Insurances

The foreign nationals office in charge requires a residence permit and proof of health insurance, which ensures the following:

  • Medical and dental treatment
  • Supply with medication, first aid and medical aids
  • Hospital treatment
  • Medical services for rehabilitation
  • Services provided in pregnancy and childbirth

This proof must be issued to you in writing by your insurance company. For citizens of EU countries there are special forms for this purpose. If your insurance does not apply in Germany you can purchase a travel insurance (for a short stay) or acquire one through a German supplier. For more information consult your insurance company and the pages of Euraxess and the DAAD.

Please note that costs for certain diseases or treatments - e.g. chronic illnesses - are usually not covered by private health insurance in Germany.

Please make sure that you have insurance coverage before you enter Germany!

The Third-party Private Haftpflichtversicherung (Liability Insurance) covers physical injury or material damage to others caused by you (or your children). Therefore, it is customary to get insured for occasions in which any claims could arise from unintentionally caused damages. When taking out a liability insurance make sure that it at least covers all private liability claims and if possible also business-related liability claims. However, most insurances only cover the former, thus, there are also providers for workplace liability insurances for people who work with expensive equipment, e.g. in a lab. If you are a motor vehicle owner you are required by law to have a motor vehicle liability insurance. Additionally, there are also liability insurance policies especially for animal owners.

Wenn Sie in Deutschland erwerbstätig sind und daher in die Sozialversicherung einzahlen, sind Sie bereits gegen Unfälle auf dem Weg zur und von der Arbeitsstätte sowie am Arbeitsplatz versichert. Mit einer privaten Unfallversicherung können Sie sich gegen Einkommensverluste absichern, die Ihnen oder Ihrer Familie durch dauerhafte körperliche Schäden aufgrund eines Unfalls im privaten Umfeld, z. B. bei privaten Sportaktivitäten, entstehen. Sie ist nicht zu verwechseln mit der Krankenversicherung, die medizinische Behandlungen abdeckt. Ein dauerhafter körperlicher Schaden ist normalerweise definiert als ein Zustand, der länger als drei Jahre andauert. Die Versicherung tritt in Kraft, wenn z. B. Ihr unfallbedingter Gehaltsverlust oder Kosten für Haushaltshilfen und Therapien, die nicht von Ihrer Krankenversicherung gedeckt sind, nicht von Ihnen selbst getragen werden können.

The Hausratversicherung (household contents insurance/ home insurance) covers your furniture, clothing, work and household equipment against burglary, fire and weather damages. If the event occurs in which the insurance has to take action it will assume the costs of the repairs or the replacement of your household goods and, in case that the event prevents you from staying at home, often pays for a hotel room or similar. Since the insurance will most likely ask for prove that you owned the damaged or stolen goods, it is advisable to keep receipts or photographs of objects of high value in a different location than your home. Make sure to examine the policies of the household insurance closely before taking one out.

Occupational disability can happen either through illness or an accident. In case that you can no longer work, e.g. due to health problems like chronical back pain, psychological conditions like burnout or severe illness which permanently limits employment, an Occupational Disability Insurance protects you from facing the threat of not receiving income anymore.