Returning to India
Moving back to India? Plan your German finances before you leave.
Insurance, pension, bank accounts, taxes, property and investments: a general overview of what to decide, what to cancel and what to keep.
Checklist
What to look at before you leave Germany
Health and other insurance
- For most contracts you have a special right of termination when you leave Germany. You need the official deregistration from your city (Abmeldung) as proof
- Which contracts end automatically and which you must cancel, and by when
- Whether keeping a policy, a waiting-period option or travel cover for visits makes sense
- Liability, household and disability cover: cancel, keep or replace
Pension and retirement plans
- Less than 60 months in Germany: you can transfer your own (employee) contributions into the pension system of your home country. The employer share is lost
- More than 60 months in Germany: you will receive a German public pension at retirement age
- Company pension and private contracts: check what you have built up and whether to keep, pause or cancel them
Banks, savings and investments
- Which German accounts you keep for visits, rent or payments
- What happens to savings plans, ETFs and building society contracts
- How to move money to India in a clean and documented way
Property and loans
- Sell, rent out or keep your German property
- What your German mortgage means when you leave
- Financing a home or investment back in India
Taxes
Two countries, two tax systems
Leaving Germany changes your tax position in both countries: the end of your German residence, a final German tax return, and your tax status in India. The right timing can make a real difference. Tax rules depend on your situation, so we coordinate with a tax consultant instead of giving tax advice ourselves.
Before you leave
Dates, deregistration, final tax return and open contracts.
Year of the move
Income earned in both countries and what has to be reported where.
After the move
Income from Germany that continues, such as rent, investments or pension.
General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules depend on your personal situation. For binding advice, please consult a qualified tax consultant and the providers of your contracts.
