Social security

... in the info section ‘Social security’ can be accessed directly via the following links. You can access all content via the drop-down menu under 'Social security' above.

Social insurance in Germany   
Temporary Work in Europe - A1 Certificate   
Working in several European countries   
Travelling to countries outside the EU   
The Künstlersozialabgabe and cross-border activities
 

• Everyone in Germany is required to have health insurance. Self-employed artists, art teachers, and writers are required to take out social insurance through the Künstlersozialkasse (KSK). Joining the KSK is sometimes complicated and can take several months, but it is worth it in (almost) all cases. There is a general social insurance obligation for employees. Self-employed people who do not work as artists, art teachers, or writers can take out voluntary statutory health insurance or must take out private health insurance.    
• Social security is coordinated within the EU (and the EEA, Switzerland and the UK). One of the basic rules of coordination is that a person can only be insured in one country at a time, even if they live and/or work temporarily or regularly in several countries. There is no freedom of choice as to which country is responsible. There are rules that must be applied to check which country is responsible.  
• If you continue to be covered by social security in your country of residence while working temporarily in another European country, you will need an A1 certificate. This is proof that you are still covered by social security, and you do not need to register temporarily for social security in the destination country.    
• If you are coming to Germany temporarily from a non-EU country, you may need to arrange (private) health insurance. The same applies to German residents travelling to non-EU countries. Additional international health insurance can also be useful for stays within the EU if your health insurance does not cover all services (e.g. repatriation).  
• Persons/companies/organisations that make use of artistic services in Germany must pay the so-called Künstlersozialabgabe (KSA) to the KSK on the artist's fee. It does not matter whether the artists/publishers are insured with the KSK or not.

International activities have an impact on social security coverage. The texts in this module explain the aspects that need to be considered – both by artists who work internationally and by organizers hiring international artists.
In general, social security is a system of governmental programmes that protect individuals in case of illness or unemployment and after retirement. Although each country manages social security benefits in its own way, there are also a number of supranational regulations in place aimed at guaranteeing social protection when working or staying in another country while also avoiding double insurance coverage.

Any artist working within the EU/EEA must comply with national legislation as well as all applicable EU regulations. In general, each Member State has its own social security system. The EU coordinates these systems based on certain rules and determines which state is responsible for providing social security coverage in a given case. The decisive factor here is the status of the artist in their own country, i.e. whether they are employed or self-employed, and how any activity abroad is classified.
The regulations are not entirely straightforward. The Working abroad in an EU country section explains how they work and what artists and organizers need to consider in the case of temporary business activities abroad in the EU/EEA (known as posting) or in the case of several simultaneous business activities in different EU/EEA countries (ordinary activities in two or more states).

Those who work or live in a third country and come to Germany temporarily have to observe national legal regulations while also complying with the regulations of any existing bilateral social security agreement regulating which country is responsible in which areas.
The Temporary working relationships between Germany and countries outside the EU section outlines the aspects that need to be considered by individuals working between Germany and third countries – with or without social security agreements.

Do you or any foreign guests need an additional international health insurance policy? If so, the information in the International health insurance section will be of interest.

Artists and creative professionals who come to Germany for an extended stay will find information on social security coverage in Germany here. This section also explains the Social Security Insurance for Artists and Writers, which is important for self-employed artists and publicists.

• Artists' Social Insurance Act (Künstlersozialversicherungsgesetz, KSVG) (in German) Link  
• Coordination of Social Security in Europe: Practical guide – The applicable legislation in the EU, EEA and in Switzerland Link  
• Social Security Code (SGB) (in German) Link   
• Multilateral Framework Convention on the application of Article 16(1) of Regulation (EC) 883/04 to habitual cross-border telework  

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