🇩🇪 Get Reimbursed

Only 9.75% service fee — no minimum, maximum €2,500.

Fast & secure payout via a German law firm’s escrow account.

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Your information is used only to assess your eligibility and process your refund. It is never sold and is only shared with trusted processors when necessary.
See our Privacy Policy for full details

German Pension Refund

Q: Who can get a refund?

Anyone who worked in Germany 2 or more years ago, is a non-EU citizen, and has left the EU/UK.

Q: How much is the service fee?

The service is 100% success-based with no upfront payment. The fee is 9.75% of your refund and capped at a maximum of €2,500. All legal fees and processing costs are included, and you only pay after your refund has been received.

Q: What documents do I need?

Typically your passport, deregistration certificate (Abmeldung), and German pension number (Sozialversicherungsnummer). If something is missing, we can often help retrieve it.

Q: How is the refund paid?

The refund is paid into a secure German law firm escrow account and then transferred to your preferred bank account anywhere in the world.

Q: What is the average German refund amount?

On average, our clients receive a refund of about €14,800. The exact amount depends on your past contributions and is calculated by the Deutsche Rentenversicherung based on your official records.

Get your German pension refunded – fast, secure, and with no upfront fees.

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 operate on a no-win, no-fee basis — with no upfront costs, full legal support, and secure payouts via a German law firm’s escrow account. You’ll receive full English support throughout the entire process.

On average, our clients receive €14,800, with most refunds processed in just 8 weeks.

Who is eligible for a refund?

If you’re a citizen from outside the European Union who worked in Germany, you may be entitled to a full refund— once you’ve left the country. You must meet both of these conditions:

#1: You currently live outside the EU
#2: At least 24 months have passed since your last pension contribution in Germany

If that applies to you — congratulations. You may qualify to reclaim your full pension contributions.

Visit our FAQ page for full details.

We handle the bureaucracy — you get your refund.
You won’t need to deal with confusing paperwork or German bureaucracy.
We manage the entire process, including:

✅ Certificate of life

✅ Payment declaration

✅ Payment authorization

✅ Deregistration and residency documents

✅ Any additional paperwork required

No German bank account? No problem. We’ll ensure your refund is delivered to your local bank account, in your preferred currency.

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 lump-sum payout after a successful German state pension refund.

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.

Legal support included. No upfront payment. 100% online.

Your application is handled by a trusted German law firm.
Legal fees are already included in our 9.75% success-based fee capped at €2,500 for large refunds — and you only pay if your refund is approved.
All payouts are processed through a secure escrow account to ensure transparency and safety.

Get started today — your refund could be worth thousands.

Claim Refund

Germany 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 we help eligible non-EU citizens reclaim their German pension contributions. We check your eligibility, prepare the required documents and coordinate your claim with our partner law firm, which handles the submission and secure receipt of your refund.

Since 2015, we have supported former employees around the world through the process in English. There are no upfront fees—you only pay if your refund is successful.

Check Your Eligibility

Read why expats love working with us.

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, 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.

Free Eligibility Check

Answer a few simple questions to check if you are eligible

German Pension Refund for Expats

START HERE

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? Use our free eligibility check for an initial assessment. If you proceed with us, we prepare the required documents and coordinate your claim with our partner law firm. There are no upfront fees—you only pay if your refund is successful.

Check Your Eligibility

Do I Qualify for a German Pension Refund

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 reimbursement calculator to get an estimate of your possible premium reimbursement.

The average pension refund is 14,800 Euros and you do not need to hold a German bank account to receive your funds.

* Current rate since 2018, different in previous years

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 collect and organise the required information, prepare documents using the information provided by the customer and coordinate the process. Our German partner law firm reviews and submits each claim, communicates with the Deutsche Rentenversicherung and provides any legal advice or representation required.

Learn More About Us.

We are experts on this topic. Our team is specialized in every social security agreement Germany has signed. Our experience goes back to the year 2015.

We team up with specialized law firms to speed up the process and gain full legal leverage. Read more.

We provide free evaluation of your case - do not hesitate to contact us regarding your refund, eligibility, residence, waiting period, or any other questions that might arise reading through the information about German Pension Refunds.

Read below how our most recent customers experienced working with us.

Or visit our Testimonials.

prabhakar dhulipalla

Marco Japutra

1.2k+ Verified Client Reviews – Google, ProvenExpert & Trustpilot

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🇧🇷

Beethoven Costa

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can get a refund?

Anyone who worked in Germany 2 years or longer ago, is a non-EU citizen, and has left the EU/UK.

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.

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?

On average, our clients receive a refund of €14,800 — 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.

Want to learn more?

Visit our FAQ Section →

Latest Articles on German Pension Refunds

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.

Apr 21