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German Pension Refund Eligibility | Brazil
The information below is for Brazilian citizens who previously worked in Germany and contributed to the German pension system.
Germany - Brazil | German Pension Refund | All Rights Reserved
German Pension Refund Eligibility for Brazilian Citizens
As an Brazilian Expat, while you were employed in Germany, each month a percentage of your gross salary was paid to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung - the statutory German Pension Insurance - as a pension insurance contribution for your retirement pension.
But what happens to your contributions now, after you have left Germany? Can you get that money back?
The German Social Code (§210 SGB VI) regulates the reimbursement of pension contributions from the German Pension Insurance in general, while the Social Security Agreement between Germany and Brazil defines how this law applies to you.
Rule of Thumb For Brazilians:
If you have contributed for 60+ months you can only get a pension refund if you live outside of Brazil.
If you have contributed for less than 60 months, you can get a pension refund, if you live in Brazil.
Can Brazilian Citizens Claim a Refund of their German Pension Contributions?
After leaving Germany you are generally eligible for a German pension refund, if...
a) you are not allowed to keep paying German Pension contributions (voluntary insurance) where you currently live, and...
b) at least 24 months have passed since the last pension contribution payment in Germany.
If you are allowed to pay voluntary insurance (a), is defined by the agreement with your home country.
Office building Rentenversicherung, Berlin | The German statutory pension insurance | All Rights Reserved
Are Brazilian Citizens Allowed to Pay Pension Insurance Contributions After Leaving Germany?
The Social Security Agreement* between Germany and Brazil answers that question:
If you still live in the EU or the United Kingdom, you are allowed to pay voluntary pension contributions to Germany but you cannot claim a refund.
Also, If you have already paid contributions for at least 60 months you are allowed to pay voluntary insurance in Germany from anywhere in the world.
In other words:
As a Brazilian citizen, you can only get a pension refund if you have contributed for less than 60 months.
*Read Agreement between Germany and Brazil on Social Security
Social Security Agreement:
Based on the Social Security Agreement between Germany and Brazil you are allowed to grow your German pension ( voluntary insurance) if you still reside in the EU or UK or if you have already contributed for at least 60 months.
If you have not qualified for pension, and you live outside the EU or the United Kingdom, you could be eligible for a pension refund, 24 months after the last contribution was paid.
How Long Does a German Pension Refund for Brazilian Citizens Take?
The German pension authority is supposed to provide a decision on your claim within 6 months from submission.
If after 6 months you have not received a decision (Bescheid) from the authorities in Germany, our specialists will take legal action based on the Social Court Act (§88 SGG) and sue the authority for inaction. The court will then force the pension office to act.
How We Speed Up the Refund Process:
GermanyPensionRefund.com is able to provide you with the fastest average process times of 8 weeks while others have to wait six months or longer.
A German law firm escrow account will be provided, which makes your refund process the most Easy, Quick, and Secure experience. Correspondence happens within hours, and our legal specialists know exactly how to speed up the process for you.
How Much Can I Claim From My German Pension Insurance?
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.
As an Brazilian citizens you can claim your pension insurance contributions based on the rules explained above.
Use our free reimbursement calculator to get an estimate of your possible premium reimbursement.
Bruno Ribeiro
APR/09/2024
Got my refund in less than a month
Got my refund back in less than a month after the first contact with them, great support from the team!
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Patrícia Martins
MAR/14/2024
Answered all my questions in a clear way...highly recommend!
This office provided me an excellent job.
I was able to get my pension refund from a 3 year PhD in Germany.
They answered all my quentions in a clear way.
In special, Johannes was very nice to me.
I highly recomend their work! =)
Posted on
MAR/12/2024
Did everything to solve every issue we had on the way...explained thoroughly what the office required
After seeing so many positive reviews, I decided to ask for their assistance to apply for a refund. From the beginning until the end, Johannes was incredibly kind, friendly, helpful, thoughtful and fast to answer my emails or notify me about any progress. My process took a longer time than the usual (if compared with what has been reported on the reviews) because of different reasons that affected tha Pension Office work, but he did everything to solve every issue we had on the way and also explained thoroughly what the office required and what else was missing in every step.
If you are planning to get a tax refund I strongly recommend that you use their services. I am very grateful for everything and wish them all the best. :)
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Wesley Osorio
JAN/21/2024
Always walking through the process as close and as fast as possible
I had a great experience working with Johannes and the German Pension Refund, he was aways very helpful. My whole process was a bit slow but was visible that was caused by the governmental bureaucracy and Johannes was always answering and walking through the process as close and as fast as possible.
I really recommend his work and this company.
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Osvaldice
JAN/05/2024
Worked perfectly
It worked perfectly and they are strongly supportive in the process
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JAN/03/2024
A pleasure to work with from start to finish... I highly recommend!
Johannes was a pleasure to work with from start to finish! He kept me updated throughout the process and was quick to answer any questions I had. I highly recommend Johannes and his team!
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Vedant Gandhi
DEC/26/2023
Timely updates...100% safe and secured refund process
The process is really smooth. Though it takes time due to beurocratic challenges but Johannes and his team takes you hand to hand with the whole process. timely updates about the process was given. And 100% safe and secured refund process. Thanks for the amazing services.
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Divya Agarwal
DEC/23/2023
Very smooth and hassle free
They helped me with the refund process. Made the process very smooth and hassle free
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Mulewa Johychim
DEC/22/2023
I got my refund sooner than I expected. They did all the hustle!
Wooow! Germany Pension Refund is sure deal. If you are out there looking for how you can claim your pension refund after having worked in Germany, please don't go anywhere else but choose Germany Pension Refund to do almost everything for you while you are relaxing in your home country. Guys, I'm being honest! I'm not marketing for GPR but I'm sharing from my recent experience. I got my refund sooner than I expected. They did all the hustle! They're very professional and they guide you in every step.
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Gerald Lontabo
DEC/20/2023
6 star service
Thanks for german pension… for very good experience procecing my refund… their very acomadate their clients i will give them 6 star service….
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DEC/19/2023
A+ experience...fantastic providing great communication
Honestly an A+ experience. I put off getting my pension back for so long due to the amount of effort it would require (not to mention the language barrier!).
Johannes was fantastic providing great communication and explaining how it all works. Even checking in once a month to let me know of the current status - all the way right up to me received the payment.
Thanks again!
Posted on
Wagner Fornasari
DEC/19/2023
Professional and transparent
Completely professional and transparent process. Service without excessive bureaucracy and within the promised time.
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Read more about the social security agreement or working in Germany and Brazil from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung here.
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