After 2 years go to your German embassy in whatever country you moved to, complete a form "A3490" so they confirm you've been out for 2 years. These different models therefore make up the three pillars of the German pension system.Since 2005, all regional and local branches of the German public pension insurance system have been brought under the unified title As of 2020, this monthly contribution ceiling is 6.900 euros in West Germany and 6.450 euros in East Germany. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Public Retirement System - Basic Facts; The Public Retirement System - additional details ; Company Plans; Individual Retirement Investment; Special Section - Refund of Retirement Contributions; Ever since Germany established its first Social Security system in 1889, the public retirement … That does affect your eligibility for a refund as follows. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Most German expat pension contributions remain unclaimed for different reasons. The German Federal Government has ensured through laws that all contributions to company pension schemes are protected, even in the case of company insolvency.The third component of the German pension system is private pension plans set up through banks and insurance companies. If you reside within the EU, you are given the right of voluntary contributions, but that ends outside the EU: If you reside outside the EU, and 24 months after your last contribution in Germany have passed, you are eligible for a refund.it does not matter how long you have paid contributionsYour home country has signed social security agreements with Germany. The state promotes the Riester plan through bonuses and tax benefits.As a general rule, anyone who contributes to the state pension insurance scheme is entitled to set up an additional pension provision through the Riester plan. These different models … At this point in time it is usually easier to collect all relevant details for the application rather than years down the line.You should however not submit your refund application before the 24 month waiting period is up as the pension office will not even look at your application and will send it straight back to you for resubmission at the right time.So, get the application ready when you leave, have it sitting there ready to go and submit after 24 months.The actual refund process is relatively slow. The most frequent situation we come across for the purposes of getting German pension contributions refunded is the following:– You have worked in Germany as a regular employee for less than 60 months– You have paid into the German pension system during this time– You leave the country and stay outside the EU for more than 24 monthsUnder these circumstances it is highly likely that you qualify for a complete refund of your German pension contributions. These cookies do not store any personal information.Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Welcome to Germany Pension Refund, the leading expert platform for expats reclaiming pension contributions paid back in Germany – since 2007!of what you will learn in more detail in this guide. First of all, being considered European, covered by supranational regulations, you only qualify for a refund of your German pension contributions if you are an exceptional case. The amount you receive depends on how long you contributed for, what your salary was, and at what age you retire. Legally you are treated equal to German nationals in terms of social security. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. If you only worked for a short time in Germany, you may also be entitled to a refund.