German Pension Refund Eligibility |Canada
The information below is for Canadian citizens who previously worked in Germany and contributed to the German pension system.
Germany - Canada German Pension Refund | All Rights Reserved
German Pension Refund Eligibility for Canadian Citizens
As an Canadian Expat, while you were employed in Germany, each month a percentage of your gross salary was paid to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung - the statutory German Pension Insurance - as a pension insurance contribution for your retirement pension.
But what happens to your contributions now, after you have left Germany? Can you get that money back?
The German Social Code (§210 SGB VI) regulates the reimbursement of pension contributions from the German Pension Insurance in general, while the Social Security Agreement between Germany and Canada defines how this law applies to you.
Rule of Thumb For Canadians:
As an Canadian you can be reimbursed only if you have worked in Germany for less than 5 years and since your last contribution in Germany 24 months have passed.
Can Canadian Citizens Claim a Refund of their German Pension Contributions?
After leaving Germany you are generally eligible for a German pension refund, if...
a) you are not allowed to keep paying German Pension contributions (voluntary insurance) where you currently live, and...
b) at least 24 months have passed since the last pension contribution payment in Germany.
If you are allowed to pay voluntary insurance (a), is defined by the agreement with your home country.
Office building Rentenversicherung, Berlin | The German statutory pension insurance | All Rights Reserved
Are Canadian Citizens Allowed to Pay Pension Insurance Contributions After Leaving Germany?
The Social Security Agreement* between Germany and Canada answers that question:
If you still live in the EU or the United Kingdom, you are allowed to keep paying pension contributions to Germany.
Also, if you have already paid contributions for at least 60 months you are allowed to keep paying German Pension Contributions from anywhere in the world where you live. In that case you cannot get a refund, because you have qualified for old age pension from Germany.
In other words:
As an Canadian citizen, you can only get a pension refund if you have not qualified for retirement pension yet, and you live outside of the EU / United Kingdom.
*Read Agreement between Germany and Canada on Social Security
Social Security Agreement:
Based on the Social Security Agreement between Germany and Canada you are allowed to grow your German pension from anywhere in the world (voluntary insurance) after leaving Germany if you have qualified for old age pension.
As a Canadian Expat in Germany, after 60 monthly contributions you qualify for a retirement pension.
If you have not qualified, but still live in the EU or the United Kingdom, you are allowed to pay towards the 60 months to qualify, too.
If you have not qualified for pension, and you live outside the EU or the United Kingdom, you could be eligible for a pension refund, 24 months after the last contribution was paid.
How Long Does a German Pension Refund for Canadian Citizens Take?
The German pension authority is supposed to provide a decision on your claim within 6 months from submission.
If after 6 months you have not received a decision (Bescheid) from the authorities in Germany, our specialists will take legal action based on the Social Court Act (§88 SGG) and sue the authority for inaction. The court will then force the pension office to act.
How We Speed Up the Refund Process:
GermanyPensionRefund.com is able to provide you with the fastest average process times of 8 weeks while others have to wait six months or longer.
A German law firm escrow account will be provided, which makes your refund process most Easy, Quick, and Secure. The correspondence happens within days, and our legal specialists know exactly how to speed up the process for you.
How Much Can I Claim From My German Pension Insurance?
While you were employed in Germany, 9.3%* was deducted from your gross salary up to the income threshold and transferred to the German Pension Insurance.
As an Canadian citizens you can claim your pension insurance contributions based on the rules explained above.
Use our free reimbursement calculator to get an estimate of your possible premium reimbursement.
Maryam Berijanian
DEC/14/2024
I didn't have to worry about anything
I am happy with my choice. They provided fast and smooth service at a reasonable price, which was lower than their competitors. I can only imagine how much of a nightmare it would have been to handle everything myself, but with their service, I didn’t have to worry about anything. They were very punctual, well-organized, and made everything clear.
BRAAAVO!!
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Petar Markovic
DEC/12/2024
Trustworthy and reliable service provider
Christian was very professional and efficient.
And also a trustworthy and reliable service provider.
I would recommend them to anyone who previously worked in Germany and is not entitled to a pension.
Posted on
OCT/30/2024
Smooth and kept me updated
They helped me get back my pension refund. The process was smooth and they kept me updated me all through the way. I’ll always recommend their services to anyone seeking to claim their pension benefits after leaving Germany. Thanks for the good work!
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Sarah Zou
OCT/28/2024
Received the funds back in 2 months
Couldn't have been easier. Filled in a few forms, and that was it. Christian was so helpful and I received the funds back in 2 months. 100% recommend!
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Daniel Hayter
OCT/18/2024
Very quick and helpful
Christian helped me get a refund back for the Germany Pension payments I made. He was very quick to respond and very helpful throughout.
Read on
SEP/27/2024
The most efficient and effective part of my German experience
Best experience ever! Had my money in less than two months! Possibly the most efficient and effective part of my German experience. Julia was a joy to work with.
Posted on
SEP/19/2024
Impeccable, fast, easy
Just an impeccable service. I didn't even really know I could get this back until I saw something in a social media feed about expats recovering German pensions. The process with German Pension Refund was fast, easy and saved me delving back into German bureaucracy with Google translate and my pretty sub standard German language skills; they took care of everything and sent me all the documentation (and quality translations of those) throughout the process. Happy to report the good reviews are legit and I highly recommend this service of you need to recover pension paid in Germany. Thanks so much to Julia and the team!
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Steeve Bjornson
MAR/23/2024
The whole way through I received update emails
I was dreading having to go through the bureaucracy to get my German pension refund. But these people made it very easy.
The process takes a while but the whole way through I received update emails.
They were recommended by a friend and now I would gladly recommend them too!
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Neba Funwi-Gabga
AUG/10/2024
Excellent service...kept me informed throughout
Excellent service. They kept me informed throughout the process and successfully got my refund. Highly recommended!!
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Yannick Boucher
MAR/23/2024
Stayed in touch with regular updates throughout the process, all the way to payment
Very helpful explaining what the process was, what documentation was needed, and stayed in touch with regular updates throughout the process, all the way to payment. Highly recommended!
Posted on
JAN/03/2024
A pleasure to work with from start to finish... I highly recommend!
Johannes was a pleasure to work with from start to finish! He kept me updated throughout the process and was quick to answer any questions I had. I highly recommend Johannes and his team!
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Read more information about working in Germany and Canada from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung.
German Pension Contribution Refund
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Thanks to our years of experience, we know exactly how to speed up the processing time of your German Pension Refund and we make sure that you enjoy a smooth, pleasant, and uncomplicated premium refund.
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Feel free to Contact Us regarding your German pension refund, eligibility, residency, waiting period, or any other questions that might arise reading through our refund information. We are here for you.
