Foreigners in Germany are placed on an equal footing with German employees as regards their social protection. They generally have to be insured against sickness and unemployment and included in the statutory pension scheme by their employer on taking up the employment. The contributions to the social insurance scheme are borne half by the employer and half by the employee. The employee share is deducted from his gross wage and paid to the social insurance provider together with the employer's share. The employer is furthermore obliged to insure you against accident with his trade association; the premiums for the accident insurance are paid by the employer alone.

The statutory health insurance scheme has the task to maintain the health of the insured persons, to restore them to health if they become ill, or to improve the health condition of the insured. Employees with a higher income may take out private health insurance instead of statutory health insurance. The financial burdens of the statutory health insurance scheme are financed by the contributions of its members; the contributions depend on the income which is subject to contribution. In the statutory health insurance scheme no contributions are collected for family members included in the insurance. Insured persons are entitled to sickness benefit after their entitlement to continued payment of wages expires, if they are unable to work as a result of sickness or are being treated at a health care or rehabilitation facility. The sickness benefit is currently 80 percent of the regular pay received and is calculated according to calendar days. In the case of incapacity for work, sickness benefit is paid for a maximum of 78 weeks for one and the same sickness.

Employees in employment subject to social security contributions are insured in the national pension scheme during their employment. This also applies to foreign employees. They may only benefit from any entitlements, however, if they have achieved the required waiting times (qualifying period) or if the Federal Republic of Germany has concluded a social insurance agreement with their country of origin.

Workers count as unemployed if they are temporarily not in an employment relationship. If a reasonable job can not be found for an unemployed person immediately, then he or she receives unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance under certain conditions to replace the lost earned income. The precondition is that the person affected is available for the labour market and was in employment subject to social security contributions for 360 days during the last three years. The employment office at the place of residence provides information.

All employers are obliged to insure their employees against industrial injury of all kinds with their trade associations. The group of people insured includes all employees who are in an employment, service or training relationship, irrespective of their wage level. The employees are insured against accidents occurring during and because of their employment. This also includes accidents happening on the way to and from the place of work as well as typical occupational diseases. If an injured employee is no longer able to perform his work or only to a restricted extent, the accident insurance pays him an occupational disability pension, and if he dies it pays his immediate family a survivors' pension as well as death benefit. The payments are calculated according to the insured person's previous year's annual earnings. The injured person's pension is determined according to the disability degree. In the case of complete disability a full pension is paid. This amounts to two thirds of the previous year's earned income. Foreign employees who are entitled to take up work in the Federal Republic of Germany may gain entitlement to these benefits in the same way as Germans. Insurance or employment periods covered abroad may be taken into account in certain circumstances.