German Pension Refund Calculator
A realistic 30-second estimate of what the Deutsche Rentenversicherung owes you on departure. Based on the 9.3 % employee share, the 2025 contribution-assessment ceiling and 40,000+ real cases since 2014. No sign-up, no email required.
Eligibility check
Are you entitled to get money back from Germany?
If you worked in Germany and now live outside the EU, there is a very good chance you can claim back your pension contributions. Answer a few quick questions.
40,000+ deregistrations
Successfully completed.
Since 2014
11 years of experience.
4.9/5 rating
300+ verified reviews.
99-day guarantee
Full refund if we fail.
What is the refund?
On departure from Germany, non-EU citizens can reclaim their employee share (9.3 % of gross salary) from the statutory pension system. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung pays this lump sum after a mandatory 24-month waiting period.
Full guideHow accurate is the estimate?
Within ±5 % of the official Rentenversicherung decision in most cases. Variations come from year-specific contribution ceilings, the difference between East and West rates (until 2024), and credited months from sick leave or parental allowance.
How the calculation works
The formula is short: gross salary × 9.3 % × contribution months. The 9.3 % is your employee share of the pension contribution. Your employer paid the same amount again — that half stays with the pension fund and is never refunded.
An example: EUR 4,000 gross per month, three years worked. That is 4,000 × 0.093 × 36 = roughly EUR 13,390. At EUR 6,000 over four years it comes to about EUR 26,780. That is why refunds usually land in the four- to five-figure range, and why it pays to run the numbers before you file.
What moves the estimate up or down
- The contribution ceiling. Earnings above the ceiling (EUR 7,550 per month in 2025) do not count. High earners get back less than the plain multiplication suggests.
- Months with contributions but no salary. Sick pay, parental allowance and unemployment benefit are contribution periods. They raise your month count even though no wage was paid.
- Part-time spells and pay rises. The calculator works from an average. If you earned much less early on, enter the middle of your range, not your final salary.
- East–West rates until 2024. Separate figures applied before the alignment, so older contribution years can differ from the official decision.
The number is one thing, the entitlement another
A sum on screen does not mean you will receive it. Three conditions have to hold: you are a citizen of a country outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, you have fewer than 60 contribution months, and 24 months have passed since your last contribution. The calculator above asks exactly that before it shows a figure.
Two things catch almost everyone. First, the waiting period runs from your last contribution, not from the day you left or your final working day — unemployment benefit pushes it back. Second, a second nationality blocks the refund if it is German, EU/EEA/Swiss or British: if you are allowed to keep paying in voluntarily, you get a pension later instead of your contributions back.
For the paperwork, the form the pension office expects and the tax treatment in your new country, read the full pension refund guide.