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German Pension Refund Online Calculator
Find out how much of your German pension contribution you can claim back – no sign-up required.
German Pension Refund Calculator | All Rights Reserved.
How to Use the Calculator
MAR/05/2025
Highly Recommended!
Johannes was really helpful! The process was straightforward, and everything was executed smoothly. Highly recommended
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Maria Jose de la Riva
FEB/28/2025
Extremely fast process!
Super smooth and extremely fast process! I worked with Christian who was very responsive and quick to answer any questions. It was a pleasure! I would 100% work with them again.
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​STEP 1: Enter the number of months worked in Germany.
STEP 2: Select your monthly gross salary. Your refund estimate is shown.
STEP 3: Claim your refund.
How to Manually Calculate My Pension Refund
The most reliable way to manually calculate your German pension refund amount is to use your monthly payslips. You’ll need your December payslips for each year you worked for each employer, and you’ll need the payslips for the last month you worked in Germany.
Add the annual totals together, and you have the total amount you contributed. If your payslip does not show paid pension contributions, you have not contributed to the German pension insurance (and cannot claim a refund).
Another way to calculate your refund is to use your annual wage tax statements. You can add the amount displayed at section 23.a, which shows your share of the contribution. However, please note that wage tax statements can be incorrect, please refer to payslips if available.
Alternatively, if you only know your gross salary, and have no documentation, you can calculate the percentage for each year up to the cap, and add the sums together to reach an estimate of your German pension refund amount.
Lastly, if you hold your insurance record and the periods are complete, you can simply multiply the “Entgelt” with the corresponding yearly contribution rate (since 2018: 9.3%) and add the amounts.
Or, if you’re looking for an easier way to calculate your refund amount automatically, simply use our free calculator above.
Important Note:
The calculator does not serve as a guarantee to get a refund nor does it prove your eligibility. It is designed to help you calculate how much money you have contributed over the years.
If you are eligible for a refund, we can help you get your money back.
Am I Eligible for a German Pension Refund?
Whether you can claim a German pension refund depends on a few factors. We need to know your nationality, where you live now, how long you worked in Germany. We also need to know how long it's been since you last worked here.
Let's look at these requirements in more detail:
OCT/14/2023
Really satisfied with their work
Wonderful, they solved my request within a couple of months. I am really satisfied with their work.
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Tegan Reeves
OCT/10/2023
Made navigating German bureaucracy a breeze
Johannes was responsive and helpful throughout the entire process, and made navigating German bureaucracy a breeze!
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OCT/09/2023
Seamless process...Fair rates
Absolutely seamless process. Fair rates and great communications. Highly recommended.
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Ashish Gandhi
OCT/08/2023
Seamless and efficient...Don't think twice and go with them
The experience with Johannes was seamless and efficient. I got my refund really quickly and without any hassles whatsoever. Highly recommend German pension fund team. Don’t think twice and go with them.
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Nationality
Non-EU citizens can usually claim a refund on their pension contributions. However, additional rules apply for the following contracting states:
USA, India, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Albania, Ex-Yugoslav States, Israel, Japan, Moldova, North Macedonia, The Philippines, South Korea, and Uruguay.
European Union citizens usually remain in the German pension system even after they leave Germany. If you are an EU citizen, you have to wait until you reach the German age of retirement to claim an interstate pension (if 60 monthly contributions have been made within the EU), or to claim a pension refund.
Country of Residence
If you live in the EU, you cannot claim a pension refund. At least not until you reach the German retirement age. You can only claim a German Pension refund if you live outside of the EU. If you live in the UK it depends whether you have made contributions prior to 01.01.2021: Those who have not contributed to either an EU (including Germany) or UK mandatory pension scheme prior to Brexit, can claim a refund.
Duration of Work in Germany
If you paid mandatory pension contributions in Germany for 5 years or more, and are a citizen of one of the following countries, you cannot claim a refund:
USA, India, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Albania, Moldova, North Macedonia, The Philippines, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Japanese citizens can only claim a refund of the statutory pension insurance for contribution periods exceeding 5 years if they live outside of Japan.
Likewise, Israeli citizens can only claim a refund if the live outside of Israel, and former Yugoslav state citizens can only claim if they live outside of any former Yugoslav state.
Period of Time Since Your Last Pension Contribution in Germany
You can apply for a pension refund in Germany 24 months after your last contribution to the German pension system.
This is from the last month of employment, receipt of unemployment benefits, or parental leave.
Please note that the date of deregistration is not relevant here. The 24-month waiting period confirms that you have stopped paying contributions and have left the German labor market for good.
Claim Your German Pension Refund Today
Our experience of navigating the German pension refund process enables us to deliver a streamlined service that’s easy, fast, and secure.
Making a claim through us bypasses German bureaucracy, and takes less than 5 minutes to start. It only takes around 8 weeks to receive your German Pension funds - compared to an average of 6 months for self-submitted claims.