or professional life, you must notify your provider without delay. Omissions, outdated details or late notifications can lead to significant cuts to the state subsidy, or even repayment demands later on.

These life events must be reported immediately

For the calculation of your own contribution and the allocation of allowances to stay accurate, four events above all must be reported. First, income changes: since the minimum own contribution is based on your contribution-liable income from the previous year, a pay rise, unemployment or a change of job leads to a different required contribution. Second, the birth of a child or the loss of entitlement to state child benefit must be reported promptly, since the lucrative Kinderzulage depends on it. Third, marriage, entering a civil partnership, or divorce play a decisive role for the indirect subsidy of a spouse. Fourth, your legal status changes if you move abroad, or your professional status changes fundamentally, for instance by becoming self-employed.

To avoid unpleasant surprises at the annual settlement, we recommend regularly reviewing your contract details. With our subsidy calculator you can easily work out how a change in income or a new child-benefit entitlement affects your contribution rate specifically. If you have further questions, our knowledge section offers detailed guides and comparisons to help you keep track of your retirement provision at all times.

The minimum own contribution: the lever for the full allowance amount

For the state subsidy on your Altersvorsorgedepot to flow into your account in full, you need to make the statutory minimum own contribution. The Zentrale Zulagenstelle für Altersvermögen (ZfA) checks the contributions made very carefully every year. If you fall short of the required amount, the ZfA automatically reduces the allowance proportionally for that contribution year, something many savers often don't notice for years^[2]. A scenario like this significantly reduces the long-term return on your subsidised account.

How the calculation of the minimum own contribution has changed

While the classic Riester contract still used the complex calculation of four percent of your pension-insurance-liable income from the previous year, minus the allowances, the reform of the Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027 brings fundamental simplification. A fixed statutory minimum contribution of 120 euros a year is set to activate state allowances of up to 540 euros a year. Every change in how much you save has a direct effect on the subsidy rate, since the allowances fall to zero or are heavily cut if you fall short of the minimum amount.

1. The statutory minimum contribution is a constant 120 euros a year, just to be eligible for the subsidy at all.
2. The maximum Grundzulage of 540 euros is built up in steps through own contributions of up to 1,800 euros a year.
3. On incomplete payments, the ZfA applies an exact proportional reduction to the allowances.

To avoid unpleasant surprises with your state subsidy, we recommend regularly reviewing your contribution rate. With the interactive subsidy calculator you can easily reconcile your annual own contributions with the state allowances you expect. That makes sure your contribution rate is optimally aligned with your personal income situation, and that you don't leave a single cent of state subsidy unclaimed.

What happens if you forgot the standing allowance application?

If you missed filing the standing allowance application when you opened your account, your entitlement to the state subsidy is by no means permanently lost. The law lets savers apply for the state allowances on the Altersvorsorgedepot retroactively. However, you need to observe strict statutory deadlines to prevent it lapsing for good. The principle applies that the state subsidy can only be caught up on within a fixed window of time.

Specifically, the statutory rule provides that you can file the application up to two years retroactively^[7]. The deadline ends on 31 December of the second calendar year following the contribution year in each case. So if you made contributions for a given calendar year without an active standing allowance application in place, you have exactly two years to file the manual follow-up claim. If that period passes unused, the entitlement to the allowance for that year lapses irrevocably, since the Zentrale Zulagenstelle für Altersvermögen (ZfA) is no longer allowed to approve back payments after this deadline.

• Two-year application deadline: the application must be filed by 31 December of the second calendar year following the relevant contribution year at the latest.
• Manual follow-up claim: the retroactive filing is generally done directly through your account provider's online customer portal.
• Final loss: once the two-year deadline has passed, a refund or correction is legally excluded.

To rule out missed deadlines and the resulting financial loss from the outset, we recommend activating the standing allowance application right when you set up the account. If you're unsure whether you've already filled in the application, it's worth checking your contract documents or contacting your provider directly. You can also use the subsidy calculator to work out easily how high your annual allowance comes to, to make sure you receive the full state support. You'll find further information on the legal basis in our knowledge section.

Special cases: what applies with several contracts or a change of provider?

If you hold more than one Altersvorsorgedepot, or decide to switch providers, special regulatory rules apply to the state allowance process. Because the state subsidy is capped by law per person, it can only be claimed once in total, or must be split accordingly. To avoid financial drawbacks or unwanted repayment demands, a structured approach to the standing allowance application and the reporting duties is essential. Our neutral Altersvorsorgedepot guides offer further information on this.

Multiple contracts and how the allowances are split

If you spread your contributions across several state-subsidised contracts, the Grundzulage is calculated proportionally by default, provided an active standing allowance application is in place for every account. However, you can also specify in writing what percentage of the state support should flow to each individual contract. What matters is that your personal minimum own contribution is met in total across all contracts, so you receive the subsidy in full. For a precise calculation, our source-based subsidy calculator is recommended, which transparently analyses your individual contributions.

The allowance process when switching accounts and providers

If you switch account providers, your existing standing allowance application is not carried over automatically. It lapses when you terminate your old contract. For the whole process to remain sound from a tax and subsidy perspective, the invested capital must be transferred directly from provider to provider^[8]. Immediately after opening the new account with the new provider, you need to file a new application form there, so the automated retrieval of the allowances through the responsible body continues without a break.

Special rules for civil servants and the self-employed

Decision guide: self-directed account vs. professional advice

With the new Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027, private savers face a fundamental decision: do you want to manage your state-subsidised securities account yourself, or draw on qualified, personal guidance? The law provides that the state allowances and tax benefits flow regardless of the distribution channel you choose^[2]. That's why we at Vorsorgedepot-Lotse have developed a two-track portal concept that treats both paths as absolutely equal and respectable options, to give you neutral guidance on equal terms.

The self-directed model suits digital, decisive private investors. If you already have experience with ETFs and want to implement your investment strategy yourself, you can run your Altersvorsorgedepot at extremely low fees. Our knowledge section offers valuable guidance for this. The provider comparison tool helps you transparently compare the fee structures and terms of the different neobrokers. For precise preparation, you can simulate your state subsidy in advance through the subsidy calculator. In this scenario, you file the standing allowance application easily in your provider's digital online back end, so it retrieves the allowances for you every year.

If you find yourself in a more complex life situation, the path through qualified experts is strongly recommended. That applies above all to savers planning a seamless switch from an existing Riester-Rente, who need to balance variable income as self-employed people, or who want to make sure Kinderzulage allowances are allocated optimally. In these cases, our independent advice service comes in, connecting you easily through the Vorsorgedepot-Lotse portal with licensed financial advisers. These professionals review your individual circumstances, determine the correct minimum own contribution, and support you with every reporting duty, so your subsidy always stays fully intact.