Updated on October 16, 2026
In 30 seconds
If you have worked in both Germany and Italy, you may have two pensions, one per country. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV, the German pension insurer) also pays in Italy and asks every year for proof of life. For the Italian part you go to INPS (the Italian social security institute), as a rule with an international application, that is, one for periods earned in more than one State.
For the general picture, read the guide Italians in Germany: Legal Guide.
In this article
- How it works
- Proof of life
- Practical steps
- Frequent case
- The best solution for you
- Frequently asked questions
- Official sources
How it works
The DRV pays over 1.7 million pensions to people living abroad, mainly in Italy, Spain and Austria. This is stated in a DRV press release of June 2, 2026.
Regulation (EC) 883/2004 coordinates the social security systems of the EU States. In general, it serves to take into account periods earned in more than one State. How it applies to the single case is decided by the bodies themselves: DRV and INPS. For calculations and for the application you can turn to a patronato (an Italian assistance office that helps with pension and social security files).
Proof of life
Anyone living abroad must prove every year that they are alive. With some countries the data exchange is digital. In the others, a “Lebensbescheinigung” (a certificate-of-life form) arrives by post, to be completed and returned.
There is also a digital version: you need a QR code, a valid document and the POSTIDENT app. If you do not reply, payment may be delayed or interrupted. It is best to always reply, within the time stated in the letter.
Practical steps
- Reconstruct the career: periods, employers and countries.
- Ask for the contribution statement from the DRV (Versicherungsverlauf) and from INPS. The bodies indicate the forms and channels.
- Submit the application as the body indicates, as a rule in the country of residence. If you are not sure, ask INPS or a patronato.
- Report your address and every move to the DRV. From Germany there is the Servicetelefon (service phone line) 0800 1000 4800.
- Keep every letter (Bescheid, the formal decision) and note the time limits for an appeal.
- Taxes: see the article German Pension and Return to Italy: Documents and Taxation.
The firm does not handle patronato files and does not make pension calculations. It deals with the legal side, for example the decisions to challenge.
Frequent case · A problem that happens often
A worker who emigrated to Germany in the 1980s worked twelve years in a factory, then returned to Italy and worked another twenty years. He does not know whether he must apply for two pensions, to whom, and whether the periods add up. The first step is to gather the documents from both countries.
Frequent case described in general terms: names, places and details do not refer to real people or cases.
The best solution for you
First: Reconstruct the career, with the periods in Germany and in Italy, and ask for the contribution statement from the DRV and INPS.
Then: Submit the application as the bodies indicate. Report every move to the DRV and keep the letters with the time limits for an appeal.
If the office or the other side does not cooperate: If a body makes a mistake or does not reply, the firm can deal with the legal side, for example the decisions to challenge. It does not handle patronato files and does not make pension calculations.
It usually pays to: Usually it pays to gather the documents from both countries first. That way the application starts with the full picture of the periods.
What to do now
- List the periods of work in Germany and in Italy.
- Gather the letters from the DRV and INPS and the time limits for an appeal.
- Check that you have reported your address and the proof of life to the DRV.
No route guarantees an outcome.
Learn more: Legal guides from Studio Legale Fiorentino.
How attorney Fiorentino can help you
- Gather the pension letters (Bescheid), the contribution statements and the “Lebensbescheinigung” you received.
- Check with the firm which decisions can be challenged and by when; for calculations you need the patronato.
- For the video call, keep the documents from both countries in front of you, sorted by year.
Frequently asked questions
Can I receive the German pension if I live in Italy?
Yes. The DRV pays pensions to people living in Italy.
Do I have to prove every year that I am alive?
Yes. The DRV asks every year for proof of life from those who live abroad.
How do I apply for the Italian pension with periods in Germany?
As a rule with an international application. Details and forms are on the INPS website or at a patronato.
Do contributions add up?
In general, European coordination serves to take into account periods earned in more than one State. How it applies to your case is told by the DRV and INPS.
Who pays tax on the German pension?
It depends on the country of residence and on the convention between Italy and Germany. See the article German Pension and Return to Italy: Documents and Taxation.
Read also
- Italians in Germany: Legal Guide
- German Pension and Return to Italy: Documents and Taxation
- Car with German Plates in Italy: Residence, REVE and Rules
Official sources
Institutional pages consulted; the official source always prevails for up-to-date texts.
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung: pensions abroad and proof of life
- Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: services for Italians abroad (AIRE, succession, civil status)
Where to find us
The firm is based in Naples (Piazza Giovanni Bovio 22 and Via Monte di Dio 14) and works throughout Italy; the first meeting can be held by video call. The firm does not give tax advice: for calculations you need a tax accountant (commercialista).
Informational text, prepared with the help of artificial intelligence tools. Author: attorney Renato Giuseppe Fiorentino.
Do you have a similar issue?
Every situation depends on the documents of the specific case. You can contact the firm from anywhere, remotely.