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German Pension Refund Eligibility |India

The information below is for Indian citizens who previously worked in Germany and contributed to the German pension system.

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Germany - India German Pension Refund | All Rights Reserved

German Pension Refund Eligibility for Indian Citizens

How to get a German Pension Refund online  | Germany Pension Refund | All Rights Reserved

As an Indian 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 Agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of India on Social Security defines how this law applies to you.

Rule of Thumb For Indians:

As an Indian 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.

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Can Indian 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.

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Office building Rentenversicherung, Berlin  | The German statutory pension insurance | All Rights Reserved

Are Indian Citizens Allowed to Pay Pension Insurance Contributions After Leaving Germany?

The Social Security Agreement* between Germany and India answers that question: 

If you still live in the European Union 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 Indian citizen, you can only get a pension refund if you have not qualified for retirement pension yet, and you live in a non-EU country. 

*Read Agreement between Germany and India on Social Security.

Social Security Agreement:

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Based on the Social Security Agreement between Germany and India 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 Indian 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 UK 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 UK you could be eligible for a pension refund, 24 months after the last contribution was paid.

​How Long Does a German Pension Refund for Indian 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 Indian 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.

 

**Contribution rates before 2018 varied, employee share is 50% of the percentage

India-flag.png
Germany Pension Refund 5 star review.png

Dec/17/2024

Outstanding Experience

Recently received my German pension refund was an outstanding experience from start to finish. The process was incredibly straightforward, requiring just a few simple documents, and the team handled everything with remarkable efficiency and professionalism.

A special thank you to Johannes kühn, whose assistance was truly invaluable. Not only was he incredibly professional, but he also went above and beyond to ensure the entire process was smooth and hassle-free. It's rare to find such exceptional customer service, and Johannes truly made all the difference. Johannes kühn, you’re the rockstar of this company!

The entire team was friendly, transparent, and kept me well-informed at every step. My refund was processed much faster than I had anticipated, exceeding all my expectations. I’m beyond satisfied with the service and would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for a seamless and stress-free experience. I will definitely return in the future!

Once again, thank you so much, Johannes kühn. You're a true asset to this company!"

Readd on

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divyang adhvaryu
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NOV/26/2024

Their work is so precise

Excellence is the word I select for the service provided by Germany Pension Refund. Their work is so precise, dealing with tedious German administration is absolutely great. Thanks Julia for supporting from Starting to End.

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Aminur Rahman
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NOV/20/2024

Excellent, incredibly easy, processed quickly

I appreciated how transparent and straightforward the entire system is, with clear communication at every step. Best of all, the refund was processed very quickly, exceeding my expectations.

Read on

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Dhiren Mudgil
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NOV/11/2024

Reliable, trustworthy partner to navigate the pension refund

I had a fantastic experience working with Germany Pension Refund to recover my German pension contributions while living in the UAE. 


Given that the amount was substantial, close to 30,000 EUR, trust was crucial. Johannes and the team built this trust by explaining each step, maintaining full transparency, and handling my funds professionally. My pension was first transferred to an escrow account, which added an extra layer of security. Once everything was processed, they made a quick and seamless transfer to my UAE account.

Their expertise, communication, and commitment to helping clients made this experience smooth and stress-free. I would highly recommend Germany Pension Refund for anyone seeking a reliable, trustworthy partner to navigate the pension refund process from abroad.

Read on

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Mohideen Meeran
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NOV/09/2024

User friendly, smooth

Very user friendly, made the process smooth with no hassle. I really loved how they tackled this tough process and made it easy to get it for their users.

Read on

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Debarati Mukherjee
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OCT/29/2024

Absolutely satisfied

Absolutely satisfied with quality and speed of service!

Read on

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Samin Yasar Chowdhury
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OCT/28/2024

The turnaround time was impressive

The pension refund was processed quickly, with minimal delays. From start to finish, the turnaround time was impressive, ensuring I received the refund promptly.

Read on

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Pritam Singh
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OCT/27/2024

Efficient, professional and thorough

Christian Kliem was amazing! He was very efficient, professional and thorough with the pension refund process. Highly recommend him!

Read on

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Mahesh Ramadoss
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OCT/23/2024

Awesome, quick, highly recommend

Service was awesome, Quick response, Highly recommended this firm. Special thanks to Mr.Christian.

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David Raj
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OCT/18/2024

Amazing...committed to deliver

It is really amazing experience with the Vividius throughout the journey. I would love to recommend their services and they committed to deliver in time.

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Uttara Basu
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OCT/10/2024

Extremely professional, quick with responses, reasonable rates

Germany Pension Refund offers excellent services for anyone seeking to get their refund without having to bother about bureaucracy and paperwork. They are extremely professional, very quick with their responses to customer queries and their rates are also reasonable. It took me about 3 months to get back the refund. I would highly recommend them.

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Uddy Jammu
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DEC/17/2024

Much faster than expected

I had a fantastic experience! The entire process was hassle-free, and the communication was smooth and efficient. The deposits were handled much faster than expected, which was a pleasant surprise. Highly recommend! Thanks to Johannes (SVP Client Services) and his team!!

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If you are curious to read more about working in Germany and India, you can find more information from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung here. 

India Agreement
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German Pension Contribution Refund

Our service is Easy, Quick and Secure.

 

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. 

 

We are here for you. Read more

Free Eligibility Check

We provide Free Eligibility check - do not hesitate to claim your refund.

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.

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