Just over 9 percent of most salaries in Germany comes straight off your payslip and into your state pension.
After 60 months of contributions, you become eligible for a German pension when you retire. But what happens if you've only come to Germany for a short job - and intend to leave before you hit those 60 months?
Depending on your situation - you may be entitled to ask for a refund that could be worth thousands of euros. But there's a few questions to answer to confirm your eligibility.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Do you pension contributions abroad count in Germany?
How long did you pay in and when did you last pay in?
Once you've contributed to a German pension for at least 60 months, you become eligible for German pension payments when you turn 67 - regardless of your nationality or where you live.
As such, you can't request a refund after this. You can only apply to receive your pension payments when you turn 67.
If, however, you put in less than 60 payments, you can request a refund in certain cases. If you're eligible, you can generally ask for this refund when you turn 67 or if the last payment you made into a pension in the EU, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, or Turkey was at least two years prior.
READ ALSO: What Americans living in Germany need to know about pensions
Which nationalities matter and when?
Generally speaking, citizens of EU countries, as well as Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein only qualify for a refund if they haven't hit 60 months of contributions by the time they turn 67.
If this is still true when they turn 67, they can apply for a refund - but not earlier.
Citizens of most other countries who haven't hit 60 months of contributions to a German pension can typically make a refund request when they turn 67 - or at least two years after they made their last contribution payment.
If applying before 67 though, where you live when you make the refund request impacts your eligibility.
READ ALSO: Pensions in the EU: What you need to know if you're moving country
How does where I live after I've left Germany matter?
If you're a non-EU, EEA, or Swiss national, made less than 60 pension contribution payments and left Germany more than 24 months ago - you still can't generally request a refund if you live in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the UK, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia or Turkey,
If you do, you will generally have to wait until you no longer live in one of those countries - or until you turn 67.
On top of theses restrictions, there's a few others for certain nationalities. Turkish citizens who left Germany and now live in Turkey can only request a pension refund if they're not working in Turkey.
Israeli citizens additionally cannot live in Israel and be eligible for a refund. The same is true for Japanese citizens living in Japan. However, an Israeli or Japanese national living in the US - for example - would qualify for a refund.
Tunisian citizens living in Tunisia when they ask for their refund must have a Tunisian bank account.
UK citizens qualify for early refunds only if they didn't ever work in Germany before Brexit on January 1st, 2021. If they did, they will be eligible for a German pension when they turn 67 and thus cannot get their contributions refunded - even the ones made after Brexit.
READ ALSO: How long do you have to work to receive a German pension?
How do I ask for my refund?
The refund will not be given to you automatically. You will need to request it by filling in these forms.
Expect that you'll need to provide a few other documents. These will include a copy of your passport, your de-registration certificate (Abmeldung) proving that you left Germany, and payment information forms.
There may be others that Germany's public pension provider ends up asking you for. It can be a long and bureaucratic process.
READ ALSO: How does Germany's retirement age compare to the rest of Europe?
Rachel Loxton
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