If you are an artist or publicist, the KSK is a route into German public health insurance, and membership becomes mandatory once the KSK accepts you. You can apply for public health insurance with BARMER at the same time as your KSK application, entering "KSK membership application" as your employer and a start date about 6 months out. While the KSK reviews your application, expat health insurance keeps you covered for €72 per month and prevents backdated public health insurance contributions. Once the KSK approves you, public health insurance begins on the 1st of the following month, with no overlap and no backdated payments.
How do I sign up for public health insurance with the KSK?
If you work as an artist or publicist, the Künstlersozialkasse (KSK) can be your route into public health insurance (GKV) in Germany. Once the KSK accepts you, membership in public health insurance is mandatory. A KSK application usually takes a few months to process, so you can register for public health insurance at the same time as your KSK application — your public health insurance application stays pending until the KSK confirms your membership. We recommend choosing BARMER as your provider, because their sign-up process is fast and clearly guided.
What steps do I follow to sign up for public health insurance as a KSK applicant?
Complete these steps to join public health insurance through the KSK:
Sign up for public health insurance with BARMER. In the questionnaire, state that you are employed, enter "KSK membership application" as your employer, and choose a start date about 6 months in the future, since KSK processing takes time. The start date is adjusted once the KSK confirms your membership.
Receive a preliminary insurance confirmation from BARMER.
Apply for KSK membership. Indicate that you are not yet in public health insurance but intend to join BARMER once the KSK confirms you, and name your current insurer — your expat health insurance.
Receive your KSK confirmation.
Submit your KSK confirmation to BARMER.
Receive your final insurance confirmation and start date.
After you sign up, your social security number (SVNR) is requested, and you receive it once it has been created for you.
How am I insured while my KSK application is being processed?
Until you can join public health insurance, we recommend our expat health insurance, which covers your basic health needs for €72 per month. We recommend staying on expat health insurance until the KSK accepts you, for two reasons:
It is an affordable and sufficient way to get started in Germany.
It avoids expensive backdated public health insurance contributions for the months your KSK application is pending and you are not yet using public health insurance.
Expat health insurance is a visa-compliant incoming insurance that legally counts as a form of private insurance under §193(3) VVG, but it is not the same as our private health insurance (PKV). If you list your expat health insurance as your current insurer on the KSK application, your public health insurance with BARMER begins on the 1st of the month after your KSK membership is confirmed, and you can then cancel your expat health insurance.
When does my public health insurance start after the KSK approves my membership?
Once the KSK approves your application, your public health insurance through the KSK begins on the 1st of the following month. Because the start date is aligned this way, there are no expensive backdated public health insurance payments and no overlap between your expat health insurance and your public health insurance.
Do I need statutory pension insurance during the KSK process?
Yes. Statutory pension insurance is mandatory from the date you submit your KSK registration. Our expat health insurance does not include the pension contribution — only public health insurance does in this case — so you will need to back-pay the pension portion for that period. Your chosen public health insurance provider contacts you with the details once your membership is approved, and the statutory pension contribution is 9.3% of your income.