Registration of entrepreneurs with the agricultural health insurance fund or long-term care fund and the agricultural pension fund

The agricultural health insurance fund, long-term care insurance fund and old-age insurance fund will check the requirements for compulsory insurance on their own initiative.

• The funds will contact you in writing. Information for you and a questionnaire are enclosed with the letter. Alternatively, you can download the questionnaire from the SVLFG website.
• Complete the questionnaire.
• Submit the questionnaire online, in writing or in person.

Online via the SVLFG service portal:

• If necessary, register on the service portal of the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture. When you register, you will receive your personal access data by post.
• Log in to the service portal with your access data.
• Fill in the web form and upload the necessary documents via the mailbox function. Once your details have been confirmed, your data will be transmitted online to the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture.

In writing:

• You will receive a letter from the agricultural health insurance fund or long-term care insurance fund and the agricultural old-age insurance fund with the questionnaire attached or
• Complete the questionnaire from the letter in full and compile the required supporting documents.
• Send the completed and signed questionnaire with the required documents by post to the return address provided.

In person during the consultation:

• Compile the required documents and make an appointment with
  • the agricultural health insurance fund
  • the agricultural pension fund or
  • an advice center of the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture.
• You fill out the questionnaire together with a member of staff at the respective office.

Telephone advice:

• Call the service number of the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture and ask to be put through to the person responsible for you. They will answer your questions and send you the questionnaire.

At the end of the procedure, you will receive a notice of compulsory insurance.

Do you assume that you are subject to compulsory insurance? Then you can complete and sign the questionnaire and send it to the health insurance funds before they contact you.

Note: A person you trust can also provide the necessary information for you. To do this, submit a power of attorney to your agricultural health insurance fund or pension fund. As long as the power of attorney is valid, your agricultural health insurance fund or old-age insurance fund will only contact your authorized person.

You are legally obliged to insure yourself if you are an agricultural entrepreneur. This means that

• you carry out your professional activity independently and
• your company is or exceeds the minimum size stipulated by the health insurance funds.

You are also insured if you run an agricultural business jointly with several people (heirs, co-entrepreneurs - for example a civil law partnership).

There are further provisions if

• a commercial partnership, for example:
  • general partnership
  • limited partnership
• a legal entity, for example:
  • limited liability company
  • public limited company
  • registered cooperative

operates the agricultural enterprise. The following applies in these cases:

• The partner with unlimited liability of a commercial partnership is a farmer,
• the partners with limited liability of commercial partnerships and members of legal entities are only farmers if
  • they work full-time in the company and
  • are not insured in the German pension insurance scheme because of this activity.

For compulsory insurance with the pension fund, it does not matter whether you operate the farm exclusively or whether you also work outside of farming (with the exception of partners with limited liability). Therefore, for example

• Employees,
• civil servants and
• self-employed persons

agricultural entrepreneurs if their agricultural enterprise reaches the minimum size.

In such cases, the agricultural health insurance fund or long-term care insurance fund checks which of the funds provides health and long-term care insurance (so-called priority insurance).

• Questionnaire for checking insurance obligation
• If necessary, further written evidence such as partnership agreements. You can find out which documents are required in your case on the application form.
• in the case of answers from other persons:
  • Power of attorney or
  • Order of the court

There are no fees for registration.

There are no deadlines. The insurance obligation arises when all requirements are met.

• § Section 1 of the Act on Old-Age Insurance for Farmers (ALG)
• § Section 2 of the Second Act on Health Insurance for Farmers (KVLG 1989)

• An objection to the decision on compulsory insurance can be lodged within one month (3 months abroad) of notification.
• If the appeal is unsuccessful, there is the option of taking legal action before the social court.

Forms available: Yes

Written form required: Yes

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance necessary: No

Online services available: Yes

There are no indications or special features.

03.03.2022