Health Insurance for Seasonal Workers in Germany — Care 01 from €0.39/Day (Employer Group Policy)

Sources: § 8 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 SGB IV (kurzfristige Beschäftigung — max 70 days / 3 months) · § 5 SGB V (GKV mandate exceptions) · § 28a SGB IV (employer registration) · Care 01 Saisonarbeiter AVB · HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe Hamburg · Care Concept AG

Foreign seasonal workers (Saisonarbeiter) in Germany on a "kurzfristige Beschäftigung" contract — capped at 70 working days or 3 months per calendar year under § 8 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 SGB IV — are sozialversicherungsfrei and not subject to the German statutory insurance mandate. This applies to harvest helpers (asparagus, strawberries, wine, hops), hospitality temps, ski-resort workers, vineyard crews and agricultural day labourers. The employer is still required to provide acute medical cover for the worker — the recognised standard is the Care 01 Saisonarbeiter group policy.

The standard solution is Care 01 Saisonarbeiter from €0.39 per worker per day (volume-tiered: €0.48/day under 2,500 days/year, €0.42 from 2,500 days, €0.39 from 5,000 days). Optional accident and liability add-on (€0.03–€0.05/day) is recommended for agricultural and manual work. Ages 13–70; cover from 1 to 91 days per worker per calendar year.

Below: why the 70-day rule means Saisonarbeiter are not in GKV, the four mistakes that void cover during the harvest season, the full Care 01 volume-tier price table, the bridge via Care Economy if a contract extends beyond the 3-month limit, and the clean handover to DAK GKV when a worker converts to a regular German employment contract.

One wrong insurance choice can cost you money, time and your application deadline

A medical incident can become expensive fast — but the wrong certificate can also delay your visa, enrollment, residence permit or work start.

• Wrong or incomplete proof can delay your visa, enrollment or authority process.
• Cheap home-country policies may miss the exact coverage, dates or repatriation wording required.
• The cheapest policy can become expensive if it is the wrong proof for your situation.

Before you apply, check: coverage amount, validity dates, destination area and repatriation cover.

Why act before workers arrive

Seasonal-worker coverage depends on correct employer registration, worker details and coverage dates. Wrong dates can create gaps.

Recommended tariffs for seasonal workers in Germany

Worker exceeding 70 days and converting to a regular employment contract? DAK-Gesundheit (employee GKV) at 17.8% of gross — split equally with the employer (8.9% each). Care 01 cover ends on the day the kurzfristige-Beschäftigung threshold is exceeded; the GKV start date must align with the new contract.

For year-round foreign employees see the foreign-employees health-insurance hub, and for jobseekers between contracts the job-search insurance guide.

Care 01 Saisonarbeiter — all volume tiers and add-on rates

Quick answer: Care 01 Saisonarbeiter is a volume-tiered employer group policy: €0.48/day under 2,500 worker-days per year, €0.42 from 2,500, and €0.39 from 5,000. Optional accident + liability add-on €0.03–€0.05/day. Each worker is registered individually via the Care Concept Meldetool; billing consolidates monthly to the employer.

Care Economy — bridge tariff for workers exceeding the 70-day limit

Quick answer: Once a worker exceeds 70 working days or 3 months in a calendar year, kurzfristige Beschäftigung ends and Care 01 cover stops. Care Economy from €30 per 30 days bridges the window until the worker is enrolled in regular GKV via the new employment contract.

Frequently Asked Questions