Widow’s and survivors’ pension in Greece: who gets what
The death pension of Law 4387/2016 shares the deceased’s pension out in fixed percentages, with an age rule and a cut that starts after three years.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy
If the deceased received a pension of €1,400, a surviving spouse aged 61 receives a widow’s pension of €980 a month for life. Article 12 of Law 4387/2016 gives the spouse 70 % of the deceased’s pension for deaths since 17 May 2019, and each child under 24 25 %, or 50 % if orphaned of both parents. The family total can never exceed 100% of the deceased’s pension; when it would, the children’s shares are reduced equally. For the first three years the pension is paid in full. After that, if the spouse works or draws a pension of their own, it is halved, never below the legal minimum. A spouse under 55 with no eligible child or disability receives it for 3 years only, then again from 67. 3 years of marriage are required, with exceptions. The calculator shows the amounts for your family.
Widow’s pension per month
€700
for life
| Spouse (70 %) | €700 |
| Family total | €700 |
| After the first three years | €700 |
Death after 17 May 2019. Three years of marriage are required unless there is a child or the death was an accident. The halved pension cannot fall below the legal minimum.
Amounts and limits from article 12 of Law 4387/2016, as in force in 2026 · calculated in your browser, nothing is sent.
How the pension evolves over time
| Period | What is paid |
|---|---|
| Years 1 to 3 after the death | Full survivor’s share, whatever else you earn |
| From year 4, if you work or have your own pension | 50 % of the share, not below the legal minimum |
| From year 4, no other income | Full share continues |
| Under 55 with no eligible child or disability | Paid for 3 years, then again from age 67 |
The three-year rule is the part most families do not expect. A 45-year-old widow with no children receives €980 a month on a €1,400 pension, but only for three years; with one child under 24, the pension continues, and the family receives €1,330 in total while the child is entitled.
How the pension is shared
Family total
€900
| Spouse | €630 |
| Each child | €135 |
| Share of the pension | 100 % |
The marriage condition
No pension is paid if the death occurs less than 3 years after the wedding, unless it was caused by an accident, a child was born or adopted during the marriage, the widow was pregnant and the child was born alive, or the couple had remarried each other with at least five years of marriage in total.
What this calculator leaves out
It does not compute the legal minimum survivor’s pension, which is linked to the national pension and the deceased’s years of insurance, because we have not confirmed the 2026 amount after indexation on an official source. It also leaves out the reduction for marriages made after retirement with a large age gap, and the split with an ex-spouse who received maintenance. If the deceased was insured but not yet retired, they must have had enough insurance for an old-age or disability pension; e-EFKA decides the exact requirement.