Survivor’s Pension in Austria 2026: Eligibility, Amounts and Deadlines

If your spouse dies in Austria, the Austrian pension insurance system may pay a survivor’s pension (Witwenpension / Witwerpension). The benefit is not automatic: you must submit an application (Antrag). The amount can range from 0 to 60% of the deceased person’s pension, and the pension may be payable for 30 calendar months or without a time limit.

Who is eligible for a survivor’s pension?

The survivor’s pension is intended to provide social security for the surviving spouse. The basic requirement is that a marriage was still in existence when the death occurred. The same rules apply to registered partners (eingetragene Partnerschaft).

• A divorced spouse may also qualify, but only if strict conditions are met.
• Partners in a non-marital relationship (Lebensgemeinschaft) are not eligible.
• The deceased person must have been insured under the pension system or already receiving a pension.

What insurance period was required of the deceased?

The deceased person must have completed a minimum insurance period (Wartezeit, Mindestversicherungszeit). This requirement is automatically met if the deceased was already entitled to a pension.

Otherwise, the requirement is met if the deceased had either:

• at least 180 contribution months (Beitragsmonate) from compulsory or voluntary insurance, or
• at least 300 insurance months (Versicherungsmonate).

Age-specific insurance requirements

• Under 27: at least 6 insurance months; voluntary self-insurance does not count.
• Under 50: 60 insurance months during the last 120 calendar months.
• Over 50: 60 months plus 1 month for every month of life over age 50, up to 180 months. The period examined increases by 2 months for each month, up to 360 months.

If the insurance requirement is not met but the deceased had at least one contribution month, the surviving spouse receives a one-off severance payment (Abfindung).

How much is the survivor’s pension?

The survivor’s pension is between 0 and 60% of the deceased person’s pension. The percentage depends on the relationship between the spouses’ gross incomes (Berechnungsgrundlage), generally during the last two calendar years before the death. If the deceased’s income fell because of illness or unemployment, the last four years are taken into account.

• The two incomes were equal: 40%.
• The surviving spouse’s income was no more than one-third of the deceased’s income: 60%.
• The surviving spouse’s income was more than 2 1/3 times the deceased’s income: 0%.

Example: If the surviving spouse’s calculation base is 977,75 euros and the deceased person’s is 1.453,45 euros, the calculation is 70 − 30 × 977,75 / 1.453,45 = 49,82. The survivor’s pension is therefore 49,82% of the deceased person’s pension.

Increase up to 60%

If the pension is below 60% and the survivor’s total income in 2026 is less than 2.616,70 euros gross per month, the pension may be increased up to 60%. After the increase, total income must not exceed this limit.

Upper income limit

No survivor’s pension is payable to someone whose earned income or replacement income, such as a pension, sickness benefit or unemployment benefit, exceeds 8.460 euros per month. This is twice the contribution ceiling from 2012.

For example, if the survivor’s pension is 1.300 euros and the survivor’s own income is 7.500 euros, the excess of 340 euros is deducted, leaving a payment of 960 euros.

For a divorced spouse, the pension generally cannot be higher than the maintenance obligation or the maintenance actually paid.

How long is it paid?

The pension is payable for only 30 calendar months if:

• the surviving spouse was under 35 when the death occurred;
• the surviving spouse was already 35 or older, but the deceased was already receiving a pension when the marriage took place; or
• the surviving spouse was already 35 or older, and the deceased was not receiving a pension when the marriage took place but was already over 60 for a woman or 65 for a man.

The pension is payable without a time limit in situations such as these:

• a child was born from the marriage;
• the surviving spouse was pregnant at the time of death;
• the deceased’s child, who was entitled to an orphan’s pension, lived in the household; or
• the marriage lasted long enough under the applicable rules.

Minimum marriage periods in certain cases

• Survivor under 35: 10 years.
• Deceased was receiving a pension when the marriage took place and the age difference was no more than 20 years: 3 years.
• The same situation, with an age difference of 20–25 years: 5 years.
• The same situation, with an age difference of more than 25 years: 10 years.
• Deceased was not receiving a pension when the marriage took place but was over pension age: 2 years.

If the survivor is unable to work (invalid) when the fixed-term pension ends and applies for continuation within 3 months at the latest, the pension continues for the duration of the incapacity to work.

Application deadline and payment dates

You must submit the application within 6 months of the death. If you apply within this period, the pension is payable from the day after the death. If you apply later, it begins on the date of application.

For a minor or a person with limited legal capacity, the 6-month period begins after reaching adulthood or regaining legal capacity.

Payment is made monthly in arrears on the 1st of the following month. In April and October, a double payment is made (Pensionssonderzahlung).

What happens if you marry again?

With an indefinite survivor’s pension, you receive a one-off severance payment equal to 35 times the monthly pension. A fixed-term pension simply ends at the end of the month in which the marriage takes place.

Frequently asked questions

Can an unmarried partner receive a survivor’s pension?

No. Only a spouse or registered partner can qualify.

Do the same rules apply to men?

Yes. A surviving man (Witwer) is entitled under the same conditions as a surviving woman.

What happens if there is no eligible surviving spouse?

If the insurance requirement was met, a one-off severance payment may be payable, in this order, to the children, mother, father or siblings, provided they lived in the same household as the deceased and were mainly supported by them.

Practical steps

1. Check whether you were married or in an eingetragene Partnerschaft at the time of death.
2. Check whether the deceased was insured or already receiving a pension and whether the required insurance period was completed.
3. Submit the Antrag within 6 months if you want the pension to be payable from the day after the death.
4. Prepare information about both spouses’ gross income, particularly for the last two calendar years, or the last four years where illness or unemployment reduced the deceased’s income.
5. Check whether the pension is fixed-term or indefinite and note the 3-month deadline if you are unable to work when a fixed-term pension ends.
6. For individual advice, consult a qualified legal or pension professional. This information is based on publicly available sources and is not legal advice.

Source: oesterreich.gv.at