Get your VBL contributions back online
If approved, your VBL refund is paid directly to the bank account you provide. CompanyPension does not receive or hold your pension money.
Can I get a VBL refund?
A VBL refund, also called VBL-Erstattung or Beitragserstattung, means getting back your own employee contributions paid into VBLklassik.
A VBL refund may be possible if all of these conditions apply:
- You paid into VBLklassik
- Your refundable contributions were paid into VBL West / Abrechnungsverband West
- You have left German public-sector employment
- You apply before turning 69
- Your contribution history stays below the relevant vesting limits
The main VBL limits are:
- Under the rules applicable since 2018, your pension rights may already be vested if you worked for the same employer for at least 36 uninterrupted months and were at least 21 when you left. In that case, your VBLklassik employee contributions are generally no longer refundable.
- If your recognised VBL, ZVK or other public-sector company pension periods reach the 60-month waiting period, a refund is generally no longer possible.
Earlier recognised public-sector pension periods can be counted together. This means a refund can become impossible even if one individual job period looks short on its own.
Built for VBLklassik refunds
For people who paid into VBLklassik while working in Germany’s public sector and want to get their own employee contributions back online.
Common wording on VBL documents:
- VBL
- VBLklassik
- VBL-Erstattung
- Beitragserstattung
- VBL West
- Abrechnungsverband West
Worked in Germany’s public sector and paid into VBL?
This page is for people who worked in Germany’s public sector and paid into VBLklassik through a university, research institute, hospital, public employer or publicly funded organisation.
You may be in the right place if
- The contributions you want refunded were paid into VBLklassik in VBL West / Abrechnungsverband West.
- You left German public-sector employment
- Your VBL periods are still below the refund limits
- You do not have VBLextra contributions
- You want to get your own VBL employee contributions back
- You want to complete the process through a guided online flow, with digital signing and support when clarification or follow-up is needed.
What is a VBL pension refund?
A VBL refund is the reimbursement of your own employee-paid VBLklassik contributions.
VBL is the company pension scheme used by many German public-sector employers. You may have paid into it while working for a university, research institute, public hospital, local authority or another public employer.
If you worked in Germany’s public sector for a limited time and left before your VBLklassik pension rights became vested, you may be able to claim your own employee contributions back.
VBLklassik or VBLextra?
VBLklassik may be refundable. VBLextra is not.
VBLklassik
Eligible employee-paid contributions in VBL West may be refundable if you have left public-sector employment and your pension rights have not become vested.
VBLextra
A voluntary additional VBL plan with a vested entitlement from the first contribution. No contribution refund is possible.
Not sure which one you had?
Upload your VBL letter or pension document when using the refund calculator or starting your refund claim. The document can help identify whether you had VBLklassik, VBLextra, or both.
When can I get a VBL refund?
A VBL refund may be possible only if all relevant refund conditions are met.
A VBL refund may be possible if:
- You paid into VBLklassik
- You left German public-sector employment
- Your refundable contributions were paid into VBL West / Abrechnungsverband West
- Your VBL pension rights are not vested
- You apply before turning 69
VBL refund rules
The standard VBLklassik waiting period is 60 calendar months. Months from different public-sector employments can be counted together.
A separate statutory vesting rule can apply before 60 months are reached. For employment periods subject to the rules in force since 2018, your entitlement may already be vested if you worked for the same employer for at least 36 uninterrupted months and were at least 21 when you left. In that case, your VBLklassik employee contributions are generally no longer refundable.
Recognised VBL, ZVK or other public-sector company pension periods may also count toward the 60-month waiting period.
When is a VBL refund not possible?
A VBL refund is generally not possible if any of the following exclusion rules applies.
You generally cannot get a VBL refund if:
- You are still working in German public-sector employment
- Your record includes VBLextra contributions
- Your VBL pension rights are vested
- You worked for the same employer for at least three uninterrupted years from 1 January 2018 and were at least 21 when you left
- Your recognised VBL, ZVK or other public-sector company pension periods have reached the 60-month waiting period
- The contributions you want refunded were paid into VBL East / Abrechnungsverband Ost
- You are already 69 or older
Do ZVK or other public-sector pension periods count?
Yes. Your refund eligibility is not always based only on your VBL periods.
Earlier compulsory-insurance periods with another public-sector company pension scheme, such as a ZVK, may be recognised and counted toward the 60-month VBLklassik waiting period.
This means that even a short VBL history can become non-refundable when recognised periods from another public-sector pension scheme are added.
Contribution periods
Example: You paid into VBL for 30 months and previously completed 30 recognised months with another public-sector company pension scheme. Together, those periods can fulfil the 60-month waiting period and make your VBLklassik employee contributions non-refundable.
What is the difference between VBL West and VBL East?
VBL refund rules differ between VBL West and VBL East.
Eligible VBLklassik employee contributions in VBL West, also called Abrechnungsverband West, may be refundable if the other refund conditions are met.
In VBL East, employee contributions paid into the capital-funded system for periods after 31 December 2003 are not refundable. The pension rights created by those contributions are vested from the first contribution.
VBL West or VBL East?
Check your VBL letter or insurance record for wording such as VBL West, Abrechnungsverband West, Tarifgebiet Ost or capital-funded contributions. If you are not sure, upload your document when using the refund calculator or starting your refund so the relevant contribution system can be identified.
How much can I get back from VBL?
A VBL refund generally covers eligible employee-paid VBLklassik contributions, not employer-paid amounts.
The amount depends on the contributions recorded for your refundable VBLklassik West periods. Current VBLklassik West employee contributions total 1.81% of the salary subject to VBL contributions: a 1.41% employee share plus an additional employee contribution of 0.40%.
Different contribution rates may apply to earlier periods. Your actual refund is therefore based on the employee-paid contributions recorded by VBL for each eligible period.
Refund amount
Your refund amount depends mainly on:
- How long you paid into refundable VBLklassik
- Your salary during those periods
- The contribution rates that applied at the time
- Whether the contributions were paid into VBL West / Abrechnungsverband West
- Whether all VBL refund conditions are met
The calculator can provide a first estimate using your employment dates, salary information and pension documents. The final refundable amount is confirmed by VBL after reviewing your insurance record.
Your DRV refund does not include your VBL refund
VBL refunds and German state pension refunds are separate.
A DRV refund only concerns eligible statutory German state pension contributions paid into Deutsche Rentenversicherung. It does not include VBL, ZVK or other company pension entitlements.
If you worked in Germany’s public sector and paid into VBLklassik, you need a separate VBL refund process to get eligible employee contributions back.
| Question | VBL refund | DRV state pension refund |
|---|---|---|
| What money is involved? | Eligible VBLklassik employee contributions | Eligible statutory German state pension contributions |
| Which system? | Public-sector company pension | Deutsche Rentenversicherung |
| Main refund logic | VBLklassik West, no vested pension entitlement, left public-sector employment, under 69 | Nationality, residence, contribution history, ability to make voluntary contributions and usually a 24-month waiting period |
| 24-month waiting period? | No | Usually yes; separate exceptions can apply |
| Does residence matter? | No residence restriction for the VBL refund itself | Yes. Eligibility depends on residence, nationality and whether voluntary insurance remains possible |
| Automatically included in the other refund? | No | No |
You may qualify for a VBL refund even if you are not yet eligible for a DRV refund. You may also qualify for both, but they are separate processes with different rules.
A VBL refund is for people who have left public-sector employment
You can generally request a VBL contribution refund only after leaving German public-sector employment and compulsory VBL insurance.
If your VBL contributions are refunded, all pension rights connected to the refunded periods expire. If you later return to German public-sector employment, those refunded periods are not automatically restored or counted toward your future VBL pension.
Start your VBL refund online
Complete the process through a guided online flow, from the first refund check to digital signing and submission.
Upload your VBL document or answer guided questions
Check whether a VBL refund may be possible
Secure your VBL refund claim
Complete your details
Review, sign and submit online
VBL review and follow-up
Receive your approved refund directly
Receive your refund directly
What documents do I need for a VBL refund?
You can start even if you do not have every document. The online flow shows you what is still needed.
These documents help us check which VBL plan you had, how long you paid into it and whether a refund may be possible. They also provide the details VBL needs to pay your refund if it is approved.
Useful documents include:
- Your VBL letter or VBL insurance number
- Proof that you worked in Germany’s public sector
- Payslips showing VBL contributions
- Your employment contract or a document showing when your job ended
- Passport or ID copy
- Your current address
- Bank account details
- Previous letters or emails from VBL
- Documents from a ZVK or another public-sector pension scheme, if you had one
Do I need a German bank account for a VBL refund?
No. You do not need a German bank account.
For a VBL refund, a SEPA-capable EUR account is usually the easiest option. If you do not have one, CompanyPension can help you open a EUR account to receive your refund.
If approved, the money is paid directly to the bank account you provide. CompanyPension does not receive, hold or forward approved pension money.
Transparent pricing for your VBL refund
Start your VBL refund with a €199 deposit. If your refund is approved, our success fee is 9.75% of the approved refund amount, with a minimum total fee of €199.
VBL refund
to activate the full process
The €199 deposit is credited toward your final service fee if your refund is approved.
- 9.75% success fee if your VBL refund is approved
- Minimum total service fee: €199
- If VBL rejects your submitted refund request, the €199 deposit is refunded in full
Your VBL refund is paid directly to you
If your VBL refund is approved, VBL pays the money directly to the bank account you provide.
CompanyPension does not receive, hold or forward approved pension money. You remain the claimant throughout the process.
CompanyPension provides the guided online flow and support when clarification or follow-up is needed. VBL decides whether your refund is approved and makes the payment.
A simpler way to apply for your VBL refund online
VBL refunds can be confusing, especially if you have left Germany, do not speak German or are not sure which rules apply to you. CompanyPension guides you through the process online.
Built for VBLklassik refunds
Start with your VBL details and see the next steps for your refund.
Clear refund check
The online flow checks your VBL plan, West or East periods, contribution history and public-sector employment.
Guided online process
Add your details step by step. You do not need to complete German forms on your own.
Digital signing and submission
Review your details, sign online and submit your VBL refund request through the guided flow.
Human support when needed
If something is unclear, support is available for questions, translations and follow-up.
Refund paid directly to you
If approved, VBL pays the money directly to the bank account you provide. CompanyPension does not receive, hold or forward approved pension money.
VBL refund terms explained
Short explanations of terms you may see on German company pension documents.
VBL
Versorgungsanstalt des Bundes und der Länder. VBL manages company pensions for many German public-sector employers.
VBLklassik
The standard VBL plan for many public-sector employees. Eligible employee contributions paid into VBL West may be refundable if all refund conditions are met.
VBLextra
A voluntary additional VBL plan. The pension entitlement is vested from the first contribution, so VBLextra contributions cannot be refunded.
VBL-Erstattung
German term for a VBL contribution refund.
Beitragserstattung
German term for a refund of pension contributions.
VBL West / Abrechnungsverband West
The VBL contribution system in which eligible employee-paid VBLklassik contributions may be refundable if all refund conditions are met.
VBL East / Abrechnungsverband Ost
The VBL contribution system used for relevant East contribution periods. Employee contributions paid into the capital-funded VBL East system are generally not refundable.
DRV
Deutsche Rentenversicherung, Germany’s statutory state pension system. A DRV refund is separate from a VBL refund.
ZVK
A public-sector company pension scheme. Recognised ZVK periods may count toward the 60-month VBLklassik waiting period.
SEPA account
A bank account that can receive euro payments through the SEPA payment system.
VBL refunds: common questions
VBL stands for Versorgungsanstalt des Bundes und der Länder.
It manages company pensions for many German public-sector employers, including universities, research institutes, hospitals, local authorities and other public institutions.
A VBL pension is separate from the statutory German pension managed by Deutsche Rentenversicherung.
You apply through the platform in your own name
CompanyPension is a digital application platform operated by ATLAES GmbH.
- The platform guides you through the refund process in English. It uses the information you provide to complete your application and shows you what documents are needed.
- You review and sign the application yourself. You remain the applicant and claimant throughout the process.
- After you sign, ATLAES GmbH technically transmits the application to VBL or the relevant pension provider. ATLAES GmbH does not apply as the claimant and does not make the refund decision.
- ATLAES GmbH does not provide pension, insurance, tax, financial or legal advice. It does not assess or argue your legal position and does not act as your legal representative for the refund claim.
- You give ATLAES GmbH a limited authorization to receive and forward correspondence from the pension provider and to receive information about the final decision and approved amount. This allows the platform to show you follow-up requests and calculate the agreed service fee.
- If approved, the pension provider pays the money directly to the bank account you provide. ATLAES GmbH does not receive, hold or forward approved pension money.
A digital application platform, not pension advice
- CompanyPension is a digital application platform and brand operated by ATLAES GmbH.
- ATLAES GmbH provides the online platform for German company pension refunds and cash-outs.
- Neither CompanyPension nor ATLAES GmbH provides pension, tax, financial or insurance advice. ATLAES GmbH is not an insurance broker or your legal representative. You remain the claimant throughout the process.
- ATLAES GmbH does not decide whether your refund or cash-out is approved. It does not claim pension money as your legal representative and does not receive, hold or forward approved pension money.
Start my VBL refund
If approved, the money is paid directly to the bank account you provide. CompanyPension does not receive, hold or forward approved pension money.