German Pension Refund Calculator
Find out how much of your German pension you can claim back – no sign-up required.
How to Use the Refund Calculator
STEP 1: Enter the number of jobs you had in Germany; the location of each job; their sectors; and any supplementary pensions, if applicable.
STEP 2: Enter the period of each job and your salary.
STEP 3: Receive your refund estimate, then check if you qualify to claim the amount.
How to Manually Calculate your German Pension Refund
The most reliable way to manually calculate your 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.
Add the annual totals together, and you have the total amount you contributed. If your payslip does not show contributions, you have not contributed to the German pension system (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 the amount.
Or, if you’re looking for an easier way to calculate your refund amount automatically, simply use our free calculator above.
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:
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.
EU 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.
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 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 in general.
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 system enables us to deliver a streamlined service that’s easy, fast, and secure. It takes less than 5 minutes to start your claim, and only 8 weeks on average to receive your funds – compared to 6+ months for self-submitted claims.
Make Your Claim Today
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