Beitragserstattung von der Deutschen Rentenversicherung für Nicht-EU-Bürger

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 is 100% success-based with no upfront payment.
The fee is 9.75% of your refund, and it is capped at a maximum of €2,500 — even for very large refunds.
All legal fees and processing costs are already included.
You only pay after your refund has been successfully received.

 

Can I apply for my pension refund myself, for free?

 

Yes. Applying to Deutsche Rentenversicherung is free, and you can do it yourself at any time — we say so openly. What clients pay us for is everything around the application: preparing the legal forms and certified documents, receiving and answering Deutsche Rentenversicherung's letters — which come by post, in German — following up from abroad, and a secure payout through our partner law firm's escrow account, with a fee that is only due after your refund has arrived. If you'd rather apply yourself, our guide walks through the full process. 
 

Will my refund arrive faster with your service?

 

Deutsche Rentenversicherung's processing time is its own — nobody can shortcut the authority, and we won't pretend otherwise. What eleven years of cases do change: your application arrives complete, at the DRV office actually responsible for your country, with the documentation officers expect to see — so it doesn't trigger rounds of follow-up letters, and each avoided round, sent by post across borders, saves weeks. Most of our clients' refunds arrive within 8 weeks of submission.
 

Is the refund taxable?

​

In Germany, no. Please check if your country of residence has a double-taxation agreement with Germany. 

 

What documents do I need?

 

Your passport, deregistration certificate, and pension number (Sozialversicherungsnummer).

 

How is the refund paid?

 

Into a secure law firm escrow account, and then transferred to your preferred global account.

 

What is the average German refund amount?

 

In 2026 so far, the average refund our clients received is €11,438 (ranging under €200 to over €38,000)  — and you do not need to hold 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.​

​

⚖️ Important: By law, only a full refund of all eligible contribution periods is possible. Partial refunds are not allowed, and no agency — including us — can increase or manipulate the refund amount.
This isn’t like a tax refund: there are no deductions, tricks, or adjustments. If you're eligible, the entire amount contributed by you is refunded — directly based on your official records.

​

You’ll receive a full official refund statement from the German pension authority before any money is transferred or any fees apply.