Under Art. 9 of the Articles of Association (AOA), members of the Westphalia-Lippe Dental Association automatically become members of the VZWL pension scheme. Members of the Westphalia-Lippe Dental Association who are aged 67 or who are unable to work on their VZWL membership start date are excluded from membership of the VZWL pension scheme (Art. 10 AOA).
If you would like to become a member, please submit a completed membership application form so that we are in possession of all of the relevant information.
Who can become exempt from membership?
Dentists who become members of the Westphalia-Lippe Dental Association automatically become members of the VZWL pension scheme (Art. 9 AOA). This membership is compulsory. It is consequently also compulsory for them to pay pension contributions. Members of the Dental Association can be exempt from membership of the association and the contribution payments pursuant to Art. 11 AOA on written application if they
• Are not practising dentistry;
• Are civil servants, soldiers or employees who are entitled to a pension
and beneficiaries pension under civil-service law or principles;
• Have a limited permit to practice dentistry and are not part of a dental practice;
• Or are only temporarily practising within Westphalia-Lippe for less than three months.
Members who meet the exemption criteria but do not wish to be exempt can apply to pay the minimum contribution (Art. 19 AOA).
If you are a dentist and work for an employer, it will be important for you to apply for an exemption from statutory pension contributions.
Background info:
In addition to registering with the VZWL, it is compulsory for all employees, including employed dentists, to register and pay statutory pension contributions. Employed dentists who are compulsory members of the the VZWL will be exempt from the compulsory statutory employee pension scheme upon application in accordance with Art. 6(1)(1)(1) Social Insurance Code (SGB) VI.
How to apply for an exemption:
If you would like to be exempt from the compulsory statutory German pension scheme, please fill the online application (www.e-befreiungsantrag.de). The exemption from the compulsory statutory German pension contributions will only be effective from the date you start practising as a dentist if the exemption application has been submitted within 3 months of that date. On expiry of the 3 months, the exemption will only become effective on the date the application is received.
New members who were previously members of other pension schemes can also request their former pension provider to transfer the contributions that they have already paid to the VZWL.
However, this will only be possible subject to the existence of a transfer agreement between the VZWL and the other pension provider and the observance of the application period of 6 months set out in Art. 31 AOA.
It is not possible to transfer pension contributions if
• The member is already aged 50 upon becoming a member
of the Westphalia-Lippe Dental Association,
• The former pension provider was paid more than
96 months of contributions for the member,
• The member has already applied for a disability pension with the previous pension provider
• Or the member’s entitlements from the pension provider have been seized.
