Liechtenstein - Survivor’s benefits
This chapter describes the support that survivors may receive. The following benefits are addressed:
- general survivor's insurance (1st pillar)
- company survivor's pension for employees (2nd pillar).
In what situation can I claim?
Surviving spouses, registered partners, divorced spouses and biological children, adopted children and foster children of the deceased person are entitled to a survivor's pension from survivor's insurance from the 1st pillar, provided that the deceased person paid contributions for at least 1 full year.
In the event that the insured person dies before reaching the statutory pension age, pursuant to the Federal Old-Age and Survivors' Insurance Act, and if an old-age or invalidity pension has already been paid out, the registered partner, spouse and children are legally entitled to a pension. The pension schemes can also include other beneficiaries. Pension: The pension schemes can also include other beneficiaries. The surviving spouse may also be entitled to a pension (from both pillars) if he or she is paying to maintain a child or is older than 45 and was married to the deceased person for at least 5 years. If these conditions are not met, the surviving spouse is entitled to a one-off lump sum equal to 3 years' pension payments.
Children under the age of 18 are entitled to an orphan's pension; this is paid to children in education until the completion of their studies, though only until the age of 25.
What conditions do I need to meet?
Survivor's pension (1st pillar): the deceased person must have paid contributions for at least 1 full year.
By law (2nd pillar) there must be a matrimonial or parental relationship, or a registered partnership. The pension schemes can also include other beneficiaries. Orphan's pension: the recipient must generally be under 18. Children in education are paid until the completion of their studies, though only until the age of 25.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Survivors' insurance (1st pillar)
The widow's or widower's pension is granted indefinitely or for a fixed period depending on various factors (existence of children, length of marriage, age). For persons already drawing their own old-age or invalidity pension, an increase in the pension (widow's or widower's supplement) is also considered on the death of the spouse.
The pension is 80% of the deceased person's hypothetical pension. In the event of a death before the age of 45, a ‘career supplement’ is paid when calculating the pension amount.
Orphans are entitled to an orphan's pension of 40 % of the hypothetical pension of the deceased parent. Full orphans receive two orphan's pensions, one for each parent.
Occupational pensions (2nd pillar)
In the event of the insured person's death before reaching the statutory pension age, in the 2nd pillar the minimum benefits of a life-long widow’s or widower’s pension of annually 18% and of orphan’s pensions of annually 6% of the insured wage are insured.
In the event of the death of a person drawing an old-age or invalidity pension, the widow's or widower's pension is at least 60 % and the orphan's pension is at least 20 % of the last old-age and invalidity pension payment.
The surviving registered partner has the same rights are a widowed spouse.
The regulatory requirements can go further. The pension schemes can also include other beneficiaries in their regulations.
Application requirements
Applications for survivor's benefits should be submitted to the relevant social security body. Applications for company pensions should be submitted to the company's pension fund.
Jargon busters
Statutory pension age: the normal pension age is 65.
Forms you may need to fill in
Know your rights
The links below provide additional legal information; they do not link to European Commission websites and do not reflect its views.
European Commission publications:
Who do you need to contact?
For the 1st pillar:
Liechtensteinische AHV-IV-FAK
Gerberweg 2
Postfach 84
9490 Vaduz
LIECHTENSTEIN
Tel. +423 2381616
Fax +423 2381600
Email: ahv@ahv.li
For the 2nd pillar:
Finanzmarktaufsicht Liechtenstein
Landstrasse 109
Postfach 279
9490 Vaduz
LIECHTENSTEIN
Tel. +423 2367373
Fax +423 2367374
Email: info@fma-li.li