Form A1310: The Payment Declaration (Zahlungserklärung) for Your German Pension Refund, Explained in English
The short answer: Form A1310 („Zahlungserklärung für alle Länder (nicht für Italien)" —payment declaration for all countries except Italy) is the official Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV) form that records the bank account your refund is to be paid to — and the peopleauthorized to use that account. The refund application from abroad, V0901, asks for paymentdetails too (Section 11), but in the refund cases we see, DRV generally still requires theseparate, signed A1310 as the payment declaration used for the payout — in practice itaccompanies almost every refund application from abroad. The two-page PDF is free, in fivelanguage editions including German/English (Version 8, Stand 01.07.2026); Italy has its ownedition, A1311. This guide explains which edition to download, what each section asks, and whatto check before you sign.
Official form (free): A1310 German/English — official DRV form page · All editions, A1311and the other refund forms, explained
Why the pension office wants a signed A1310
In the refund cases we see, the pension office generally releases the refund only once it hasa completed, signed payment declaration identifying the payment account. The decision (Bescheid) says how much is refunded; the payment declaration says where the money goes and who may use that account. After the decision, the payment itself is executed by the RentenService of Deutsche Post AG, a separate payout institution acting for the pension insurance.
Why a separate form when V0901 already asks for your bank account? V0901's payment section isshort. The A1310 records the payment route, the account holder and any additional personauthorized to use the account in more detail, with its own signature lines — and in the refund cases we handle, DRV offices use this separately signed declaration for the payout. Sending it with the application can help avoid a later request.
A German bank account is not required. The account you name must be usable for the payment route and the required declarations — sanctions and banking restrictions can still matter. The form asks for IBAN and BIC/SWIFT where those identifiers apply; for other banking systems, it provides account-number and national-routing fields. Bank charges and exchange-rate losses on transfers abroad are borne by the recipient, as DRV states in its information on paymentsabroad.
Which edition to download
One form number, five language editions. All five have the same form number and purpose — apayment declaration "for all countries (not for Italy)" — but their version numbers and printed notes differ. The German text is what the pension office processes; the other language is there so you can read and complete it. This walk through follows German/English Version 8. If you use another edition, follow the notes printed on that form.
All five verified on the official DRV form pages on 4 September 2026; download from the official page — it carries the current version. DRV asks for double-sided (duplex) printing; the PDF can be filled in on screen and is signed on paper. Older numbers you may still find in search — A1312, A1313, A3863 — are retired, and their DRV pages no longer exist; every current edition carries the number A1310.
A1310, A1311 or R0985?
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A1310 — the payment declaration for an account in any country except Italy; in the refund cases we see, it accompanies almost every refund paid abroad.
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A1311 („Zahlungserklärung Italien", German/Italian; Version 6, Stand 02.05.2025) — the Italy edition.
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R0985 („Angaben zum Zahlungsweg", German; Version 16, Stand 01.07.2025) — described by DRV's online service as the payment-route form for a German domestic account („Angaben zum Zahlungsweg bei Inlandskonto"); not the form for an account abroad.
Completing A1310, section by section
Work from the German/English edition (Version 8, Stand 01.07.2026) and let the English text guide you — the pension office reads the German. The form is two pages.
1. You and the account. Your name, your address abroad and your German insurance number (Versicherungsnummer) — exactly as on your refund application, so the declaration can be matched to your file. Then the account: the bank's name and address; the IBAN and BIC/SWIFT where those identifiers apply — for other banking systems, the account-number and national-routing fields the form provides. Three fields are easy to miss: the EURO account checkbox (subject to the country exceptions printed on the form); for a US account, whether it is a checking or savings account; and, where your banking system uses one, the routing number, BSB number or branch/institution number. Copy every identifier from your bank's own documents — one wrong digit can stop or misdirect a transfer. Lost your insurance number?
2. Section 2 — who may use the account. Tick exactly one of the four options:
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You alone are authorized to use the account.
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You have granted another person authority over the account — the form does not offer this for US or Canadian accounts.
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It is a joint account — for a US or Canadian joint account, the form accepts this only where the joint holder is your spouse.
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You are not the account holder — the current form offers this only for an account at a financial institution in the EU. Where none of the options fits your situation, name an account of your own instead.
3. Section 3 — the additional person. Depending on the option ticked in Section 2, Section 3 records the joint account holder, the person authorized to use the account, or the payment recipient.
4. Signatures. You sign and date the printed form; each additional person named in Section 3 signs the corresponding signature line. The second page carries the Renten Service's data-protection notice.
Living in Morocco or Tunisia?
If you live in Morocco, Article 35 of the German–Moroccan social-security agreement routes the payment through a Moroccan bank to an account in your own name, and residents of Tunisia are inpractice paid the same way — how payment works there is explained on our Morocco and Tunisia pages.
In a managed claim
In managed claims, we prepare the correct payment declaration for your payout route — this is also where account-holder checks and banking restrictions are handled. Your refund is paid through 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. Fee details · Check your eligibility →
FAQ
Do I need A1310 if I am filing V0901? In practice, almost always — yes. V0901 asks for payment details in Section 11, but in therefund cases we see, DRV generally still requires the separate, signed A1310 as the payment declaration for the payout. Italy uses A1311.
Which language edition should I use? Any of the five — they share the form number and purpose, but their version numbers and printed notes differ. The German text is what the office processes; pick the edition whose other language you read best, whatever country you live in. This guide follows German/English Version 8 — if you use another edition, follow the notes printed on that form.
Can the refund go to someone else's account? Only within the options the form offers. On the current A1310, an account you do not hold can be named only where it is at a financial institution in the EU; a joint US or Canadian account is accepted only with your spouse as joint holder; and account authority for another person is not offered for US or Canadian accounts. The other person is entered in Section 3 and signs. In a managed claim, a third-party account can be used where the required account-holder declaration and compliance checks are satisfied. Account-holder checks, international sanctions and banking restrictions can limit where — and in which currency — the money can be sent.
Is a German bank account required? No. A German bank account is not required. The account must be usable for the payment route and the required declarations; sanctions and banking restrictions can still matter.
My bank details have changed after I sent the form — what now? Tell the pension office handling your claim immediately. For a replacement account abroad, send a new, signed payment declaration — A1310, or A1311 for Italy — and state that it replaces the earlier one. For a German domestic account, use R0985. Once you have the decision, follow the payment instructions in it.
I am a managed client and was asked to post the original payment declaration — why? Most clients can complete their Germany Pension Refund steps digitally. And when DRV Oldenburg-Bremen is the office responsible for your refund, we prepare the power of attorney and payment declaration and ask you to send us the signed originals — a limited exception rather than the rule.
Official downloads and further guides
Sources: DRV form A1310 in its five language editions (German/English Version 8, Stand01.07.2026; German/French Version 8, Stand 01.07.2026; German/Spanish Version 6, Stand01.07.2026; German/Portuguese Version 6, Stand 01.07.2026; German/Greek/Turkish Version 7,Stand 01.07.2025) · DRV form V0901 (Section 11) · DRV form A1311 (Version 6, Stand 02.05.2025)· DRV form R0985 (Version 16, Stand 01.07.2025) and DRV's online-service description · DRV information on pension payments abroad · our V0901 guide, forms registry and routing guide. Last checked: 8 September 2026 · Reviewed by: Johannes Kühn