You are in Germany, planning your next research stay abroad, and want to find out about Social Security?

Social security is mandatory and covers health insurance, pension schemes, unemployment benefits, accident and nursing care insurance.


Research stay based on a fellowship:
If you are going to work abroad in the context of a fellowship programme you should first find out whether you are exempt from statutory social security ("Sozialversicherungspflicht") - which may be the case in Germany under certain circumstances.


Research stay based on an employment contract:
If you are going to work abroad on the basis of an employment contract you are not exempt from statutory social security. If you are posted to another country you are usually subject to the German law, otherwise normally to that of the target country.


Transfer of claims:
Citizens of the Member States of the EU, citizens of EEA States and Switzerland are covered by Regulation (EC) 883/04. This regulation covers the rights to and transferability of social security benefits within the European Union. There are two basic principles in Regulation (EC) 883/04:

1. You are insured in the country in which you exercise your professional activity.
2. You are subject to the legislation of only one Member State at a time.

The relevant basic principles apply if and insofar as a there is a bilateral Social Security Agreement ("Sozialversicherungsabkommen") between Germany and a non-European country. You need to check whether a Social Security Agreements exists between Germany and your target country and which branches of insurance are covered by them. The German Liaison Office for Health Insurance Abroad can provide further information.

The branches of social security in detail:

• Health insurance
• Pension scheme
• Unemployment insurance
• Accident insurance
• Nursing care insurance

Questions and answers on social security





Further information:

EURAXESS-The European Services Network
EURAXESS Services is a network of more than two hundred centres located in 35 European countries. As a researcher, these centres assist you and your family to plan and organise your stay in a foreign country.
European Commission

EURAXESS Links - Destination Worldwide
In cooperation with EURAXESS, mobility portals have started up in a number of non-European countries which provide similar information for researchers planning to spend time researching in these countries. So far, these portals exist in Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan and South Africa.
European Commission