Enrollment

What to do to get insurance

If you have found a job, you are almost automatically enrolled in the public health system. Without a job, this can be a costly undertaking. Make sure you know how to be properly insured.

Within seven days of starting a new job, both employees and independent contractors must be enrolled in one or more insurance programmes within the social insurance system. The employee then receives a green Social Insurance Card ( Sozialversicherungskarte), which shows your social insurance number and date of birth. It is recommended you always carry this card with you.

There are basically two ways to enroll:

If you are an employee, this is straightforward because your employer is required to process your enrolment at the district health insurance fund ( Gebietskrankenkasse).
If you are working as an independent contractor, you have to register yourself with the Social Insurance for the Industrial Economy - Sozialversicherung der gewerblichen Wirtschaft’.

Dependants:

All family dependants of an employed person (e.g. wife/husband and children) are covered by their social security insurance. If you are self-employed, you need to get additional insurance to cover members of your family!

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