Leave Germany permanently and claim back 9.3% of every euro you ever earned here. For a €60k/year professional over 4 years, that is ~€22,000.
Updated 13 August 2026
You must: have contributed less than 5 full years (60 months), leave Germany permanently, stay outside EU/EEA for 24 months. For Indian citizens the answer is not automatic: the DRV may refuse a refund if you are covered by Indian social insurance (e.g. EPF) or can pay voluntary German contributions under the India–Germany agreement. Ask the DRV in writing first.
Non-negotiable waiting period. The clock starts from your last day of employment in Germany. Mark it in your calendar.
Before leaving Germany, download your contribution history (Versicherungsverlauf) from deutsche-rentenversicherung.de or request it by post. You need this for the refund application.
Form V0901, available in English on DRV website. Submit with: Versicherungsverlauf, Indian bank details (SWIFT/IBAN), passport, proof of India residence. Process takes 3–6 months.
Refund paid via SWIFT directly to your Indian bank account. Only your employee share (9.3%) is refunded — employer contributions stay in the system.
In larger cities many officials speak basic English. All official forms are in German — use translation apps or bring a German-speaking colleague.
Contact the office immediately. Honest mistakes are handled reasonably — German officials distinguish between errors and fraud.
Plan early — German bureaucracy takes 4–12 weeks for most processes.
Always bring more documents than stated — over-preparation is always better.
Google Translate camera mode helps with German forms.
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