Social security and health insurance

No Germany-Kenya social security agreement; mandatory health insurance.

No social security agreement

• The German pension insurance (DRV) lists the countries with which Germany has bilateral social security agreements: Kenya is not among them (DRV: agreements; a separate 2002 arrangement with China covers secondments only).
• What this means: German and Kenyan insurance periods are not added up by an agreement, and posted workers are not covered by agreement rules. Whether a Kenyan pension scheme (NSSF) pays out contributions when you leave, and how German contributions are refunded on leaving the EU (§ 210 SGB VI), were not checked here.
• You pay German contributions as soon as you work in Germany under German law.

Health insurance is mandatory

• Everyone living in Germany needs health insurance. Employees below an income threshold are in statutory health insurance (§ 5 SGB V). The 2026 threshold above which private insurance is possible was not verified.
• For the visa you must show cover. A Kenyan or travel policy often does not meet the German minimum or does not fit a long stay; ask the Embassy or the authority what they accept, and check any insurer carefully.
• Students: statutory or private; student rates not verified. Families: co-insurance of spouse and children in statutory insurance depends on income; ask the fund.

Information: Make it in Germany: health insurance.