“Transferring Contributions from Germany to Turkey” is an issue that concerns many citizens of Turkey. Many people begin their working lives in Germany and return to Turkey after retirement. Before examining conditions and procedures for contribution refunds, it is useful to define what a contribution refund means. A contribution refund refers to the repayment, upon request and under conditions set by the authorities, of social security contributions paid in Germany for insured Turkish workers to the insured person or, in case of their death, to their family. The most significant consequence of transferring contributions from Germany to Turkey is that the German pension insurance is cancelled up to the date the refund is made. In short, a Turkish citizen who lived and worked in Germany can request a refund of the pension contributions they earned there, either personally or through entitled heirs, and arrange for those contributions to be transferred to their social insurance in Turkey.
Where to Apply for a Refund?
Applications to transfer contributions from Germany to Turkey should be submitted to the Provincial Directorate of Social Security at the applicant’s place of residence in Turkey.
Conditions for Receiving a Refund
There are several conditions set by the state for transferring contributions from Germany to Turkey. The primary requirement for a Turkish citizen requesting a refund is that the two-year waiting period has passed and the person has left Germany. Dual citizens who have not permanently returned to Turkey are not considered as having made a definitive return and therefore cannot obtain a refund. In other words, the first requirement is to be a Turkish citizen.
The second requirement concerns compulsory insurance. The date when compulsory insurance ends is regarded as the start of the waiting period. Payments in Germany that are treated as equivalent to earnings—such as unemployment benefits or sickness benefits (including unemployment benefits paid after January 1, 2005)—are regarded as compulsory insurance. Therefore, the waiting period begins after such payments end. Applicants should ensure this period has concluded before applying to transfer contributions from Germany to Turkey. If, during the two-year waiting period, the person takes up compulsory-insured employment in either Turkey or Germany, the two-year waiting period restarts each time from the date compulsory insurance ends. Periods spent in detention and periods for which voluntary insurance contributions were paid do not affect the waiting period.
Citizens who left Germany before March 17, 1987 are exempt from the waiting period; even if they become compulsorily insured in Turkey, they are eligible to have their contributions refunded immediately upon request.
Applicants who are 65 years of age or older and whose combined contribution years in both countries do not reach five years may also request a transfer of contributions from Germany to Turkey without being subject to the 24-month waiting period.
Can Orphans Receive a Refund?
It is important to determine whether orphans (surviving children) can benefit from contribution refunds. For an orphan to be eligible for a refund when transferring contributions from Germany to Turkey, they must meet the criteria for receiving an orphan’s pension from German pension insurance. In other words, they must satisfy the conditions for being granted an orphan’s pension. These conditions include:
- Orphans who are under 18 years of age, or under 27 if in vocational training, or those who are disabled and therefore unable to support themselves.
- Orphans who are 15 years of age or older have the right to submit an application.
If there are multiple eligible orphans, the refunded contribution amount is divided equally among them.
Which Contributions Are Refunded?
It is also important to know which contributions can be refunded when transferring from Germany to Turkey. Generally, half of the contributions paid on behalf of the insured person—the employee’s share—can be refunded. Certain short-term payments borne directly by the insured, such as sickness benefits or injury-related payments for specific periods, are refundable.
Which Contributions Are Not Refunded?
Certain periods and contributions are not eligible for refund. Contributions relating to periods for which the insured did not make a financial contribution—such as unemployment benefits, unemployment assistance, and child-rearing periods—are not refundable. Any monthly payments made by a pension insurance institution, or benefits provided for rehabilitation measures or special illnesses (for example, tuberculosis) for the insured person, spouse, or children, are excluded from refund for the periods prior to such payments. If an insured person has already received monthly payments or rehabilitation benefits, refunds made for subsequent periods will cause the non-refunded periods to be cancelled, and no later monthly benefits will be paid for those cancelled periods. Additionally, when contributions paid in Germany are refunded, only half of the contributions paid on the insured person’s behalf are returned. Contributions allocated to unemployment benefits, unemployment assistance, and child-rearing periods remain in the German insurance fund and cannot be refunded as part of transferring contributions from Germany to Turkey.