Accident insurance ("Unfallversicherung") is part of the statutory social security contributions. The legal basis is laid out in Book VII of the German Social Code ("Sozialgesetzbuch"). The most important object of accident insurance is to cover you in the event of accidents at work; it does not apply to private accidents.

The obligation to hold this type of insurance is therefore mostly linked to employment activities.

Please see § 2 SGB VII for details of the persons covered within the statutory accident insurance.

Pursuant to § 2 para. 2 sentence 1 SGB VII in conjunction with para. 1 no. 1, persons in an employment relationship without being employees in the sense of the law are also covered by the statutory accident insurance.

This formulation has been defined more precisely by the courts. Thus the statutory accident insurance also covers those who perform an activity that

• is more or less temporary, serious and essential to the company and of economic value,
• corresponds with the actual and presumed aims of the company,
• given its nature, can be performed by persons in an employment relationship that can be attributed to the general work market,
• is performed under such circumstances that the activity is similar to an employment relationship ("employment-like" activity).

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Statutory accident insurance contributions are made by the employer directly. Employees do not have to worry about them. The employer registers his employees with the respective Employer's Liability Insurance Association.

Fellowships are usually exempt from compulsory social security payments. They have no influence on the assessment of accident insurance protection.

Doctoral and habilitation candidates are covered by the statutory accident insurance as doctoral and habilitation students pursuant to § 2 para. 1 no. 8c SGB VII. As a rule, they must be enrolled at the institution concerned (cf. information sheet on accident insurance for students, doctoral and habilitation candidates on the extent of insurance coverage).