Get your pension money back

Generally, non-EU and UK nationals have the right to a German pension refund. In special cases, EU and UK citizens also have the right to a pension refund. For this reason, it is important to check eligibility individually for each case.

Yes, in most cases there is a mandatory 24-month waiting period, which cannot be avoided. In any case, checking whether a pension refund is possible and finding out your earliest eligibility date is useful as soon as you leave or are planning to leave Germany. This gives you enough time to decide. If you decide to obtain a pension refund, you can start preparing everything in advance and make sure that you receive your refund as soon as you are eligible.

Five years or 60 months do not automatically answer the refund question on their own. They are part of the eligibility logic together with nationality, current residence and the broader pension situation, so the case should be checked before you rule refund in or out.

If you decide to obtain your pension refund through Fundsback, you will only need to provide a valid identification document. The rest will be taken care of by Fundsback.

Most cases finish within 8 weeks. Around 90% of refunds arrive within two months, some after just 10 days. The exact timing depends on how complex your case is and how busy the German Pension Insurance is; by law it may take up to six months to decide. We submit your application in full so that missing documents or wrong details don’t delay it or get it rejected. We also run all correspondence with the German Pension Insurance, so time zones and slow post don’t cost you weeks.

Pension Refund follows a no-win-no-fee model. You only pay when the refund is successfully paid out. The standard success fee is 9.9%, with a minimum of EUR 899 and a maximum of EUR 2,631.58. Right now, Fundsback offers a limited discount of 5% on these fees, bringing the effective rate to 9.405% (minimum EUR 854.05, maximum EUR 2,500). The cost of an external lawyer is included. There are no upfront payments or hidden charges.

Yes, it is possible for you to apply for a pension refund yourself. You will then have to handle all the preparation, submission, and back and forth with the German authorities and bureaucracy yourself. On the other hand, by using a service like Fundsback, you will enjoy a hassle-free refund process without any need for active research or preparation from your side, since Fundsback takes care of all the documentation. Furthermore, your case will be submitted by a German lawyer who will make sure that your claim is correctly prepared, submitted and processed, and who will answer all queries from the German Pension Insurance directly.

The refund amount depends on how long you worked in Germany and how much you earned. Only the employee share of contributions (roughly half of what was paid in) is refundable. On average, Fundsback clients receive EUR 12,926 back. The free Pension Check and our refund calculator can give you a first estimate based on your specific situation.