Grow › Health & career support
Künstlersozialkasse
Germany's statutory social-insurance fund for self-employed artists and publicists: admitted members pay roughly half of their health, long-term care and pension contributions, with the KSK covering the employer-equivalent share.
- Best for
- Every self-employed musician working in Germany. Self-employed musicians working professionally in Germany who earn more than €3,900 annually from artistic work. New professionals receive an income-threshold exemption during their first three years.
- Skip if
- You're employed or not German-resident. You work outside Germany, are primarily employed rather than self-employed, earn below the threshold after the beginner period, perform mainly non-artistic work or employ more than one regular employee.
- First move
- Start the application early — gather portfolio, invoices and contracts. Start the registration, then submit the signed questionnaire by post with invoices, contracts, performance or release evidence, an income forecast and health-insurance information.
- Watch out
- Processing takes months and the paperwork is real German bureaucracy — apply before you need it. Approval can require extensive documentation and take several weeks or months. Contributions may become due retroactively, income estimates only adjust payments prospectively, and KSK does not include unemployment or accident insurance.
- Reach
- Established
- When
- Worth it once you have releases out.
- Based in
- Germany