Almost everyone says the same thing: “I am not staying here forever.” Some do go back, some do not. The problem is that the decision about returning is made in your mid-fifties, while the contracts that depend on it are signed in your early thirties.
What is rarely said at signing
There are retirement savings products that the state supports, either with direct subsidies or with tax relief. The best known is Riester.
That support comes with a condition that is rarely said out loud.
There is an option to defer repayment until retirement begins rather than paying it all at the moment of the move. That eases the moment but does not change the obligation.
Why this hits people with a migration history
The German colleague who takes out Riester will very likely stay in Germany. For him the condition never becomes real.
Someone with a house back home, parents there, and the sentence “when I retire, I am going back” said a hundred times, is in a different position.
For him it is the same product with a completely different outcome, and that difference appears nowhere in the contract.
That does not make Riester automatically wrong. It means the question of returning has to be in the calculation from day one, not once the ticket is booked.
If moving back is a real option for you and not just a phrase, it has to be taken into account before you sign anything that runs for twenty years. Let us go through what you already have.
Book a consultation →What else changes
The German pension keeps being paid. In countries with a social security agreement, which includes Bosnia and Serbia, the pension is transferred abroad as well.
But taxation changes. Anyone who moves their residence permanently abroad generally becomes subject to limited tax liability. Among other things that means losing the basic tax-free allowance, which is 12,348 euros in 2026.
Health insurance is a topic of its own. Since 1 January 2026 returning from abroad into statutory health insurance has become considerably harder for anyone over 55. Someone who leaves and then changes their mind may not get back into the system.
- I know whether returning is my plan or just a wish
- I know which of my contracts depend on where I live
- I have checked whether my savings receive state support
- I know the difference between Croatia (EU) and Bosnia or Serbia
- I know health insurance has to be sorted before the move, not after
What I do here
I do not decide for you whether you go back. That is not my business.
My business is that before you sign you know how each contract behaves in both scenarios, and that in twenty years no bill arrives that you knew nothing about.
If returning is a real option, there are savings forms that are indifferent to a move. If it is not, other options open up. But that requires an honest conversation about what you actually intend.
Common questions
Does that mean Riester is no good? No. For someone staying in Germany it can be perfectly sensible. The question is not whether the product is good but whether it fits your plan.
What if I only go back for a few years? What matters is where your residence is registered, not where you spend the summer. A temporary stay and a permanent move are not the same thing.
I already have Riester and I am thinking about going back. Now what? Do not cancel anything hastily. Cancelling has consequences too. First you calculate which is cheaper, then you decide.
Is this tax advice? No. In Germany tax advice may only be given by tax advisers. This text explains that the question exists and why it matters, not what the answer is in your specific case.
