Hi folks, I understand one can claim pension contributions and get them back in two years time, right? If so, can anybody point me as to whom I have to turn to (Arbeitsamt?), in order to submit an official request? My German is weak and any help is more than welcome. My situation: worked for almost 3 years on "Green Card", left company in July this year. Can anybody explain how to calculate the amount one can claim back? Thanks

Hi,

You have to visit Bfa in your place and they can help you. Most of the people in Bfa speaks English.

Btw., you will get 9,95 % of your gross as pension. That is what you have payed(your contribution only) you will get it back after 2 years.

You have to go back to your respected country and ask for the form(in Germany consulate--you can get it from your local Bfa office also) and apply this after 2 years, so that your money will reach you within short time.

One more thing last week I have visited Bfa office to know about all these things. I am an Indian so India and Germany doesn't have any contract about pension rules. So even if we work more than 5 years also we can apply our pension back after 2 years of our departure. this is what I understood from our discussions. Other thing we will loose our company contribution even if you get after 65 years also. So our company contribution is lose.!!!

Hope this answer helps.

Srikanth

Srikanth: Other thing we will loose our company contribution even if you get after 65 years also.

Are you sure about this? If so, its pretty abzockerei what these people do. Who needs ArbeitslosenVersicherung if you cant receive ALG for more than 6 months, or say 12. Anyone from outside Germany (each GC) knows the word "savings". Who needs Renteversicherung if you wont get 50% of the contribution at all? Moreover when we guys turn 65, there wont be something called Rentekasse at all !! Who needs Pflegeversicherung if we arent going to get the benefits? The only thing which is useful for GC´s is Medical Insurance. Its a pity that they treat GC´s equally in collecting taxes but unequally when it comes to fair rules for staying here and working. Maybe we should make the authorities aware that special rules reg. taxes are needed for GC´s.

-Fred

fred you're right but not only GC are misstreated in that way:
- all Ausländers that have Visum on Firma are experiencing it for 50 years
- if Rentenkasse goes bankropt it will influence germans also

Fred, Even I have asked same question to the person, they said the money what we are paying is going to pernsioners.. Unfortunately we do not have any law for GCs.. anyway let the new law come first.

Srikanth

@DvD: We have to speak out, I think. But as the English saying goes: "Who will bell the cat?" (meaning who will take the initiative?)

@Srikanth: So lets hope that the new law has answers for all this.

Hi vsrikanth9,


> Btw., you will get 9,95 % of your gross as pension. That
> is what you have payed(your contribution only) you will
> get it back after 2 years.

So if I had 5000 brutto monthly, and worked for 36 months,
I get 36*5000*9.95% = 17910 back, right?


> and apply this after 2 years, so that your money will
> reach you within short time.


Are you telling me, I can't apply sooner than July 2006?

yes, and that too you shouldnt step into germany anytime in between these two years. (Conditions apply : passing through frankfurt airport , or visiting germany for 1 week i dont know but pls make sure abt this condition too)

regards
Jackal.

hi,

what happens to those people, who paid pension for 48 months, and then became "SElf Employed" in Germany.

If you are self employed in Germany, you dont have to pay pension, right?
Then, in such case, is it possible to get back the paid pension, while still staying in Germany.

greetings.

>yes, and that too you shouldnt step into germany anytime in >between these two years.

This is not true. I checked this condition with BFA and they said that u can stay in Germany...come to Germany...but u should not work as an permanent employee during this two year waiting period. which also means that as long as u dont pay in to the Pension Fund for these 2 years...u are eligible to get it back.

Cheers,
Cape

Is it like this that if:
Lets say - Someone get the permanent residence after working continuously for 5 years. Then he work for 1-2 more years and then decide to go back to his home country(i.e. after 7 years or so) which doesn't have any pension schemes with Germany. That person can apply for the pension money paid for 7 years and will get it after 9 years(from his start date)

Why I have asked this is b'cos some people have posted in the past that if we work for more than 5 years and then go back to our home country then we will get the pension money back only after age of 65 or so(obviously which didn't make sense).

Can anyone concretely confirm this?
Thanks in advance.
Noni

Hello

Does anyone know whats the exact procedure for applying the pension fund return. When exactly we have to apply for the same. Before leaving Germany, After Leaving Germany, Before 2 years or after 2 years. in your home country or here in Germany

Thanks
Bijay

Hi I have completed 2+ years of my return from Germany. I contacted the german embassy in Mumbai for the procedure to get my pension contribution back. They directed me to the BFA website.
I e-mailed twice in the last 6 months to the addresses bfa@bfa.de and meinefrage@bfa.de, but nobody replies. Now, I have also seen that BFA has removed the english web pages from their site.

Could someone tell me how to get in touch with the right department in BFA. Any e-mail,fax address will be appreciated?

-Sudhakar
Bangalore

Hi sudhakarbarua,

maybe you should try this http://www.taxback.com/
they have live help ;)

CU,
Pasarea

Hi,

I am also looking for the process to get back my pension amount.I left Germany 2 years back.
Can someone tell me to whom i have to contact and what is the process of getting the money back.

thanks in advance.

Usually you just have to visit the site: www.bfa.de , download the required forms, fill them and send it to them. But now I cant find the link to the documents on their site. I have them on my PC; and if you want them, do send me a mail at starwars2@gmail.com

With regards,

The BFA site is one of the worst organised. Looking in to their sitemap at:
http://www.bfa.de/nn_9330/de/Navigation/Service/Sitemap__node.html__nnn=true

I was able to locate the following page, which is interesting to ppl like us.
http://www.bfa.de/nn_9004/de/Navigation/Themen/International/Rente__node.html__nnn=true

i think the bfa people in berlin are good.Do call form aynwhere at their hotline and speak in german.Give your versicherungs nr and ask for your versicherungs verlauf.It will be done .

One question,

How do they (BFA) know that a person has already quit Deutschland for more than two years?

Regards, Indian

hmm..good question. I guess we need to submit our abmeldung bescheinigung at the time of claiming our returns.

vamsi.

What if a person goes away without doing the abmeldung, as it expires automatically after six months!!

You can find the information you need to apply for a German pension refund on my website:

http://www.german-tax-back.com

If you have further questions, you can also contact me there.