Registering a company, self-employed or freelance activity for statutory accident insurance

You are legally obliged to register your new company with the statutory accident insurance (your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund) within one week of starting. It does not matter whether you have employees or work alone. The statutory accident insurance insures your employees against the consequences of work and commuting accidents and occupational illnesses. This registration and any payment of contributions are the responsibility of the employer. If you are self-employed or self-employed as a freelancer, you can take out voluntary insurance.

To register, you must inform the relevant employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund

• the type and object (activities) of the company
• the number of insured persons,
• the opening date or the date on which preparatory work for the company commenced and
• in cases where the company does not have a fixed place of business in Germany, the name and domicile or habitual residence of the authorized representative

of the authorized representative.

Exception: If you register your commercial enterprise with the local trade office, you do not need to register for accident insurance. The business registration is automatically forwarded to your responsible employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund. You are therefore deemed to be registered with them. However, you must report all changes or the termination of your self-employed activity or business to the employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund, despite registering or deregistering your business.

The employers' liability insurance associations are generally responsible for companies, institutions and freelancers. They are organized by sector.

Accident insurance funds are responsible for public institutions (educational institutions) and public sector companies.

Only one employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund is ever responsible for your company, even if your company has components from different sectors. Your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund is then determined by the focus of the company, i.e. its main activity. There is no right to choose.

As an entrepreneur or freelancer, you are usually not automatically insured yourself. However, you can voluntarily insure yourself against the consequences of accidents at work and commuting accidents as well as occupational illnesses with your employers' liability insurance association.