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German Pension Refund Eligibility for Australian Citizens

If you are an Australian citizen who has been employed in Germany and contributed to the German pension system, you might qualify for a refund on your contributions.

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Am I Eligible for a German Pension Refund as an Australian Citizen?

בזמן שהיית מועסק בגרמניה , כל חודש שולמו אחוזים מהשכר הגולמי שלך ל"דויטשה רנטנברסייצ'רונג "(ביטוח הפנסיה הסטטוטורי הגרמני) להטבות פרישה עתידיות. אבל מה קורה אחרי שאתה עוזב את גרמניה?

על פי הקוד הסוציאלי הגרמני (§ 210 SGB IV) דמי ביטוח הפנסיה ניתנים להחזר רק לאחר עזיבת גרמניה, ורק אם

א)   אינך רשאי לשלם דמי פנסיה במקום בו אתה גר, ו ...


ב)   24 חודשים עברו מאז ששולמו דמי הפנסיה האחרונים שלך בגרמניה
 

ג)   אתה מתגורר מחוץ לאיחוד האירופי/EEA/CH/בריטניה

אמנם קל לבצע את ב' ו- ג', אך א' מגדיר האם אתה יכול לקבל החזר כספי שהוצא משכר המשכורת שלך. 

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Find Out If You’re Eligible – Free of Charge

If you’re unsure whether you qualify for a pension refund as an Australian citizen, take advantage of our free eligibility check. While some companies require payment for this service, we offer it at no cost. Whether or not you qualify, we’ll provide a clear explanation of your situation.

  • Check if you can claim a refund on your German pension insurance contributions today - completely free. 

  • This service is available exclusively to non-EU citizens

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בונד Deutsche Rentenversicherung  | ביטוח הפנסיה הסטטוטורי הגרמני | כל הזכויות שמורות

האם מותר לשלם תרומות מרצון?

שאלה זו נענת בהסכם הביטוח הלאומי שאלבניה חתמה עם גרמניה.

 

הסכם הפנסיה בין אלבניה לגרמניה :

 

כאזרח באלבניה, אינך רשאי לשלם דמי פנסיה מרצון לאחר עזיבת גרמניה והאזור המוזכר תחת ג' רק אם תרמת לקופת הפנסיה שלך פחות מ -60 חודשים לתכנית הפנסיה הגרמנית.

 

במילים אחרות, כאזרח אלבני אתה זכאי להחזר דמי ביטוח הפנסיה שלך רק אם אינך זכאי להטבות פרישה עתידיות. כדי לקבל זכאות לפנסיה חודשית יש צורך בתקופת הפרשת פנסיה מינימלית של 60 חודשים.

 

אם אתה זכאי להטבות פרישה, אתה רשאי לשלם דמי פנסיה מרצון למערכת הגרמנית מכל מקום בעולם. אבל: אינך זכאי להחזר דמי הפנסיה שלך.

How do I know if I’ve reached 60 months of contributions?

Periods of employment, voluntary contribution, receipt of unemployment benefits, and parenting count towards the 60 months

The German pension office calculates contributions based on any days that has been worked in a month. So, even if you only worked for one day in say, February, that one day would count as your contributions for the whole of February.

כמה אוכל לגבות מהפנסיה הגרמנית שלי?

As an Australian citizen, you can begin working in Europe as soon as you’ve submitted your refund application.

If you are eligible at the date of submission, the processing of your refund will not be affected, even if you start working in Europe before the claim has been finalized.

How much can I expect from my German pension refund?

בזמן שהיית מועסק בגרמניה , דמי ביטוח פנסיוני חובה של 9.3% * הוצאו משכרך הגולמי עד לגבול תקרה, ושולמו ל- " Deutsche Rentenversicherung " (הביטוח הפנסיוני הסטטוטורי הגרמני) .

 

אם אתה מחזיק באזרחות שאינה אירופאית, תוכל להחזיר את דמי הפנסיה הגרמנית שלך לאחר עזיבת המדינה, בכפוף לזכאות.

 

כדי לברר כמה תקבל החזר, השתמש בחינם ב-מחשבון החזר פנסיוני  כדי לקבל תשובה מיידית, בהתחשב בכך שאתה זכאי להחזר פנסיה גרמני. 

What are the fees for claiming my refund?

At Germany Pension Refund, we use a success-based approach. This means you only pay a fee after your claim has been successfully processed.

There are no hidden charges, and you do not need to pay anything up front. Our service fee is 9.75% of the total refunded amount. This includes VAT and any other external legal fees.

Is a German bank account required to receive my refund?

No, a German bank account is not necessary. Refunds are handled through an escrow account managed by a German law firm to provide a secure process.

This approach facilitates quicker transfers while minimizing transaction and currency conversion fees.

Your refund will be deposited directly into your chosen bank account in the currency you prefer.

The account doesn’t have to be based in Germany, and can even be held under someone else’s name.

How quickly can Australian citizens expect to receive a German pension refund?

We know how important it is for you to receive your refund promptly. That’s why our refund process usually only takes around 8 weeks, compared to the 6 months (or more) it takes to process self-submitted claims.

We have a deep understanding of German administrative procedures, so we have simplified the process to make it as fast as possible.

We also work closely with German law firms, who work directly with the German Pension office. These relationships also enable us to speed up the process of your refund.

Claim Your Pension Refund Today

With our streamlined process and professional advice, it takes less than 5 minutes to get started. With an average refund amount of €11,800, there’s nothing to lose.

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MAR/21/2025

Fairly priced, friendly, easy, very happy

Incredibly friendly and easy service. Fairly priced as well! After leaving Germany in a hurry during covid, I was dreading the paperwork that was waiting for me... but Germany Pension Refund made it a breeze. Very happy with the result. A big thank you to Julia <3

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Lisa Hung
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MAR/03/2025

Took the time to explain, swift responses

Very swift responses and professional service. I would highly recommend their services. Johannes took the time to explain things to me that I did not understand too, appreciate that!

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Mariana Bradea
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FEB/22/2025

Highly recommend their excellent service

Using the service of Germany Pension Refund was a smooth, stress free experience. Johannes and the team are highly professional yet kind and understanding to explain the process and support you with extra care and patience at every step. I could not imagine having to face the challenges of getting my pension sorted out without their support and knowledge. I Highly recommend their excellent service.

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Tom Berger
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DEC/13/2024

Highly recommended

Great service, communication and outcome. Highly recommended.

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Adam Napoli
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DEC/11/2024

Very happy!

Very happy to have worked with Julia and the team for this. The whole process took just over a 3 months, and Julia was always great at responding to my emails and keeping me updated from start to finish. Would recommend!

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Steve W
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SEP/24/2024

Exceptional

From the first enquiry email to the final funds delivered email, the service, communication and the process has been exceptional. Well done to Johannes and the team for establishing such a strong business model. Highly recommend.

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Eli McGarvie
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SEP/20/2024

Straightforward...they handle everything

The pension return process takes a long time so be prepared to wait. That’s normal for Germany though. But I can say the process was pretty straight forward thanks to these guys, they handle everything and give progress updates all you have to do is wait. Better to go with professionals then deal with the German government which is a nightmare.

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AUG/26/2024

I wouldn't hesitate in recommending their services

A huge thank you to Julia and the team who were able to assist in facilitating my pension refund where I had become bogged down in bureaucracy. (But at least the bureaucracy itself was as efficient as one would expect!)
After a several early attemps made personally, getting discouraged and consquently putting off the process for multiple years, the team at Germany Pension Fund helped make sure all the necessary paperwork was in order, and gave me regular updates throughout the process.
I wouldn't hesitate in recommending their services to friends or family that needed the same kind of assistance.

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AUG/21/2024

Excellent Service

Excellent service and kept me informed all the way through the process. Can’t fault their service.

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Duane McGregor
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MAR/06/2024

Complete transparency, great communication, frequent updates and all questions answered...Brilliant service!

Can’t thank them enough! If I’m honest I was skeptical at the start cause I didn’t know much about the company but everything from day one til the final transfer was amazing. Complete transparency, great communication, frequent updates and all questions answered. The process can be lengthy but I was kept updated the whole time. I can’t recommend them enough. Brilliant service!

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Read more about working in Germany and Australia directly from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung.

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