If you leave Germany and the EU, you may be able to get your share of pension contributions refunded. See how much and compare it with the pension you would give up.
Employees in Germany pay 18.6 % of their salary into the statutory pension insurance, half each for you and your employer. If you leave Germany for good, you can apply for a refund of your own half (Beitragserstattung) under certain conditions.
You must no longer be subject to German pension insurance, at least 24 calendar months must have passed since your last contribution, and you must not have the right to voluntary insurance in Germany. In practice this means citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland who live outside these countries. With five years or more of contributions you are entitled to a pension instead.
The refund is a one-off payment without interest, and the refunded periods are lost for good. If you might return to Germany or live in a country with a social security agreement, the pension can be worth more over time. The calculator shows how many years of pension it takes to match the refund.
Apply to Deutsche Rentenversicherung with form V0901 after the waiting period. Keep your insurance number, your deregistration certificate (Abmeldung) and proof of your new residence abroad.
Only your own half, that is 9.3 % of your gross salary up to the contribution ceiling, without interest. The employer half is not refunded.
At the earliest 24 months after you stopped paying contributions, and only if you are not allowed to continue voluntarily in the German system.
No. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can stay voluntarily insured, so a refund is excluded. Their German periods count towards a pension instead.