Leaving Germany

Leaving rewards the same kind of order as arriving. Contracts run on notice periods, tax refunds depend on filings, and the pension money you paid in is sometimes refundable years later but only if you tracked the right paperwork.

Start three months out

Three months covers the longest rolling notice period most people have (rent). If you have less time, prioritise the rental contract, the employer notice and the visa file; the rest can be wrapped up by post and email from abroad.

Ending contracts

Every recurring contract in Germany has its own notice period. Send each cancellation in writing (recorded delivery for the important ones) and keep the confirmation.

Rental. Standard tenant notice is three months. Sending the letter early helps; some landlords will accept earlier hand-over if you propose Nachmieter (replacement tenants). See housing.
Employer. Statutory minimum is four weeks to the 15th or end of month, longer in many contracts. A formal Kündigung letter, signed, on paper.
Mobile and internet. Inside the initial 24-month term, cancellation is tied to that term; afterwards a one-month notice applies. See telecoms.
Gym and other recurring services. Read the contract; many require one to three months.
Insurance. Most policies allow special termination on permanent emigration. Send a copy of the Abmeldung once you have it.
Electricity / gas / heating. Notify the provider with the move-out date and your final meter reading.

The Abmeldung

You de-register your address at the Bürgerbüro — the same office that did your first Anmeldung. You can apply up to a week before you leave and up to two weeks after. The form requires your German address, the date you are leaving, and your destination address abroad.

Book a Bürgerbüro appointment online for any office in the city.
Bring passport, current Meldebescheinigung if you have one, and the filled Abmeldung form.
You receive an Abmeldebescheinigung. Make a few copies; you will need it to cancel many contracts and to claim a pension refund.

Spouse and children. If they are leaving too, do it on the same form. If only some of you are moving out, the others stay registered.

Bank, broadcasting fee, insurance

Bank account. Do not just stop using it. Send a written closure request with a forwarding address and an IBAN abroad for the balance. Some banks insist on a closure form by post. See banking.
Broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag). Notify the Beitragsservice with a copy of the Abmeldung. They stop billing from the de-registration date.
Health insurance. Public funds terminate cover at the end of the month in which you leave, on receipt of the Abmeldung. Apply for a written confirmation of the cancellation — useful if you return.
Other insurance. Personal liability, contents, legal, disability — each accepts emigration as a special cancellation reason. Attach the Abmeldung.

Final tax return

The year you leave, you become a partial-year resident. You usually have to file a tax return for that year, even if you would not have been required to as a normal employee.

The return is filed via ELSTER or any of the commercial tools that support partial-year residence.
Income earned in Germany after your move-out date is taxed differently; a competent tax adviser can save you real money if your situation is complex (stock options, freelance income overlapping the move, etc.).
If you leave mid-year, you commonly get a refund — tax was withheld assuming a full year's income.

Pension contributions back

Some non-EU citizens can claim back the employee share of statutory pension contributions when they leave Germany permanently. The rules vary by nationality and by social-security agreement.

You can apply 24 months after leaving the German pension system, provided you have not started paying into another EU/agreement system in the meantime.
Citizens of EU/EEA states cannot reclaim contributions but keep credits that may eventually be paid out at retirement age, wherever you then live.
The form is V0901; the Deutsche Rentenversicherung handles it. You can apply from abroad by post. See the pension page.

Worth doing. A couple of years of contributions can add up to several thousand euros. Even if the answer turns out to be "no", asking costs only a few hours of paperwork.

Visa and residence permit

Non-EU residents do not have to surrender the residence card before leaving, but the permit usually expires automatically if you are out of Germany for more than six months. If you intend to return within that window, no extra step is required. If you might come back later, ask the Ausländerbehörde for a longer absence approval before you go.

Holders of the EU Daueraufenthalt or German Niederlassungserlaubnis have different absence rules — talk to the Ausländerbehörde a few weeks in advance.

Mail and addresses

Nachsendeauftrag — Deutsche Post forwards your mail to an address abroad for 6, 12 or 24 months. Set it up online a week before the move; it covers letters, not parcels.
Update your important accounts with the foreign address: pension, banks, brokerage, tax adviser, alumni associations.
Keep an electronic mailbox — many German offices still send PDFs by email if you ask.

Coming back later

If you ever return to Germany, the Abmeldung does not erase you from the system. Your Steuer-ID is for life. Your pension contributions sit on file. Your old Bürgerbüro can pull your registration history. Many newcomers leave for a couple of years and come back; it is a small adjustment, not a fresh start.

Related reading: the German pension, taxes, banking.