Pension question, Germany
Can I get a refund of my German pension contributions?
A refund of the employee's share of German contributions can only be requested once the person has not been subject to compulsory German insurance for at least 24 calendar months and is not permitted to insure themselves voluntarily. DRV states that contributions can be refunded on application only when compulsory insurance in the German pension scheme no longer applies, at least 24 calendar months have passed since leaving compulsory insurance, and there is no entitlement to voluntary insurance in the German scheme.
What to do next
- Note the date your compulsory German insurance ended.
- List any insurance you have held in other countries since you left Germany.
- Run our free check to see which other countries may hold a pension in your name.
Check your own working life for free
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.
Run the free checkQuestions people also ask
Do years in other EU countries matter here?
The gate is five years of insurance, and Deutsche Rentenversicherung states that the German and the foreign insurance periods are added together to test it, so years insured elsewhere in the EU can carry you through a gate you assumed you had failed.
- 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.