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German Pension Refund Eligibility | Japan
The information below is for Japanese citizens who previously worked in Germany and contributed to the German pension system.
Germany - Japan| German Pension Refund | All Rights Reserved
German Pension Refund Eligibility for Japanese Citizens
As an Japanese 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 Security 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 Japan defines how this law applies to you.
Rule of Thumb For Japanese:
If you have contributed for 60+ months you can only be reimbursed if you live outside the EU, EEA, CH, UK or Japan.
If you have contributed for less than 60 months, you can also get reimbursed, if you live in Japan.
Can Japanese 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 Japanese Citizens Allowed to Pay Pension Insurance Contributions After Leaving Germany?
The Social Security Agreement between Germany and Japan answers that question:
If you still live in the EU or the United Kingdom, you are allowed to keep paying pension contributions to Germany.
Also, If you currently live in Japan and you have already paid contributions for at least 60 months in Germany you are allowed to keep paying German Pension Contributions.
In other words:
As an Japanese citizen, you can get a pension refund if you live in Japan, but you have contributed for less than 60 months or if you live outside of Japan (and outside the EU or UK) no matter how long you paid contributions.
Social Security Agreement:
Based on the Social Security Agreement between Germany and Japan you are allowed to grow your German pension if you still reside in the EU or UK (voluntary insurance) after leaving Germany if you have qualified for old age pension.
As a Japanese Expat in Germany, after 60 monthly contributions you qualify for a retirement pension.
If you have not qualified, but still live in the EU or the United Kingdom, you are allowed to pay towards the 60 months to qualify, too.
If you live outside the EU, UK and Japan, you could be eligible for a pension refund 24 months after the last contribution was paid. If you live in Japan you can only claim a refund if your German pension balance holds less than 60 mandatory monthly contributions.
How Long Does a German Pension Refund for Japanese 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 most Easy, Quick, and Secure. The correspondence happens within days, 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 Japanese 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.
* Current rate since 2018, different in previous years
Hayao Shizuki
OCT/09/2024
The experience couldn't be better
The experience with Germany Pension Refund couldn't be better. German bureaucracy can be daunting, and from the beginning, Christian from GPR clarified the steps of the pension refund process, what would be needed from me, and how long I could expect it to take. He gave precise answers to all the detailed questions I asked and even followed up after the process was completed to let me know that my private data had been safely deleted. Thank you, Christian and team, it was honestly a pleasure to work with such professionals!
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Junichi Mizuno
MAR/01/2024
I was a little nervous at the beginning...outcome has been great
Julia and her team provided me the excellent service by answering questions smoothly and steadily. I was a little nervous to use this kind of service at the beginning, but the outcome has been great. I recommend this company to anyone who want to avoid the long process and the complicated documentations.
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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!
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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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Hosky
DEC/18/2023
Processed in under two months at a reasonable cost
Highly recommended. Refund was processed in under two months and at a reasonable cost. Thanks Christian and the team!
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DEC/07/2023
Transparent from beginning to end
Straightforward, and transparent from beginning to the end. Very nice.
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