Sozialversicherung / Social Insurance

The following Social Insurances are payable in Germany when you are a full-time employee or trainee:

• Krankenvesicherung / Medical Insurance
• Plegeversicherung / Long Term care insurance. Nursing or home care
• Rentenversicherung / Pension insurance
• Unfallversicherung / Accident insurance – Should you become ill due to your profession you will be supported by the statutory accident insurance scheme. This will, for example, continue to pay your wages. It also assumes the cost for a further training course (retraining) should you no longer be able to work in your original profession. And it also pays pensions to widows and orphans. The contributions to this insurance will be paid by the company for which you work.
• Arbeitslosenversicherung / Unemployment insurance – If you have a position with a company that is subject to social insurance contributions you are automatically insured against unemployment. Should you become unemployed you will receive support from your employment agencies and job centres. The Arbeitsagentur will help you look for work. They also offer you financial support to cover your living costs should you fulfil the conditions for this. You can find more information concerning Unemployment Benefit and Supplementary Unemployment Benefit II (Arbeitslosengeld und Arbeitslosengeld II here – available only in german).

You can download a very informative e-book from the Deutsche Rentenvesicherung. This is available in German only

Additional Information

• You should receive a Sozialversicherungsausweis / Social security card.   – Your social security number will be on this card. – As an employee, you need a social security card. With this you can prove to your employer, among other things, that you are a member of the statutory social security system. You receive your number the first time you start employment and register for social insurance. An explanation from Karrierebibel “If the employer knows that the new employee is taking on a job for the first time, they register them with the health insurance company or the mini job center. You will then apply for your social security card from the German Pension Insurance. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung will send you the ID.” You can also read more from the AOK
• You will get a yearly Meldebescheinigung zur Sozialversicherung / Social security certificate from your employer. This certificate contains your gross salary for the previous year that is subject to contributions. The information is relevant for the calculation of your pension, and you should keep your copies until at least your retirement date.

Sources:

• Make it in Germany
• Arbeitsagentur