- 🇩🇪 BERLIN
- SINCE 2015
- ENGLISH SUPPORT
Get Your German Pension Refund
Worked in Germany and moved abroad? Find out what you could reclaim — and let us handle the paperwork.
- German paperwork handled for you, with support in English throughout.
- German law firm support and secure payout through the firm's escrow account.
- No upfront service fee. Pay 9.75% only on success — no minimum, capped at €2,500 including VAT.
- €11,572average client refund, quarterly calculation of 24 August 2026
- 76.3% within 90 days229 of our 300 most recent completed refunds reached the client escrow account within 90 days of complete submission
- 4.98/51,252 reviews on ProvenExpert, checked 25 August 2026
Individual processing times vary — see the full data and methodology.
German Pension Refund
Fast, fully managed German pension refunds — with no upfront service fee.
We're based in Berlin and have been helping non-EU citizens worldwide reclaim their German pension contributions from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (Germany's official state pension authority) since 2015.
We handle the paperwork, coordinate your claim with our German partner law firm and keep you informed in English. You get professional support from your first questions through to your payout. Your service fee is deducted only after your refund reaches the law firm's escrow account. No refund, no service fee.
Our clients' average refund in the latest quarterly calculation (24 August 2026) was €11,572, and our retained records include completed refunds from under €200 to over €53,000. More than three quarters of our 300 most recent completed refunds reached the client escrow account within three months — see the full data and methodology.
Who is eligible for a refund?
Worked in Germany and now live abroad? You may be able to reclaim your employee pension contributions. Start with three main eligibility checks:
- #1: You are not a citizen of Germany, the EU/EEA, Switzerland or the UK
- #2: You currently live outside the EU and the UK
- #3: At least 24 months have passed since your last mandatory pension contribution in Germany, the EU, the UK, Türkiye or an ex-Yugoslav country
Citizens of some agreement countries — like the USA, India, Canada or Australia — must also have fewer than 60 contribution months. Additional nationality and residence rules can apply. Our eligibility checker guides you through the relevant questions and gives you an initial indication.
Find out whether you could claim, then estimate your refund. For more detail, see our FAQ and complete 2026 guide.
We handle the bureaucracy — you get your refund.
Most clients complete their part online. We check your eligibility, prepare the application and identify the responsible pension office. Our German partner law firm reviews and submits your claim, while we coordinate the paperwork and follow-up and explain the important details in English.
You hear from us at least every four weeks after submission — even if it is just to confirm that your claim is still in progress — and sooner whenever there is an important development or the office needs something from you. If a letter reaches you directly, simply forward it to us.
Across our 300 most recent completed refunds, the median time from complete submission to the client escrow account was 40.5 days. Individual processing times vary.
We prepare or guide you through the documents your claim needs, including:
- Certificate of life
- Payment declaration
- Payment authorization
- Deregistration and residency documents
- Additional documents requested by the pension office
Need help deregistering? We can take care of it as an optional add-on for €50 including VAT.
No German bank account? No problem — one isn't required. After the agreed fee is deducted in escrow, the remaining balance is transferred to the bank account you nominate. Account-holder checks, international sanctions and banking restrictions can affect some destinations and currencies.
Also had a company pension in Germany?
You may be able to recover more than just your Deutsche Rentenversicherung contributions.
If you also paid into a company pension such as VBL, ZVK, VddB, VddKO, BVV, or a private-sector provider like Allianz, AXA, Swiss Life, ERGO, R+V, Nürnberger, or HDI, that pension may also qualify for a refund or a bAV lump-sum payout once your German state pension refund is complete.
This is especially important after a successful German state pension refund. In many private-sector cases, a completed DRV refund can also make a vested company pension payable as a one-off lump sum.
These are separate claims, but they often matter together.
Law-firm support included. No upfront service fee. Fully digital in most cases.
Your application is reviewed and submitted by our German partner law firm. We take care of the preparation, coordinate the claim and keep you informed in English — so you can get on with life while your refund is being processed.
Our 9.75% success-based service fee includes the law firm's support for your refund application and the escrow payout. There is no minimum fee, and your service fee is capped at €2,500 including VAT, however large your refund.
You pay only after your refund reaches escrow. If your claim produces no refund, there is no service fee.
Your refund could be worth thousands. Find out if you can claim.
Check Your EligibilityGermany Pension Refund is a private service operated by ATLAES GmbH. We are not part of or affiliated with Deutsche Rentenversicherung or any German government authority. You may also apply directly to Deutsche Rentenversicherung without using our service.
How Our German Pension Refund Service Works
Watch this short video to see how straightforward your German pension refund can be. You provide your details and documents; we check your eligibility, prepare the application and coordinate the claim. Our German partner law firm reviews and submits it and handles receipt of your refund in escrow.
Most clients complete their part online, with support in English throughout. We take care of the German paperwork and follow-up, and you pay the service fee only after your refund has arrived in escrow.
Do I Qualify for a German Pension Refund?
You may qualify for a German pension refund if:
- You are a non-EU citizen.
- You no longer live in the EU or the UK.
- At least 24 months have passed since your last period of mandatory pension insurance ended—whether in Germany, another EU country, the UK, Türkiye, or a successor state of former Yugoslavia.
The successor states are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. For this rule, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are not considered EU countries.
Additional rules apply to certain nationalities and countries of residence. The following restrictions generally apply to claims made before reaching German retirement age.
Countries with a 60-Month Limit
Citizens of the USA, India, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Albania, Moldova, North Macedonia, The Philippines, South Korea, and Uruguay can generally only claim a refund if they have fewer than 60 months of German pension contributions.
Even a partial contribution month counts as one full month when determining whether this limit has been reached.
Japanese Citizens
Japanese citizens currently living in Japan can generally only claim a refund if they have fewer than 60 months of German pension contributions.
If they live in another eligible country outside the EU and the UK, this 60-month restriction generally does not apply.
Citizens of Former Yugoslav States
Citizens of certain former Yugoslav states can generally only claim a refund before retirement age if they live outside the EU, the UK and the former Yugoslav region.
Israeli Citizens
Israeli citizens can generally only claim a refund before retirement age if they currently live outside Israel and meet the other eligibility requirements.
Other Nationalities
If your nationality is not listed above, the special 60-month restriction and other citizenship-related limitations described here normally do not apply. However, you must still meet the general eligibility requirements.
Not sure whether you qualify? Start with our free eligibility check. If you proceed with us, we prepare the documents and coordinate your claim with our German partner law firm. No upfront service fee — you pay only after your refund reaches escrow.
Full details: who can claim a German pension refund — the complete 2026 guide
How Much Can I Reclaim From My German Pension?
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.
If you are a non-European citizen, you can claim your pension insurance contributions back after moving out of Germany, provided you are entitled to do so.
Use our free refund calculator to estimate your possible refund.
In our latest quarterly calculation (24 August 2026), the average pension refund was €11,572 — and you do not need a German bank account to receive your funds.
About Germany Pension Refund
Germany Pension Refund is a service of Berlin-based ATLAES GmbH. Since 2015, we have supported non-EU citizens through the administrative process of claiming eligible contributions from the German Pension Insurance.
We bring experience with German pension refunds to the paperwork, pension-office correspondence and questions that come with claiming from abroad. We prepare your documents and coordinate the process; our German partner law firm reviews and submits your application. You have a team to turn to and clear explanations in English along the way.
We are experts on this topic. Your case managers — Julia, Christian and Johannes — specialize in social security agreements Germany has signed. Our experience goes back to the year 2015.
We provide free evaluation of your case - do not hesitate to contact us regarding your refund, eligibility, residence, waiting period, or anything else that comes up as you read.
Read below how our most recent customers experienced working with us.
Or visit our Testimonials.
4.98 out of 5 on ProvenExpert, based on 1,252 reviews, including 1,007 reviews aggregated from three other sources (checked 25 August 2026). Read them directly on Google and ProvenExpert.
A pleasure having assistance
“Thank you for your support. It was pleasure having assistance from you to get my pension fund .”
Fast, efficient, extremely happy
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent Service! I'm extremely happy with the service I received from Germany Pension Refund. The entire process was fast, efficient, and professional from start to finish. Everything was handled smoothly, and their team was always helpful and responsive whenever I had questions. I'm very grateful for their support and for making the whole refund process so easy and stress-free. I highly recommend their service to anyone looking for a reliable and professional company. Thank you very much for your excellent service! 🙏”
Very smooth, faster than I expected
“Excellent service and a very smooth experience with my Germany pension refund. The entire process was hassle-free and well coordinated. Christian was extremely helpful, communicated clearly, and provided timely updates throughout. The process was also completed much faster than I expected. Really happy with the service and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for assistance with their pension refund.”
I always felt looked after
“From start to finish, the process was straightforward thanks to their support and efforts. Julia is skilled, knowledgeable, and responsive, and I always felt well looked after. Highly recommended.”
Very professional
“Very professional, recommended”
Amazing, exceptional
“Julia was amazing! Dealt with all questions professionally. When there was a mistake on the documentation, they refiled it at no extra charge. Refund was successfully processed. These guys are exceptional and I highly recommend them.”
100% recommend
“Johannes and his team have been very polite and professional since our first chat. He has set the correct expectations and after a couple of months my wife and me got the refund with the right amount. 100% recommended.”
Proactive
“very professional and proactively following up to the related counter party.”
Refund in 1 month, highly recommend
“Highly recommended. I am outside Germany now, contacted them with hesitant, but honestly since the first reply arrived i felt the high level of professionality. I got my total refund in almost 1 month. the support and information i got from the them in the end-to-end process is top notch. their pricing was very clear upfront, nothing hidden. I highly recommend them without any reservations.”
Well organized, excellent
“Excellent service provided by the team! I was associated with Julia, who guided me through every step of the process with great professionalism. The entire process was well organized, the documentation requirements were simple, and everything was handled efficiently. It was completely hassle-free process, and I received my pension refund much faster than I had expected. I never imagined that claiming my German pension refund could be such a smooth and stress-free experience. The "GermanPensionRefund" team made the entire process easy and transparent from start to finish. Thank you once again to Julia and the entire team for your outstanding support and for ensuring a quick refund with zero stress. I highly recommend your services to anyone seeking assistance with their German pension refund.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can get a refund?
You must meet all three conditions: (1) you do not hold German, EU/EEA, Swiss or UK citizenship; (2) you live outside the EU and the UK — living in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland is fine; (3) at least 24 full calendar months have passed since your last mandatory pension insurance in Germany, the EU, the UK, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Serbia — new mandatory insurance in any of these countries restarts the 24 months. Our waiting-period calculator finds the exact date your waiting period ends, and our country pages cover citizenship-specific details.
How much is the service fee?
Our service fee is 9.75% of your refund, capped at €2,500 including VAT, with no minimum fee and no upfront service payment. It covers application preparation, our German partner law firm's review and submission, routine correspondence and follow-up, English explanations and escrow processing. The fee is deducted only after your refund reaches escrow. If your claim produces no refund, there is no service fee.
Optional deregistration assistance costs €50 including VAT. Client-to-us postage, local certification or notary fees and exceptional courier costs are separate unless we agree otherwise. Certified translations and separate legal representation for an objection, appeal or court proceeding require their own scope and cost agreement.
Can I apply for my pension refund myself, for free?
Yes. Applying directly to Deutsche Rentenversicherung is free. Our service brings application preparation, German law firm review and submission, German correspondence, follow-up and escrow payout together for you. You get support in English throughout, with the service fee due only after your refund reaches escrow.
If you prefer to manage the application yourself, our guide explains the process.
I already applied — myself or through another agent. Can you take over?
Yes. We can take over a running claim, find out where your application stands and coordinate the next steps towards a decision.
If you are switching from another provider, your new power of attorney names our German partner law firm and includes a clause revoking your previous authorization when you sign. Any existing service contract has its own cancellation terms, which you should check separately. More on switching in our FAQ →
Will my refund arrive faster with your service?
Our process is designed to avoid preventable delays. We check your eligibility and documents, identify the responsible pension office and coordinate the application with our German partner law firm, which reviews and submits it. We then manage the follow-up and keep you informed.
In our latest processing-time review, 229 of our 300 most recent completed refunds (76.3%) reached the client escrow account within 90 days of complete submission. Individual processing times vary; the pension office determines the decision date. See the full data and methodology →
Is the refund taxable?
In Germany, no — the refund is paid out without German tax deduction; German law exempts pension contribution refunds. Treatment in your country of residence can differ, and we don't provide tax advice — check with a local adviser if in doubt.
What documents do I need?
To get started, upload a copy of your passport, a payslip from your time in Germany and your deregistration confirmation (Abmeldebestätigung). Your account guides you through the questions and documents.
Missing your German pension number? We help recover it. Not deregistered yet? We offer deregistration assistance for €50 including VAT. If your claim needs additional documents or signed originals by post, we explain exactly what to provide.
How is the refund paid?
Into the escrow account operated by our German partner law firm. After the agreed fee is deducted, the remaining balance is transferred to the bank account you nominate. Account-holder checks, international sanctions and banking restrictions can limit where — and in which currency — the money can be sent.
What is the average German refund amount?
In our latest quarterly calculation, dated 24 August 2026, the average refund was €11,571.66, with a median of €10,327.10. Our retained records include completed refunds from under €200 to over €53,000; the largest recorded refund in the 2026 calculation was €47,000.12. You do not need a German bank account to receive your funds — but the exact amount depends entirely on how much was deducted from your salary during your time working in Germany.
The refund is calculated by the German pension office (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) and is based on:
- Your gross income for each year worked in Germany
- The official pension contribution rate for each year
- The annual contribution cap ("Beitragsbemessungsgrenze") applied during your contribution periods
👉 Example: If you worked in 2025 and earned above the monthly cap of €8,050, your annual pension contribution would be €8,983.80. That year alone would be fully refundable if you're eligible.
The pension office calculates your refund from your official contribution record. Eligible employee contributions are refunded in full, and the refund covers all eligible contribution periods together; you cannot select individual periods for a partial refund.
You'll receive a full official refund statement from the German pension authority before any money is transferred or any fees apply.
Latest Articles on German Pension Refunds
How to Claim a German Pension Refund: Complete 2026 Guide
Worked in Germany and left? You may be able to claim your pension contributions back. This 2026 guide covers every rule that decides your case: eligibility by citizenship, the 60-month limit, the 24-month waiting period, how much you get back, forms, where to send your application, deadlines, objections and survivor claims — each with official sources. Check your eligibility, estimate your refund and choose how to proceed: apply yourself or use our managed service.
Can You Cash Out Your German Company Pension (bAV) After Leaving Germany?
Your German state pension refund and your company pension (bAV) are two separate claims — and the second is routinely forgotten. Once your DRV contributions have been refunded, § 3 (3) BetrAVG gives you the legal right to demand a lump-sum settlement of your vested company pension, whatever its size. This guide covers which schemes qualify, the 2026 small-entitlement thresholds, how the payout is calculated, tax when you live abroad, and the exact steps from refund to payout.
German Pension Refund After Brexit: Rules for UK Nationals and UK Residents
Can you get a German pension refund after Brexit? This guide explains the rules for UK nationals and non-UK nationals living in the UK, including why one German contribution month can already block a refund before retirement age.