If you're doing a Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr (FSJ) or Bundesfreiwilligendienst (BFD) in Germany, you're not just doing something good — you're also taken care of when it comes to health and social security. Here's what you need to know:
As an FSJ or BFD participant, you’re fully covered by Germany’s social insurance system. That includes:
Health insurance (public/statutory)
Long-term care insurance
Pension insurance
Unemployment insurance
Accident insurance
Even though you're not earning a full salary, you're treated like an employee when it comes to insurance coverage.
Your organization (Einsatzstelle) handles all contributions. You don’t need to pay anything yourself. This includes your health insurance and everything else listed above.
The same rules apply whether you're a German citizen, an EU national, or from anywhere else in the world.
Do I need to register with a health insurance provider?
The organization you're volunteering with might register you automatically. If not, you can signup for public health insurance through Feather. We offer digital signup on English, completely free of charge!
What happens when I finish?
Your statutory insurance under FSJ/BFD ends when your service does. From that point on, you'll need to arrange new health coverage based on your next step. We can assist with that as well, but in general this is what it looks like:
Studying? → Student public insurance
Working? → Employer-based public or private insurance
Staying in Germany unemployed? → Voluntary public membership or private