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Social Insurance

When you stay and work in a foreign country, it is important to have an insurance in the case of an accident or illness. Contributions to insurances may be deducted directly from your pay.

In this section, you can therefore learn more about social insurances.

Learn about health insurance and how you are covered against accidents at work in Germany.

Social insurance

Social insurance includes: 

  • health insurance
  • pension
  • nursing benefits
  • unemployment benefits. 

Social insurances are paid by the employer and the employee each paying half of the contribution rate.

As a short-term worker (70 days) you are free of social insurance contributions in Germany. 

Because as short-term worker, you should remain insured in your home country. 

That means:

  • there are no deductions for any social insurance from your payment in Germany.
  • you are NOT entitled to pension & unemployment benefits! 
  • you must make sure to be socially insured in your home country.   

Learn more about short-term work. 

Health insurance

If you are a short-term worker, you should get the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in your home country.

You can apply for EHIC at your local health insurance department in your home country. 

This EHIC card is provided free of charge to all legal residents of the EU. 

With the EHIC you can go to a doctor in case of acute illnesses. 

If you are not a short-term worker and you don’t have a health insurance in your home country, please make sure you have a valid health insurance during your stay in Germany. 

Here is a link to a list of all health insurances in Germany. 

Do you have a health insurance in Germany? 

Don't forget to sign off, if you leave the country. This does not happen automatically. If you don't sign off the health insurance, you may face high costs.

Learn more about health insurance in Germany.

Health insurance does not cover accidents during working time. 

Accident insurance 

Short-term workers are covered by accident insurance against accidents at workplace and occupational diseases. 

Contributions to this compulsory insurance must be paid by the employer.

Please note, it is important to get an accident at your workplace registered as such because this is linked to more specific treatment and better benefits.

Accidents can easily happen at work time. If it happens to you, make sure to:

  1. inform the fore worker or the employer. Your employer must register an work accident with the accident insurance. Make sure, the employer does that. If you want to be sure the work accident has been registered with the accident insurance, you can ask them directly. There should be a case number on your accident. You can report your accident to the relevant accident insurance here.   

    In case of accident at work, you can also seek the help of a trade union or an advisory center 

  2. inform the treating doctor that it was a work accident. Describe, how it happened. Have your doctor give you the relevant documents in which your accident is defined as a work accident!!
    Keep those documents. 

Income tax

You must pay income taxes in Germany which are directly deducted from your payment by the respective German tax authority.

It must be documented on your payslip.

You can get income taxes back by filling in a tax declaration (also available online) and sending it to the respective German tax authority. 

Your respective German tax authority is the one in the local region in which you work.