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After leaving Germany

Your pension after leaving Germany

The §210 contribution refund irreversibly extinguishes the ENTIRE record (old-age, disability, survivor cover, all credited periods), yet with 60 totalized months you may already hold a vested pension; plus the Mütterrente child-raising screen.

Start a $99 Country Pension Identification Report

Full refund if we find nothing material.

Verified country facts

Every line below is drawn from the verified country dossier. We never fabricate facts; candidate items are gated out of customer-facing copy.

Time-critical dates

  • Voluntary back-pay door: Voluntary contributions for a calendar year are only effective if paid by 31 March of the following year (SGB VI §197(2))Official source, checked 21 August 2026
  • Refund clock: A contribution refund is only possible once 24 calendar months have passed since compulsory insurance ended (SGB VI §210(6))Official source, checked 21 August 2026
  • Late-claim window: SGB VI §99: a pension starts from the month the conditions are met only if applied for by the end of the third calendar month after that month; a later application starts the pension from the month of applicationOfficial source, checked 21 August 2026
  • Survivor backdating: 12-month cap; 30-day Sterbevierteljahr lump-advance window

How records are reached

Personal-record access wall: Digitale Rentenübersicht (German/EU eID + Steuer-ID; third-country leavers locked out)

A postal DRV Kontenklärung route is available, startable with only the lifelong Versicherungsnummer, no eID, results posted

Cross-border

Totalization across EU/EEA/CH + ~18 bilaterals (incl. US, CA, AU, JP, IN); German periods <12 months absorbed by the other EU state.

Primary sources: deutsche-rentenversicherung.de · gesetze-im-internet.de (SGB VI)

Everything above is drawn from the verified Germany dossier. The Germany country page sets out what we identify, what it costs and who it is for.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still claim my Germany pension if I live abroad?

Germany is unusual among walled markets: the personal record can be opened from abroad with only the lifelong insurance number, no eID required, the genuine difficulty is occupational (bAV), which has no national register at all and where employer continuity over decades is the bottleneck.

What happens to a Germany pension if I do nothing?

The record never lapses by inaction, but late claiming permanently forfeits months past the §99 3-month window (post-67 delay partly offset). DRV stops proactive contact ~3 years after leaving.

Do you give financial advice on what to do with a Germany pension?

No. We identify the scheme and access route. We do not advise on transfer, consolidation, drawdown, or taxation, those decisions belong with a regulated adviser in your country of residence.

What if you find nothing?

Full refund. Our report is a fixed $99 fee; if it delivers nothing material, you pay nothing.

See also