Refund of your pension insurance contributions
As an employee, every month you pay 9.95% of your gross income to the German Federal Pension Fund ("Gesetzliche Rentenversicherung"). What happens with that money when you are going to leave Germany? Might there be a possibility to get a refund? Like everything in Germany, the answer is: it depends. And I am now going to explain on what. Step by step. First the legal foundations that determines whether you can get a refund before you reach the retirement age (for reference, click here):
- You are currently not insured in the German pension fund.
- Now you don't have the possibility to be voluntarily insured in the German pension fund.
- The last time you have been compulsory insured in the German pension fund is at least 24 calendar months ago.
The possibility for you to be voluntarily insured depends on your nationality, where you are living, and sometimes how long you paid for the German pension fund. For two cases are general statements possible:
- As long as you are living in the EU, you cannot get a refund.
- If you paid voluntarily contributions to the German pension fund before the 19.10.1972, you can not get any refund
If you want to check whether you are eligible for a German pension refund, please click the link below:
Pension refund check
If you are eligible for a German pension refund and you want to know how to apply for it:
The Simple Guide to the German Pension Refund
Pension refund check
If you are eligible for a German pension refund and you want to know how to apply for it:
The Simple Guide to the German Pension Refund
