Health Insurance

In order to come and live in Germany, health insurance is vital for you as well as all members of your family accompanying you!

In Germany, there are statutory as well as private health insurance companies. What insurance you can join depends on your individual situation. We explain the differences here.

There is quite a range of statutory health insurance providers and private insurance companies to choose from. The website of EURAXXES Germany offers a good overview of statutory health insurance providers and private health insurance companies.

If you are an employee of Paderborn University, you are obliged to pay social insurance and are therefore required to be a member of a health insurance scheme in Germany. This also applies to accompanying family members.

However, exceptionally, where there is a Social Security Agreement ("Sozialversicherungsabkommen") in place between Germany and your home country, the health insurance regulations of that country may continue to be applicable. Your health insurance provider or social security authority at home will confirm this using form number 1 or 101.

In Germany, there are private and statutory health insurances. Here, you can find out more about the differences. Generally speaking, it depends on the amount of your income whether you can take out a private health insurance, if you want to. (From 01 January 2018 on, up to a gross salary of 59,400 euros you must be insured by a statutory health insurance company.)

The general statutory health insurance rate is a standardised 14.6% of the gross salary. Employer and employee each cover a share of 7.3% of the insurance rate. However, statutory health insurance companies may charge a supplemental premium. Therefore, although the benefits of statutory health insurance are, for the most part, standardised it may be worth comparing the health insurance companies with each other.

Please note: If you are an employee of Paderborn University, you must inform the HR department which health insurance company you have chosen.

Citizens of EU/EEA states

If you need medical services during a short-term stay (e.g. attending a conference) in another EU country as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is valid and you can have the costs reimbursed by your health insurance company.

If you are in Germany for a longer stay, e.g. for a visiting professorship or a research stay, and are covered by statutory health insurance in your home country, your local health insurance company will issue form S1 on application. This enables you and your family members to register with a German health insurance company.

More detailed information can be found here.

 

In the case of a scholarship without the conclusion of an employment contract, you are generally exempt from the statutory social security obligation. However, in order to successfully apply for a residence title, you must prove that you have health insurance that is recognised in Germany.

Depending on your country of origin, previous health insurance and scholarship provider, there are various possibilities here:

(1) If applicable, recognition of health insurance from your home country
Because Germany has concluded social security agreements with the member states of the European Union, the EEA and other countries, it may be possible that your health insurance is recognised in Germany. The best thing to do is to ask your health insurance company in your home country and, if necessary, get written confirmation that your insurance cover is also valid in Germany. Your health insurance needs to be recognised by a statutory health insurance in Germany!

(2) Health insurance from the scholarship provider.
Some scholarship providers, such as the DAAD, offer special health insurance for their scholarship holders or for scholarship holders from partner organisations. It is therefore best to contact your scholarship provider directly to find out whether this option is available. Your scholarship provider may also be able to recommend suitable health insurance.

(3) Private health insurance
If your insurance cover from your home country is not sufficient and your stay in Germany is longer than 6 weeks, you must take out additional insurance. (Travel health insurance is not suitable. It only covers the specific health risks during the trip, but does not constitute sufficient insurance cover for your work in Germany!)

Researchers who are not employed at the University of Paderborn and who were not previously insured in Germany or a country with which Germany has concluded a social security agreement have the option of taking out private health insurance. Some insurance companies offer special rates for international academics with limited research stays.

In order for your health insurance to be recognised when applying for a residence permit, it must offer equivalent protection to statutory health insurance in Germany. Therefore, please always check exactly which benefits are covered by the respective health insurance. Since many insurance companies offer a range of different tariffs, you should also make sure that you have chosen the right tariff for your stay when taking out the policy. For example, some tariffs have a maximum insurance period, cannot be extended or can only be taken out before or shortly after entry. Please also note that with some newly concluded private health insurance policies, there is no insurance cover for already diagnosed pre-existing conditions and there are waiting periods for pregnancy treatments. In addition, the costs for preventive medical examinations are usually not covered.

You can find an overview of the different health insurance tariffs for visiting researchers without an employment contract or for scholarship holders on the Euraxess website.

 

Information for EU citizens:

If you make use of health services during a short-term stay (e.g. attending a conference) in another EU country as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is valid and you can have the costs reimbursed by your health insurance fund.

If you are in Germany for a longer stay, for example for a visiting professorship or a research stay, and you have statutory health insurance in your home country, your home health insurance fund will issue form S1 upon application. This enables you to register yourself and your family members with a German health insurance fund. You can find detailed information here.

Further information: