Pension question, Germany
How do I apply for a German pension from abroad?
Deutsche Rentenversicherung prints the problem itself: the pension does not come automatically when you reach pension age. You must apply, and nobody writes to remind you.
- Source: deutsche-rentenversicherung.de, read 3 October 2026
What to do next
- Mark the date you meet the conditions for your German pension, and the three months after it.
- Gather your German insurance number and the dates of every German job.
- Run our free check to see the other countries in your working life.
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Tell us where you worked. The free check shows which countries may hold a pension for you, and which can be ruled out and why. No sign in, no charge.
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What happens if the application is late?
There is a three month window once you qualify, and Deutsche Rentenversicherung states that if you apply later the pension as a rule begins only from the month you applied, so the months in between are gone.
- Source: deutsche-rentenversicherung.de, read 3 October 2026
Do you give advice on what to do?
No. We identify where a pension is likely held and the official route to it, and we name each source with the date we read it. We do not give financial, tax or legal advice.