Leaving Germany or living abroad: What happens to your German pension?

Moving does not automatically erase German insurance periods. Payments, contribution refunds, health insurance and taxes are separate questions. The responsible organisations assess your specific case; MeaNext does not promise personal entitlement.

What type of stay abroad are you planning?

What should I do before moving?

Can my German pension be paid abroad?

A pension based on German contribution periods can generally also be paid if you live abroad. A German bank account is not universally mandatory; suitable foreign accounts can be used. Provide the information requested by Renten Service and clarify currency conversion, fees and any special features of the payment country. Your individual pension composition and the applicable law remain decisive.

What do I need to bear in mind after moving?

• Notify the responsible paying offices immediately of your new address and any bank changes.
• Ensure that you can receive and respond to letters from the pension insurance provider and other national providers.
• Submit requested proof of life by the deadline; do not rely on an automatic extension.
• Contact the health insurance fund in your country of residence and, where applicable, tax authorities about their procedures.
• If a payment does not arrive, first ask Renten Service and the responsible provider about missing information or evidence.

Where do I apply for my pension if I already live abroad?

A pension generally requires an application. About three months' lead time is the general DRV recommendation for old-age pensions; allow more time for evidence when accounts involve several countries. This is not a guaranteed processing time or a uniform international deadline. German payments are governed in particular by § 99 SGB VI; other countries apply their own law and, where applicable, recognised coordinated application dates. Keep acknowledgements of receipt.

Can I get my contributions back after leaving Germany?

§ 210 SGB VI provides for different refund cases. One important route requires that you are no longer subject to compulsory insurance and have no right to voluntary insurance. The legal right is decisive, not whether you want to pay voluntarily. German nationals can generally be voluntarily insured even while abroad; EU and agreement rules may also allow this for other people. Residence, citizenship and renewed insurance abroad can therefore change the outcome.

Example: Worked for three years and returned home

A person works in Germany for three years and returns to Bosnia, Croatia, North Macedonia or a country without an agreement. The new place of residence and applicable rules make a difference: eligible foreign periods can supplement the German qualifying period under EU/agreement law. A right to voluntary insurance can rule out a refund. Without an agreement, the same aggregation possibility is unavailable, but there is no promise of an automatic refund there either. Before considering an application, the person asks the DRV about retained entitlements, voluntary insurance and all the consequences of a refund.

How am I covered by health insurance in retirement and abroad?

You also need health insurance in retirement. Pensioners' health insurance (Krankenversicherung der Rentner, KVdR) follows its own rules: generally, statutory or family insurance for nine tenths of the second half of the period between first starting work and applying for a pension; three years may be credited for each child. The health insurance fund assesses whether foreign insurance periods count and which country is responsible. A German pension alone guarantees neither KVdR membership nor worldwide coverage.

Where do I have to pay tax on my German pension?

A German pension may be taxable even if you live abroad. Relevant factors include the pension type, tax residence, German and foreign law and the specific double taxation agreement. This does not support a blanket conclusion of “always only Germany” or “always only the country of residence”. Both countries may require tax returns; agreement rules determine taxing rights and relief. Social security agreements are not double taxation agreements.

What happens to a low pension and other benefits?

The statutory pension, basic pension supplement (Grundrentenzuschlag), basic income support in old age (Grundsicherung im Alter), occupational pensions and private retirement provision are different benefits. Basic income support in old age is means-tested social assistance, not an ordinary pension benefit generally exportable worldwide. A basic pension supplement is assessed under its own requirements. For occupational and private contracts, payment methods, taxation and any support must be clarified separately. Continued payment of a statutory pension does not prove that all supplementary benefits will also remain unchanged.

Example: Spending retirement in Bulgaria as a German person

A German person with many years of German contributions wants to move to Bulgaria. They ask the DRV whether their specific pension composition involves any restrictions, report their address and payment method in good time, and have their health insurance fund check which country is responsible for insurance. For taxes, they look not at the pension agreement but at the applicable tax law and double taxation agreement. Germany and Bulgaria may continue to require separate correspondence and evidence. German citizenship alone does not replace these checks.

Whom should I ask before making a final decision?

• DRV: Entitlement, pension components, international periods and contribution refunds. Its own advice is free.
• Deutsche Post Renten Service: Address, payment method and requested proof of life.
• Your own health insurance fund: Responsibility, S1/other documents, benefits and long-term care insurance.
• Responsible pension/insurance provider in your country of residence: Local entitlements and procedures.
• Tax authority or qualified tax adviser: Residence, agreements and filing obligations; private advice may involve a fee.

Sources cross-checked: 4 November 2026. Editorial draft; no individual legal assessment. The other language versions have been prepared but have not yet been reviewed by native speakers and subject-matter experts.