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

If you start a business, become self-employed or freelance, you must register this with the statutory accident insurance.

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Procedure details

You are required by law 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. It does not matter whether you have employees or work alone. If applicable, the statutory accident insurance insures your employees against the consequences of accidents at work and on the way to work as well as occupational diseases. This registration and possible payment of contributions are the responsibility of the employer. If you are self-employed or freelance, you can take out voluntary insurance.

To register, you must notify the relevant employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund of the following

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

communicate the name of the authorized representative.

Exception: If you register your commercial enterprise with the locally competent trade office, you do not need to make the additional registration for accident insurance. The business registration is automatically forwarded to your responsible employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund. You are therefore considered to be registered with them. However, you must notify the employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund of any changes or the termination of your self-employed activity or business, despite the fact that you have registered or deregistered your business.

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

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 industries. Your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund is then determined by the company's focus, i.e. its main activity. There is no right of choice.

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 on the way to work as well as occupational diseases at your employers' liability insurance association.

  • You have newly established a company.
  • You have changed the form of the company or the activity.

  • Required Documents
    • No documentation is required.

When you register your notifiable business at the Trade Licensing Office:

  • The notification takes place automatically.
  • The Trade Licensing Office forwards the data from the trade notification digitally to the professional association or accident insurance fund responsible for you.
  • If necessary, you may have to provide further information about your company to the relevant employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund upon request, so that the registration can take place.

In all other cases, you can register your business or self-employed and freelance activity online or by mail.

Online service:

  • Access the online service.
  • You will be guided through the process on the Accident Insurance Service Portal.
  • You can register.
    • If you would like to receive the response from your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund in the mailbox of your BundID account or My Company Account, you must have an account and authenticate yourself.
    • If you would like to receive the response by mail, you can also proceed without logging in.
  • Select your responsible employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund or determine it using the industry search.
  • Upload the required documents.
  • Fill out the online form and submit it.
  • Your report will be automatically forwarded to your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.
  • You will receive a response by the requested method.

Online service of your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund:

  • If you have access to the portal of your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund, you can also submit the notification electronically there, if necessary.

Message by mail:

  • Download the appropriate form from the DGUV website.
  • Please complete any required information or documents.
  • Send the form to your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.

There are no costs involved.

A registration must be made within 1 week from the start of the company or activity.

1 bis 2 Wochen

  • Appeal
  • Detailed information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in the notification from your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.

Status: 10.03.2025
Editorial responsibility Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales