German Pension Refund Calculator & Eligibility Check
Check your eligibility and estimate your refund in under a minute — free, no signup, with exact yearly rates and ceilings since 1975.
AUG/11/2026
Structures, transparent and hassle-free returns
The whole refund process was structured & hassle free and the team was very supportive at every step of the process. I got my refund without breaking a sweat, hence I would highly recommend germanypensionrefund.com for a good experience and return.
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Maria Jose de la Riva
FEB/28/2026
Extremely fast process!
Super smooth and extremely fast process! I worked with Christian who was very responsive and quick to answer any questions. It was a pleasure! I would 100% work with them again.
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How to Use the Calculator
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Check your eligibility first. Select your citizenship, the country you live in now, and the first and last month you worked in Germany. If you live in Türkiye or a former Yugoslav country, we'll also ask whether you currently pay into the local state pension — this affects your eligibility. If you seem eligible, you can start your claim directly — or continue to step 2 for your estimate.
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Estimate your refund. Enter your period of work, your average gross monthly salary (Brutto) and whether you worked in West or East Germany. The calculator applies the exact statutory employee contribution rate and monthly contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze) for every year from 1975 to today — not a flat percentage — so older working periods are calculated correctly, including Deutsche Mark years.
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The amount shown is your own (employee) contributions — the part that gets refunded. Employer contributions are not refundable. You don't need to obtain any documents before starting — the final refund statement (Bescheid) shows your full insurance record and exactly how your refund was calculated. Read your result.
The estimate is free, takes under a minute, and no personal data is stored unless you start your refund with us.
Want every rule behind these results? Read the complete 2026 guide to the German pension refund.
How to Manually Calculate My Pension Refund
The most reliable way to manually calculate your German pension refund amount is to use your monthly payslips. You’ll need your December payslips for each year you worked for each employer, and you’ll need the payslips for the last month you worked in Germany.
Add the annual totals together, and you have the total amount you contributed. If your payslip does not show paid pension contributions, you have not contributed to the German pension insurance (and cannot claim a refund).
Another way to calculate your refund is to use your annual wage tax statements. You can add the amount displayed at section 23.a, which shows your share of the contribution. However, please note that wage tax statements can be incorrect, please refer to payslips if available.
Alternatively, if you only know your gross salary, and have no documentation, you can calculate the percentage for each year up to the cap, and add the sums together to reach an estimate of your German pension refund amount.
Lastly, if you hold your insurance record and the periods are complete, you can simply multiply the “Entgelt” with the corresponding yearly contribution rate (since 2018: 9.3%) and add the amounts.
Or, if you’re looking for an easier way to calculate your refund amount automatically, simply use our free calculator above.
Important Note:
The calculator does not serve as a guarantee to get a refund nor does it prove your eligibility. It is designed to help you calculate how much money you have contributed over the years.
If you are eligible for a refund, we can help you get your money back.
Am I Eligible for a German Pension Refund?
Whether you can claim a German pension refund depends on a few factors. We need to know your nationality, where you live now, how long you worked in Germany. We also need to know how long it's been since you last worked here.
Let's look at these requirements in more detail:
OCT/14/2023
Really satisfied with their work
Wonderful, they solved my request within a couple of months. I am really satisfied with their work.
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Tegan Reeves
OCT/10/2023
Made navigating German bureaucracy a breeze
Johannes was responsive and helpful throughout the entire process, and made navigating German bureaucracy a breeze!
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OCT/09/2023
Seamless process...Fair rates
Absolutely seamless process. Fair rates and great communications. Highly recommended.
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Ashish Gandhi
OCT/08/2023
Seamless and efficient...Don't think twice and go with them
The experience with Johannes was seamless and efficient. I got my refund really quickly and without any hassles whatsoever. Highly recommend German pension fund team. Don’t think twice and go with them.
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Nationality
Citizens of most countries outside Europe can claim a refund of their pension contributions. Additional rules apply for the following contracting states:
USA, India, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Albania, Ex-Yugoslav States, Israel, Japan, Moldova, North Macedonia, The Philippines, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Citizens of Germany, the EU, the EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), Switzerland and the UK keep the right to contribute to the German pension system even after leaving Germany — which means no refund before retirement age. Their contributions are not lost: with at least 60 contribution months (counting insurance across the EU), they earn a German pension at retirement age — and if the 60 months are not reached by then, a refund becomes possible at that point.
Country of Residence
If you live in the EU or the United Kingdom, you cannot claim a pension refund — at least not until you reach the German retirement age. A refund is only possible while you live outside the EU and the UK. If you move to an eligible country later, you can claim from there.
Duration of Work in Germany
If you paid German pension contributions for 5 years (60 months) or more and are a citizen of one of the following countries, you cannot claim a refund before retirement age:
USA, India, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Albania, Moldova, North Macedonia, the Philippines, South Korea and Uruguay.
Japanese citizens face the 5-year limit only while living in Japan — outside Japan, no limit applies.
Israeli citizens can claim only while living outside Israel, at any contribution count.
Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia can claim only while living outside those four countries. For Turkish citizens, no contribution limit applies.
Period of Time Since Your Last Pension Contribution in Germany
You can apply for a refund 24 full calendar months after your last mandatory pension contribution in Germany, the EU, the UK, Türkiye or an ex-Yugoslav country.
The clock runs from the last month of employment, receipt of unemployment benefits, or parental leave — the date of deregistration is not relevant. The waiting period confirms that you have left the European labor market for good.
Claim Your German Pension Refund Today
Our experience of navigating the German pension refund process enables us to deliver a streamlined service that's easy, fast, and secure. Making a claim through us takes less than 5 minutes to start, and refunds arrive on average around 8 weeks after submission — while self-submitted claims frequently take 6 months or longer, often stalled by small errors in the forms.