One of the first things your German employer will ask you for is your Sozialversicherungsnummer, your social insurance number. It allows your employer to make your pension contributions, and should you leave Germany, you’ll also need it to claim those funds as well. It’s worth noting that this is different from your tax ID, which you will also need for your employer.
- What is the social insurance number in Germany and how do I get one?
- What do I need to get a German social security number?
- Is the German social security number the same as my tax ID number?
- How do I apply for my German social security number online?
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What is the social security number in Germany and how do I get one?
Much like the Social Security Number in the US and the National Insurance Number in the UK, the German Sozialversicherungsnummer allows an employer to make the necessary pension contributions for you. It is also sometimes called a Rentenversicherungnummer, SV-Nummer, RNVR, or Versicherungsnummer, although this last one can also refer to your health insurance number, so double check which one you’re being asked for.
When you apply for public health insurance, you will get your Sozialversicherungsnummer automatically. If you have private health insurance, you will need to apply for it separately from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung. Once you’ve requested it, your Sozialversicherungsausweis, your social security card, will arrive in the mail in about two weeks, but can take up to six. If you need your number in a hurry, you can go to a Deutsche Rentenversicherung office in person and you will receive it that day.
What do I need to get a German social security number?
You will need a residence permit, so you will need to have completed your Anmeldung. You don’t need to be employed yet to get your social security number, and a company can employ you and pay you, before you’ve received yours. Just be sure to inform your employer as soon as you receive your number.
Is the German social security number the same as the tax ID number?
No, your social security number is not the same as your tax ID number, and they are issued by different government departments. But your employer will need both of these numbers from you. Your tax ID, or Steueridentifikationsnummer (IdNr), is issued by the Federal Central Tax Office, Bundeszentralamt für Steuern.
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How do I apply for my social security number online?
If you sign up for public health insurance, you will automatically be registered for your social security number. The big public health insurance organizations are Techniker Krankenkasse, Barmer, AOK and DAK. In some cases, your employer may apply for you, and you will receive your details in the mail. If you need to apply yourself, you can do so online at Deutsche Rentenversicherung (German). The process is in German, and you will need:
- Your resident permit or ID card with the activated online ID function
- Smartphone with NFC
- AusweisApp2 on your smartphone
- Computer running Windows or macOS and the AusweisApp2 (optional)
If you’ve been using a health insurance broker to source your private health insurance, sometimes they will get this process started for you, so it’s worth asking about it.
Getting your German social security number: You can do it!
There is an overwhelming amount of unfamiliar paperwork involved when you move to Germany, but just take it one step at a time and you’ll get there. You can request your social security number from your public health insurer or the Deutsche Rentenversicherung if you’ve lost track of it, and it will also be on your paystub from your employer if you are a salaried employee. The good news is you will only have to do this once, as your social security number is for life.
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Erin McGann
Erin McGann is a Canadian freelance writer focusing on travel, living abroad, parenting, history, and culture. After nearly a decade living in the UK, Erin settled in Heidelberg, Germany with her husband and son. Dragging her family to every castle and open-air museum is a favourite activity, along with sewing, archery, and historical reenactment. You can check out her travel blog, and follow her obsession with half-timbered houses on her Instagram account.
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The quickest way to obtain your German social security ID is by enrolling in a public health insurance program. This will automatically register you in the German social security system. The big public health insurance organizations are Barmer, Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), AOK and DAK.
Do students need social security number in Germany? ›
You only need a social security number if you plan on taking up a job, for instance as a working student or part time help. If that is the case, you can either send an email to your regional German public pension fund office or go to a local branch to get your social security number.
How many digits is a German Social Security number? ›
German social security numbers are 12 digits long and always have the same format: 00 000000 A 000. Once issued, the number stays the same for life, whether you change jobs or marital status, move address or leave Germany.
How do I check my social security contributions in Germany? ›
Your first pay slip will state the amount you and your employer are paying in social security contributions. This makes it easy for you to check that your employer has actually registered you.
How can a foreigner get a social security number? ›
We have a way for noncitizens to apply for Social Security number (SSN) cards as part of the immigration process. When you apply for your immigrant visa with the U.S. Department of State, you can also apply for an SSN card at the same time.
How do internationals get a social security number? ›
Visit your local SSA office.
You can file your application for an SSN card in person at any SSA office. Be prepared to provide your original documents to prove your age, identity and work-authorized immigration status. All evidence of immigration status and work authorization must be unexpired.
Can a foreign student get a SSN? ›
International Student Resources
F-1 Visa students are eligible for a Social Security Number only if one of the following apply: Student has been issued an Employment Authorization Document / EAD by the USCIS. Student has an I-20 endorsed for Curricular Practical Training.
How to get my Social Security number in Germany as a student? ›
To apply yourself, simply contact the nearest office of a public health insurance company. A private health insurance (eg MAWISTA) could not provide a social security card. Even if you have private health insurance, public health insurances are requesting the social security card at the German pension insurance.
Can a foreign student get a Social Security number? ›
In general, only noncitizens who have DHS' permission to work can apply for a Social Security number. We suggest you wait 48 hours after reporting to your school before you apply for a Social Security number. This waiting will help ensure we can verify your immigration status with the DHS.
What is Social Security called in Germany? ›
Social security in Germany (Sozialversicherung)
If you are a resident of Germany (foreigner or not), you will automatically receive a Tax ID by mail from the Federal Central Tax Office when you register your address with the local registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt).
How do I get my social security card if I don t know my social security number? ›
In most states, you can use your personal my Social Security account to request a replacement card. If you are not able to do that, you can still begin your application online and self-schedule an appointment to complete it in your local Social Security office or Card Center.
What happens to my social security when I leave Germany? ›
When you work in Germany, you give 9.3% of your income to the public pension system (gesetzliche Rentenversicherung). If you leave Germany, you can get your pension payments back. You can get thousands of euros back.
How much is German Social Security? ›
Social security contributions
Pension insurance: 18.6%, up to an income ceiling of EUR 84,600 annually (EUR 81,000 in the new federal states). A contribution of 9.3% each is borne by both the employer and the employee.
Does Germany tax U.S. social security? ›
Taxation of Social Security benefits
U.S. Social Security benefits received by U.S. citizens and Green Card holders residing in Germany are exempt from tax in the U.S. They are only taxable in Germany.
How do I get my tax ID and social security number in Germany? ›
How do I get a tax ID? Your tax ID will automatically be issued to you the first time you register in Germany. Everyone who is planning on working in Germany or staying longer than three months needs to register their address at their local citizens' office (Bürgeramt) within 14 days of arrival.
How do I get my social security number if I was born abroad? ›
If your child was born outside the United States, you need to present your child's foreign birth certificate. You may already have it or can get a copy within 10 business days. If you can't get it, we may be able to accept your child's: Certificate of Birth Abroad (FS-545).
Does Germany have a form of Social Security? ›
Expatriates can take advantage of the generous German social security benefits while living here and even, in some cases, when they return home. Germany has an elaborate social security system that sees to it that its citizens live comfortably even if they're sick, disabled, unemployed or retired.
How do I get my Social Security card if I don t know my social security number? ›
In most states, you can use your personal my Social Security account to request a replacement card. If you are not able to do that, you can still begin your application online and self-schedule an appointment to complete it in your local Social Security office or Card Center.
