Cash out your German company pension online
Supports Direktversicherung, Pensionskasse, Pensionsfonds, Unterstützungskasse and other provider-based company pensions from Allianz, AXA, Swiss Life, ERGO, BVV and other German providers.
If approved, the money is paid directly to the bank account you provide. CompanyPension does not receive, hold or forward approved pension money.
Your documents may use terms such as:
- betriebliche Altersversorgung
- bAV
- Direktversicherung
- Pensionskasse
- Pensionsfonds
- Unterstützungskasse
- Direktzusage
- Entgeltumwandlung
- employer pension
- company pension
This page is for bAV and provider-based German company pension cash-outs.
Looking for VBL or ZVK?
Already received a DRV refund?
Upload your pension document instead of decoding it yourself
Many users do not see the term “bAV” on their documents. They see a provider, contract or product name. CompanyPension is designed to start with the document you already have.
Automated document recognition
Upload a pension statement, insurance letter, bAV contract or provider document.
OCR and automated data extraction can identify available details such as:
Provider, Contract or insurance number, Pension type, Employer, Pension dates, Monthly pension value and Capital value.
You review and correct the extracted information before anything is submitted.
A flow adapted to your bAV
The questions and required documents change according to the provider, contract type and information shown on your pension documents.
A Direktversicherung may require different details from a Pensionskasse, Pensionsfonds or Unterstützungskasse.
Automated completeness checks
The platform checks for missing information, inconsistent answers and documents that may still be needed before signing.
Human oversight when needed
Most standard steps run digitally and automatically.
Human support is added when a document cannot be read reliably or when provider correspondence needs clarification or translation.
You remain in a secure English-language flow while the technical application process runs through the platform.
Can I cash out my bAV after leaving Germany?
Possibly.
People often search for this as “cancel my bAV” or “cancel my German company pension.” In practice, the relevant process is usually a one-time cash-out or lump-sum settlement rather than a refund of contributions.
Small company pensions can sometimes be settled under the small-benefit rules.
For larger vested entitlements, an approved DRV refund can create the basis for requesting a separate lump-sum settlement under §3(3) BetrAVG.
Quick answer
Leaving Germany or leaving your German employer does not automatically create a cash-out right, but a one-time payout may be possible depending on:
- The type of bAV
- The pension or capital value
- Whether the entitlement is vested
- The employer and provider
- The contract terms
- Whether a permitted lump-sum settlement route applies
- Whether your German state pension contributions have already been refunded
Your company pension may appear under a provider or contract name
Many users do not see the word “bAV” first. They see the name of an insurance provider, pension institution or contract type.
You do not need to know the exact legal structure before starting.
Upload the document or enter the provider name manually. The platform uses the available information to guide you into the relevant cash-out flow.
Provider and contract recognition
Your bAV document may mention:
- Allianz Direktversicherung
- Allianz Pensionskasse
- Allianz Pensionsfonds
- AXA Direktversicherung
- AXA Unterstützungskasse
- Swiss Life company pension
- Swiss Life Pensionskasse
- Swiss Life Pensionsfonds
- ERGO Betriebs-Rente
- ERGO Pensionskasse
- BVV Versicherungsverein des Bankgewerbes
- BVV Versorgungskasse
- BVV Pensionsfonds
- Another German pension or insurance provider
When can a company pension be cashed out?
A one-time payout is generally most relevant in two situations.
The company pension is small
A pension around or below these values may be eligible for a small-benefit settlement.
For 2026, the main guide values are:
Value 1
€59.33
per month
Value 2
€7,119
capital value
This does not create an automatic payout. The employer or provider still needs to review the pension arrangement and process the request.
Your DRV contributions were refunded
For a larger vested bAV entitlement, an approved German state pension refund can create the basis for requesting a lump-sum settlement under §3(3) BetrAVG.
This route may be relevant where the bAV is above the small-benefit threshold.
Cash-out routes
Small company pensions may qualify under the small-benefit rule. Larger vested entitlements may require an approved DRV refund before a separate settlement can be requested.
When can I get a VBL refund?
Your DRV refund covers only eligible statutory pension contributions paid into Deutsche Rentenversicherung.
It does not include:
- A bAV
- Direktversicherung
- Pensionskasse
- Pensionsfonds
- Unterstützungskasse
- VBL
- ZVK
- Other company pensions
DRV refund and bAV
However, proof of an approved DRV refund can be important for a vested bAV. It can create the basis for requesting a separate lump-sum settlement under §3(3) BetrAVG.
CompanyPension asks about your DRV refund status during the guided bAV flow and shows whether proof of the refund is relevant to the application route.
Recognised periods with another public-sector company pension scheme, such as a ZVK, may count together with your VBL periods. This can make a refund impossible even if your VBL-only history looks short.
Need your DRV refund first?
Checklist
For some bAV cash-outs, your German state pension refund status can be the deciding factor.
If your DRV refund has not been approved yet, a larger vested bAV may not be ready for a cashout request — especially if the amount is above the usual small-benefit range.
If you have not claimed your German state pension refund yet, you can check it through our separate Germany Pension Refund platform.
German state pension refunds are handled separately from CompanyPension cash-outs and refunds.
- 9.75% success fee
- No upfront payment
- No minimum fee
- Maximum fee €2,500
- Separate DRV refund process
Is a company pension cash-out the same as a refund?
No. The terms describe different pension processes.
Company pension cash-out
A cash-out means requesting a one-time payout or lump-sum settlement of a bAV entitlement.
This wording applies to:
- bAV
- Direktversicherung
- Pensionskasse
- Pensionsfonds
- Unterstützungskasse
- Provider-based company pensions
- Abfindung
- One-time payout
Company pension refund
A refund means applying to get eligible employee contributions back from a contribution-based pension scheme.
This wording applies to:
- VBL
- ZVK
- VddB
- VddKO
- Beitragserstattung
The outcome may sound similar—receiving pension money after leaving employment—but the legal basis, documents and application flow are different.
Complete your bAV cash-out online in five steps
Check whether a cash-out may be possible
Secure your claim
Complete your details
Review, sign and submit digitally
Receive your money and pay the remaining fee
What documents do I need for a bAV cash-out?
You can start with the documents you already have. The online flow shows what is still needed.
Upload the clearest current pension document first. Automated document recognition can pre-fill available details, and you can add or correct information manually.
Common documents
- Pension statement or provider letter
- bAV contract
- Direktversicherung document
- Pensionskasse or Pensionsfonds letter
- Employer pension agreement
- Passport or ID
- Current address
- Bank details
- Proof that the relevant employment ended
- Current pension or capital value, where available
Additional documents that may be needed
- Former-employer information or confirmation
- Health insurance confirmation
- Proof of an approved DRV refund
- Provider-specific forms or statements
- Older payslips showing company pension deductions
Pricing for bAV cash-outs
deposit credited toward your service fee
success fee only if approved
The €199 deposit activates the full digital cash-out process.
If approved, the provider pays the money directly to the bank account you provide. CompanyPension does not receive, hold or forward approved pension money.
If the cash-out is approved:
- The success fee is 9.75% of the approved amount
- The minimum total service fee is €199
- The deposit is credited toward the final service fee
- Only the remaining difference becomes due
What the deposit activates
- Secure claim account
- Pension-document upload
- OCR and automated data extraction
- Cash-out route check
- Document and case review
- Guided online application
- Digital review and signing
- Technical transmission after signing
- Secure provider correspondence
- Human support when clarification or translation is needed
If no cash-out request can be submitted
If the cash-out cannot be submitted after the digital case and document review:
- €79 is retained
- €120 is refunded
The retained €79 covers the secure claim setup, document extraction and case review.
Company pension cash-out vs German state pension refund
| Question | Company pension cash-out | German state pension refund |
|---|---|---|
| What is involved? | A bAV or provider-based company pension from a previous German employer. | Eligible statutory German pension contributions paid into Deutsche Rentenversicherung. |
| What may appear on the documents? | bAV, Direktversicherung, Pensionskasse, Pensionsfonds, Unterstützungskasse, Allianz, AXA, Swiss Life, ERGO, BVV or another pension provider. | DRV, Deutsche Rentenversicherung, Renteninformation, Versicherungsverlauf or Beitragserstattung. |
| What is the main question? | Can the bAV be settled or paid out as a one-time amount? | Do the nationality, residence, contribution and waiting-period rules allow a DRV refund? |
| Does the DRV refund include the company pension? | No. The bAV requires a separate cash-out request. | No. A DRV refund covers statutory pension contributions only. |
| Can both processes matter? | Yes. An approved DRV refund can create the basis for requesting settlement of a vested bAV. | Yes. The DRV refund may be relevant to a separate bAV cash-out but does not pay it automatically. |
| Where should I start? | Start the bAV cash-out flow. | Use the separate German state pension refund process. |
Company pension cash-out: common questions
It may be possible, but leaving Germany alone does not automatically create a right to cash out a bAV.
The result can depend on:
- Whether the pension entitlement is vested
- The pension or contract value
- The employer and provider
- The type of bAV arrangement
- Whether the small-benefit rule applies
- Whether your DRV contributions have already been refunded
- Any provider or health insurance confirmation required
Start the bAV claim flow to check which route may apply to your case.
Company pension cash-out terms explained
bAV
Short for betriebliche Altersversorgung. This is the German term for an occupational or company pension.
Company pension cash-out
A request to settle or pay out a bAV entitlement as a one-time amount.
Direktversicherung
A common insurance-based bAV arrangement set up through an employer.
Pensionskasse
A pension institution that provides company pension benefits.
Pensionsfonds
A company pension arrangement managed through a pension fund.
Unterstützungskasse
A support-fund structure used for some German company pensions.
Provider
The insurance company, pension institution or organisation responsible for administering the pension.
DRV
Deutsche Rentenversicherung, Germany’s statutory pension system. A DRV refund is separate from a company pension cash-out.
Abfindung
The German term commonly used for a lump-sum settlement of a pension entitlement.
A digital application platform—not a pension advisor or claims agent
CompanyPension is a digital application platform and brand operated by ATLAES GmbH. The platform uses the documents and information you provide to prepare the relevant cash-out application.
You review and sign the application yourself and remain the applicant and claimant throughout the process.
After signing, the application is technically transmitted to the responsible employer, provider or pension institution through the CompanyPension platform.
You may give CompanyPension limited authorization to:
- Receive and forward provider correspondence
- Receive information about the final decision
- Receive information about the approved amount
This allows the platform to display follow-up requests and calculate the agreed service fee.
The limited authorization does not make CompanyPension the applicant or claimant.
CompanyPension does not:
- Decide whether a cash-out is approved
- Provide pension advice
- Provide legal or tax advice
- Provide financial advice
- Provide insurance advice or brokerage
- Assess or argue your legal position
- Receive, hold or forward approved pension money
Source basis
This page is based on the general framework for German occupational pensions under the BetrAVG and provider-specific pension and contract rules.
The small-benefit values shown are the standard 2026 guide values.
An approved DRV refund can create the basis for requesting a separate settlement of a vested bAV under §3(3) BetrAVG.
This page provides general information and does not replace individual legal, pension, tax, insurance or financial advice.
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Ready to check your company pension cash-out?
Upload your bAV document or answer guided questions. The platform identifies the relevant route and shows what information is still needed.
If approved, the money is paid directly to the bank account you provide. CompanyPension does not receive, hold or forward approved pension money.