Social security, health insurance and pension

Regulation 883/2004: where you are insured, EHIC, health fund, adding up insurance periods, ZUS and German pension.

Which country's system applies?

Under Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 you are insured in one member state at a time. The basic rule is the country where you work (employees and self-employed). If you work in Berlin, German social insurance applies, even if your employer is Polish. Exceptions: posted workers (A1 certificate) and people working in several countries.

Health insurance

• Employees in Berlin: health insurance is compulsory; you choose a statutory health fund and register; contributions are shared with the employer. Income threshold above which private insurance is possible in 2026: 77,400 euros a year (6,450 euros a month) (German Pension Insurance). See SGB V.
• EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) from the Polish NFZ covers temporary stays, not a move. If you live and work here, you need German cover. The EHIC rules for students and posted workers are not detailed here.
• Not working: to keep your right of residence you must have sufficient health insurance cover and means (§ 4 FreizügG/EU). Whether the Polish NFZ cover is accepted for a long stay is not settled here; ask the immigration office.
• Students: statutory student insurance contribution and exemptions are not detailed; ask the university.

Pension and adding up periods

• Insurance periods in Poland and Germany are added up when checking whether you qualify for a pension; each country then pays its own share (German Pension Insurance: Poland).
• Apply in the country where you live; the application is forwarded. Polish side: ZUS. German side: Deutsche Rentenversicherung.
• The 1975 German-Polish social security agreement still applies only to certain groups (residents of 1990); for people who moved later, EU law applies (same DRV page).

Unemployment insurance

Periods of work in Poland can count for German unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld), and the benefit can be exported for job search in some cases. Registered as unemployed for at least 4 weeks before leaving, register in the other state within 7 days; export for 3 months, extendable to 6; form U2. Periods in Poland count via form U1 (Art. 61, Art. 64 of Regulation 883/2004).