German Pension Refund Eligibility |The Philippines
The information below is for Filipino citizens who previously worked in Germany and contributed to the German pension system.
Germany - The Philippines | German Pension Refund | All Rights Reserved
German Pension Refund Eligibility for Citizens of the Philippines
As a Filipino 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 Security Code (§210 SGB IV) regulates the reimbursement of pension contributions from the German Pension Insurance in general, while the Social Security Agreement between Germany and The Philippines defines how this law applies to you.
Rule of Thumb For Filipinos:
As a Filipino 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 Filipino 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.
Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund | The German statutory pension insurance | All Rights Reserved
Are Filipino Citizens Allowed to Pay Pension Insurance Contributions After Leaving Germany?
The Social Security Agreement* between Germany and The Philippines answers that question:
If you still live in the EU, EEA, Switzerland 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 a Filipino 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 the Philippines on Social Security.
Social Security Agreement:
Based on the Social Security Agreement between Germany and The Philippines 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 Filipino 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 Filipino 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 a Filipino 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.
Maricon Manlapas
DEC/07/2024
Transparent, professional helpful, trustworthy
Very transparent, helpful, professional and trustworthy. Received my refund in a short amount of time. Thanks to Christian and his team! Highly recommended!
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NOV/20/2024
Very smooth process
Christian is very helpful. Very smooth process. Will definitely recommend this.
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NOV/06/2024
100% trusted
100% trusted especially Johannes. Thank you
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Archie Cuesta
NOV/03/2024
Reliable and hassle free
Germany Pension Refund offers excellent services for seeking to get their refund, a reliable and hassle free pension refund process.
Special Thanks to Johannes, very helpful and kept me informed throughout the process, ensuring that I am aware of the progress being made. His very professional, very quick with their responses and clear to customer queries.
Everything was done and they translated important documents and instruction into English.
Thank you for your outstanding service.
Germany Pension Refund and the entire team. All the Best.
Thank you
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OCT/04/2024
Excellent, fast, stress-free
Offers an excellent pension refund service. They are fast, hassle-free, and truly make the process smooth and stress-free. The staff are incredibly accommodating, always ready to assist with any questions or concerns. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a quick and efficient pension refund.
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SEP/30/2024
Fast, smooth, legit
Fast and smooth transaction with them! Legit and trustworthy company.
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SEP/13/2024
Very helpful and transparent with the paperwork
Very smooth and fast transaction. I am located now in Canada but I did not encounter any problem. They were very helpful and transparent with all the paperwork. I would highly recommend them.
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Mae Ann Bongcaras
AUG/23/2024
Smooth, easy, stress-free
I found German Pension Refund online while searching for a credible agency to help process my German pension refund, and I couldn’t be happier with my choice. Their positive reviews are well-deserved!
Julia, in particular, was incredibly helpful and friendly throughout the entire process. The communication was smooth and easy, making the entire experience stress-free. Despite the process taking around six months, I hardly had to lift a finger—just sent Julia 2-3 pieces of paperwork, and German Pension Refund took care of everything, including the often daunting task of dealing with German authorities.
I would wholeheartedly recommend German Pension Refund to everyone I know. They truly made a potentially complicated process simple and hassle-free!
Thank you so much once again Julia and German Pension Refund for all the help. I truly appreciate you.
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MAR/29/2024
A hassle free experience...answered us promptly and kept us updated
I am very thankful for this company for taking care of our refund. We just have to comply with the documents that they needed in order for them to process the request and that's it. It was a hassle free experience plus they will always keep you updated of what's happening to your refund. Kudos to Mr. Kühn for being so patient with us as it took us a while to comply with the documents. He answered us promptly and kept us updated. For a busy person like me and my husband who don't have time to research about the process, we are glad that we made the right choice to entrust our refund to them. I attest that they are exceptionally reliable and professional.
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Mimi Suegay
FEB/22/2024
Took care of everything...would update me every now and then
I need not worry of anything because Julia took care of everything. She would update me every now and then. Thanks to her I was able to get my refund
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If you are curious to read more about the social security agreement and its effects on working in Germany and the Philippines, you can find more information of the Deutsche Rentenversicherung here.
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