Key takeaways

• Self-employed or freelance artists and journalists are legally obliged to insure themselves via the Artists’ Social Security Fund (Künstlersozialkasse (KSK)).
• KSK is an entity that is responsible for social insurance, i.e., pension and health and nursing care insurance for self-employed artists. It coordinates between the artists and the insurance companies.
• KSK covers half of the insurance contributions.

This is how you do it

• Check if you are eligible to be insured via KSK.
• If yes, register with KSK online.
• KSK calculates your insurance premium based on the expected income. Thus, calculate your income as realistic as possible. 

Table of Contents

What is the artists’ social insurance fund (Künstlersozialkasse (KSK))?

The Artists’ Social Fund (Künstlersozialkasse (KSK)) is an authority based in Wilhelmshaven. KSK is not an insurance company itself.

KSK is responsible for the coordination between its members and the insurance companies. The following comes under the responsibility of Künstlersozialkasse.

• Checks if the applicant meets the KSK membership criteria.
• Collect the insurance premiums and forward them to the respective insurance providers.
• Ensure that KSK members pay their contributions to the following insurance companies.
  • Statutory health insurance of your choice
  • Statutory nursing care insurance
  • Statutory pension pension

NOTE: You cannot exempt from statutory pension insurance as it’s legally mandatory. It doesn’t matter if you are exempt from statutory health insurance.

Artists’ Social Security Fund was implemented to protect self-employed artists and publicists from poverty in old age.

What are the benefits of the social insurance fund for artists in Germany?

• As a self-employed or freelancer in Germany, you must take care of your health insurance. Moreover, you pay the whole health insurance premium yourself. But as an Artists’ Social Security fund member, you pay only half of the health insurance premium. The KSK pays the other half.
• You can choose the statutory health insurance company you want to insure with. There are public health insurance companies that offer additional services and benefits. We find TK*, HKK, HEK, AOK*, and Barmer* among Germany’s best public health insurers.
• You can deduct the contributions made to KSK from your taxes.
• Like employees, the monthly contributions of freelance artists and publicists depend on their income. So, you pay less for your health insurance if you earn less without compromising the insurance benefits.
• As a KSK member, you insure your family members (spouse and children) with free family health insurance. You and your dependents must fulfill the requirements for free family insurance.

How does the artists’ social security fund work?

• Artists’ social security system checks if the applicant meets the requirement to be insured via KSK.
• It calculates the contribution amount of the members based on the expected income.
• KSK collects the contributions from its members and forwards them to the respective insurance companies.
• You pay half of the social security contributions, and KSK pays the other half.
• The funds required to finance the other half are financed from a federal subsidy and contributions from companies that use artistic and journalistic services.

Who can get social insurance for artists?

You can take statutory health. nursing care, and pension insurance via the Artists’ Social Insurance Fund if you meet the following criteria.

• you carry out an artistic or journalistic activity commercially and not just temporarily,
• you do not employ more than one employee (except for trainees and mini-jobbers), and
• you earn at least 3,901 euros per year (more than 325 euros per month) from your artistic work.

The lower income limit of 3901 € per annum doesn’t apply in the first three years of your career.

What is an artistic or journalistic activity as per the artists’ social security fund?

The registration form of KSK categorizes the following professions as artistic or journalistic activity.

• composers, conductors, singers, musicians,
• sculptors, painters,
• photographers, graphic designers,
• dancers, actors, directors,
• authors, journalists, writers, editors,
• scientific authors, as well as teachers and trainers for artistic activities.

NOTE: Just because a job contains a creative component does not automatically mean it is considered artistic. For example, the KSK does not accept artisans or tattoo artists.

Can you get private health insurance as a self-employed artist?

Yes, self-employed or freelance artists and journalists can take private health insurance. However, you must compare private and public health insurance before deciding.

The following applies to self-employed or freelance artists and journalists.

• You can apply for the exemption from compulsory public health insurance within 3 months of starting your career as a freelancer. We don’t recommend people starting their career to get private health insurance.
• The exemption from compulsory public health insurance automatically ends after 6 years (per Social Insurance Act § 6 KSVG). You must switch from private to public health insurance once the exemption ends.
• The only way to avoid returning to public health insurance is if you earn more than the compulsory insurance limit (i.e., 66,900 € per annum as of 2024).
• Like employees, privately insured artists get subsidies from KSK. KSK will pay the same amount as they would have paid if you were insured in public health insurance.

NOTE: If you exempt yourself from the statutory health insurance via KSK, you can never return to public health insurance.

Read our guide on private health insurance for freelancers in Germany to learn more.

How do you apply for the KSK membership?

• You can apply for the artists’ social insurance online on KSK’s website. 
• You should apply for the KSK membership as soon as possible to avail of its benefits.
• You can claim back any excess contributions paid to the health insurance company from the day you registered with KSK online. Of course, if accepted into the KSK.

What can you do if the social insurance fund membership application is rejected?

You can file an objection against the rejection from the KSK within four weeks. You should provide a justification for the objection and evidence to support it.

It’s ok if you miss the deadline of four weeks. You can simply apply again to be part of the KSK. 

You can also file a complaint with the social court. The artist’s and journalist’s unions support their members in disputes with the KSK.

When can you cancel the social insurance fund membership?

You can terminate your KSK membership under the following circumstances: 

• You establish a corporation (e.g. a GmbH) in which you do not have sole decision-making rights (less than 50%).
• You employ more than one employee.
• Although you are still self-employed, you no longer primarily earn your income as a journalist or artist.
• Your income falls below the annual minimum income of 3,901 € more than twice within six years.

References

• https://www.bmas.de/DE/Soziales/Sozialversicherung/Kuenstlersozialversicherung/kuenstlersozialversicherung-faq.html
• https://www.lexware.de/wissen/mitarbeiter-gehalt/kuenstlersozialkasse/
• https://www.freie-wildbahn.de/kuenstlersozialkasse#WiekommenSiewiederausderKuenstlersozialkasseheraus
• https://www.bundesamtsozialesicherung.de/de/themen/rentenversicherung/kuenstlersozialkasse/