Check Your Eligibility for a German Pension Refund
Easy, fast, and secure German pension refunds for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens.
How Do I Claim My German Pension Refund?
If you are a non-European, non-European Economic Area citizen, or non-Swiss citizen you could be eligible for a refund on the retirement insurance contributions you paid while you worked in Germany if you meet two basic criteria:
#1: If 24 months have passed since your last mandatory pension contribution, and
#2: you currently reside in a non-EU country, you may qualify for a refund.
Additional specific rules might apply depending on your citizenship. So, if you’re unsure about whether you qualify, simply use our Free Eligibility Checker.
German Pension Refund Claims for Contracting State Nationals
The Deutsche Rentenversicherung distinguishes between different groups of claimants based on bilateral agreements.
If your home country has signed a social security agreement with Germany, you are considered a citizen of a contracting state. You can claim a pension refund if you meet the two basic criteria above plus additional criteria. The countries that have signed a social security agreement with Germany that includes specific rules for your pension refund are:
Albania, Australia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada/Quebec, India, Israel, Japan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Philippines, Serbia, South Korea, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, United States of America.
There is no general rule that applies to all contracting states. Most agreements are unique. Some agreements do not allow refunds if you have already contributed for 60 months. Others have specific residence requirements.
The criteria is quite complex, that’s why we specialize in submitting claims in line with the social security agreements of your specific home country. If your home country is listed as a contracting state above, you will find the relevant additional rules below to check if you qualify for a German pension refund:
USA, India, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Albania, Moldova, North Macedonia, The Philippines, South Korea, and Uruguay
If you are a national of one of the countries listed above, your German pension insurance balance must be under 5 years if you want to claim a refund.
Japan
Japanese citizens residing in Japan are eligible to request a refund if their pension balance is under 60 months, the equivalent to five years. However, if they reside outside of Japan, there are no further refund restrictions.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia
Citizens of former Yugoslavian states are eligible for a refund if they live outside their home country or any other nation that was part of former Yugoslavia. If they live outside these countries, no further conditions apply.
Israel
Israeli citizens who have contributed to the German pension system cannot claim a refund while living in Israel until they reach the German retirement age. However, if they reside outside Israel, there are no further restrictions.
Turkey
While residing in Turkey, Turkish citizens are eligible for a refund only if they have not made mandatory contributions to the Turkish pension system for at least two years. For most Turkish nationals residing in Turkey, this means you will have to wait for 2 years after retirement. However, individuals residing outside of Turkey do meet the eligibility criteria for a refund.
Tunisia
Tunisian citizens that live in Tunisia must have their refund sent directly from the German pension office to their Tunisian bank account. This requirement does not apply to those living outside Tunisia.
Morocco
Moroccan citizens who have paid into the German pension system and reside in Morocco can only receive their refund through a direct transfer from the pension office to a Moroccan bank account. This requirement does not affect those living outside Morocco.
If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen and your home country has not signed a social agreement with Germany, you check if you can claim a refund using our Free Eligibility Checker below:
Check your Eligibility
German Pension Refund Claims for Non-Contracting State Nationals
Being a national of a non-contracting state simply means that Germany and your home country have not signed any social security agreements.
If you have left Germany but still reside within the European Union (EU), you cannot claim a pension refund until you move out of the EU or reach retirement age.
If you reside outside of the EU, and 24 months have passed since your last mandatory pension insurance contribution in Germany, you are eligible to claim a refund.
If you reside in the United Kingdom (UK), you can claim a refund only if you have not contributed to any mandatory public pension scheme in Germany, the EU, or the UK prior to 2021 (BREXIT).
Despite what you might have heard, it does not matter how long you have paid contributions (whether it’s more or less than 60 months) as a non-contracting state national. You have the right to claim a refund of all contributions you paid in Germany. If you are eligible, you can start your refund claim below:
Claim Your Refund
German Pension Refund Claims for UK Citizens?
If you are a UK citizen that lives in the UK, or worldwide, you can claim a German pension refund only if you started working in the EU or the UK after Brexit.
Likewise, if you are a non-UK citizen and live in the UK, you can claim a German pension refund only if you started working in the EU or the UK after Brexit.
If you worked in the EU/UK before Brexit, you cannot claim a refund while you live in the UK before reaching retirement age.
Check your Eligibility
German Pension Refunds for Citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area, and Switzerland
European Union (EU) citizens (and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) who have contributed to a German pension for at least one month are covered by the same regulations that require equal treatment to German citizens.
German citizens, and consequently, European citizens, are allowed to pay voluntary contributions from anywhere in the world. Therefore, they can only claim a pension refund if they have reached the German retirement age, and failed to qualify for a retirement pension.
However, if you have given up your EU citizenship and now only have a non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationality, you may still be eligible for a refund.
Check your Eligibility
Can I Claim a German Pension Refund After 5 Years of Contributing?
Most nationalities are not allowed to pay voluntary contributions after moving out of the EU. If you are among them, you can claim a German pension refund 24 months after the last contribution, regardless of how long contributions were paid.
However, if you are a citizen of the United States, India, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Albania, Moldova, North Macedonia, the Philippines, South Korea, or Uruguay, you cannot claim a refund after contributing for 5 years.
The same rule applies to citizens of Japan who are living in Japan. If you are a Japanese citizen and live abroad, no limit applies.
Israeli citizens can only claim a refund if they live in a non-EU country outside of Israel. The period of contribution does not matter.
Citizens of the Ex-Yugoslav States can only claim a refund if they live in a non-EU country outside of any Ex-Yugoslav State. Likewise, the period of contribution does not matter.
Turkish citizens can claim a German pension refund only if in the past 2 years, no mandatory contributions were paid to the Turkish pension system as well.
Claim Your Pension Refund Today
If you are eligible to claim a refund on your German pension contributions, it takes less than 5 minutes to get started with our streamlined process. Your claim will be processed in around 8 weeks, compared to the 6+ months it takes when self-submitting. With an average refund amount of €11,800, there’s nothing to lose.
Make Your Claim Today