Could a refund be relevant?
This page offers general information and a preliminary, non-binding orientation. It is not legal or pension advice. Deutsche Rentenversicherung alone makes the official decision.
General considerations can include nationality, current country of residence, whether compulsory insurance has ended, when the last relevant compulsory contribution was paid, whether voluntary German insurance is legally available, and German or foreign insurance periods.
Every application is an individual case
No two contribution-refund applications are exactly the same. The applicable requirements, necessary documents, responsible DRV office and processing time depend on the complete circumstances of the individual case.
Relevant factors may include your nationality, current country of residence, when and where you lived and worked, the type and duration of your employment, your German contribution record, compulsory or voluntary insurance, periods of study or research, self-employment, postings by an employer, and insurance or employment periods in other EU/EEA countries, Switzerland or countries with a social-security agreement with Germany.
A period outside Germany can therefore still be relevant to the German application. DRV may need to clarify how different periods relate to one another before it can make a decision. For this reason, the frequently mentioned 24-month waiting period or 60-month threshold should never be treated as the only test.
Non-binding orientation
Answer six short questions. The result is general orientation only. The tool does not request documents and does not create an account.
Non-binding orientation
What is your nationality?
In which country do you currently live?
Are you currently compulsorily insured in Germany or another relevant system?
When did your last relevant compulsory pension-insurance period end?
Approximately how many German contribution months do you have?
Did you have insured employment in another country?
A refund may be worth exploring.
This is general, non-binding orientation based only on the information entered. It is not legal or pension advice. Deutsche Rentenversicherung alone makes the official decision.
This tool provides general information and is not legal, pension, financial or tax advice.
