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German Pension contributions Refund | FAQ
Here you will find detailed answers to your specific situation, your nationality, where you currently reside, and whether you are eligible for a German Pension Refund.
German Pension Refund FAQs| All Rights Reserved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my pension money back if I leave Germany?
If you leave Germany, you can get your pension money back. To claim a refund before reaching the age of retirement you must be a Non-EU citizen, living in a non-EU country, and at least two years must have passed since your last contribution payment.
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If you are a citizen of the United States, Australia, India, Canada, Albania, Moldova, South Korea, and The Philippines the other requirement is that your German pension balance holds less than 5 years of contribution.
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To enjoy a seamless refund process and to receive the refund in your preferred currencyspeed up the process and avoid any potential complications claim your refund online.
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Who is Eligible for German Pension Refund?
You qualify to get money back from the pension in Germany, if you meet three criteria:
1. You don't have to pay money into the pension fund anymore.
2. The last time you paid money into it was at least 2 years ago.
3. You can't choose to pay money into it on your own.
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That means: Two years after the last contribution in Germany you can get your pension money back, if you are a non-EU citizen living in a non-EU country.
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If you are a citizens of the United States, Australia, India, Canada, Brazil, Albania, Moldova, South Korea, Uruguay, or The Philippines you can only get your pension money back if you contributed for less than 5 years total (otherwise you do not meet criteria 3 anymore).
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To speed up the process and avoid any potential complications claim your refund online.
How do I check my German pension balance?
You can ask the German pension insurance for your insurance record.
You can do this online https://www.eservice-drv.de/SelfServiceWeb/.
You will need your social insurance number (Sozialversicherungsnummer). The document will be mailed to the address you have registered with the DRV (German Pension Office). If you failed to update your recent address, the letter will be sent to your former address in Germany and returned undeliverable to the pension office. In that case you can upload a copy of your passport and inform them about your current address.
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How much pension refund will I get in Germany?
Pension insurance contribution is currently 9.3% of your gross income. When you get a refund, you will get the same amount back that was taken out of your paycheck.
Only contributions paid by yourself or received through pension equalization in a divorce ruling can be refunded. Contributions paid on your behalf by third parties (unemployment insurance, credited periods for parenting, employer's share) cannot be refunded.
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You can use our free calculator to get a quick estimate.
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Is German pension refund taxable?
German pension refunds are not taxable in Germany.
You will receive the full amount without any tax deducted!
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What happens to my pension when I leave Germany?
After leaving Germany, you could either get a refund of your insurance contributions or wait until you reach retirement age and apply for monthly payments if your pension balance shows at least 5 years of contribution.
Nationals of the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, Albania, Moldova, South Korea, Uruguay, and The Philippines cannot get a refund after 5 years of contribution.
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Can I close my German pension and take the money out?
Non-EU citizens could close their pension and take the money out after leaving Germany once 24 months have passed after the last pension payment. Some nationalities (U.S.A., India, Australia, Canada, Albania, Moldova, the Philippines, South Korea) cannot close their pension after 60 months of contribution.
As an additional requirement for a refund you must live in a non-EU country. After receiving a refund, the pension account will be closed and unless re-opened no futher benefits can be received.
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Can I withdraw all my pension?
If you are a non-EU citizen*, you could withdraw all your pension after leaving Germany. It is not possible to withdraw only part of it.
To be able to withdraw your pension you must reside in a non-EU country and 24 months must have passed since your last contribution payment.
*Please note that citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, Albania, Moldova, South Korea, Uruguay, and The Philippines cannot withdraw pension after 5 years of contribution anymore.
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You can check your eligibility here for free.
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What happens to my German pension contributions after Brexit?
UK citizens cannot get a refund before reaching the age of retirement. A refund is only possible, if less than 5 years of pension insurance have been paid in the EU and UK combined or if contributions in Germany have been paid for less than 1 year.
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If 60 or more months have been paid, UK citizens can apply for an Interstate Pension from Germany (and other EU countries) through the Pension Service 11. This can be done online.
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Can we get social security money back Germany?
The answer is YES for non-EU citizens living in a non-EU country, if at least 2 years have passed since the last payment to the German pension.
An additional requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, Albania, Moldova, South Korea, Uruguay, and The Philippines is that pension insurance has been paid for less than 5 years (60 monthly contributions) in total.
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Seamless, quick, and secure refunds in your preferred currency: claim your refund online.
Can I get my pension money back if I leave Germany?
After leaving Germany and currently living in a non-EU country, non-EU citizens could get a refund of their mandatory contributions to the German pension fund 24 months after the last insurance contribution payment.
Citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Albania, Moldova, South Korea, and The Philippines make an exception, you can only get a refund if you paid contributions for less than 5 years altogether.
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How Do I Calculate My German Pension Refund Amount?
To calculate the amount of money you will get back (eligibility given) is a simple formula:
Your gross salary of every year you worked (up to a maximum equal to the cap) times the percentage in the corresponding year.
Add the sums together and you have your German pension refund amount.
(You can find the amounts contributed each year in your tax slips (No. 23)).
But before you start looking up caps and percentages, simply use the free calculator that we've built just for you :) to get a close estimate.
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How Long Does the German Pension Refund Process Take?
You can speed up the process time to under 8 Weeks If you claim your refund online with GermanyPensionRefund.com.
Every refund is processed by our partnering law firms with a direct digital connection to the German pension office (DRV) which allows much faster claiming and processing.
This is one of many reasons why GermanyPensionRefund.com is able to deliver the fastest pension refunds with speedy process times ranging from 2 to 8 weeks while self-submitted claims often take six months and longer.
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Free Eligibility Check
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You have questions regarding your eligibility, residency, waiting period, the refund process or any other topics?
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