Insurance

Health and liability insurance
By German law, you have to have valid health insurance cover for yourself (and your family, if applicable) from the first moment you arrive in Germany.
Please make sure your health insurance from home covers you at least until the first week after your entry into Germany. As soon as you arrive at the Max Planck Institute, the MPI-M Human Resources department will help you take up a health insurance that covers you for the whole period of your stay. There is a large choice of German companies offering insurance from which to choose from once you are here.

Further information on the German health care system can be found here.

NOTE: You should undergo any necessary prophylactic check-ups and have special medication prescribed in your home country that you may need regularly before leaving your home country. This is important if you need medication is not sold in Germany. Consult your pharmacist at home to check this and identify the substances of your medication.
This will help communicating with German physicians and ensure you will get any special medication you may need. 

We strongly advise you to also take up a personal liability insurance. In some  health insurance contracts a liability insurance is included. Make sure you check if you have a personal liability insurance when taking up your occupation at MPI-M. The Human Resources department will provide advice on this issue.

If you prefer to take a health insurance from your home country that covers you for the entire period of your stay in Germany, please consult the IO at an early stage of your preparations to have it checked for compatibility.

Please note that, for visits longer than, say, 4 weeks, you will need an insurance that does not only cover your stay in Germany but which provides worldwide cover. While working at MPI-M, you are likely to participate in international meetingss and workshops outside Germany.

EU citizens have in most cases insurance cover based on (bilateral) agreements between EU nations. Check, please, if this is the case with your insurance in your home country and consult us incase of any queries before your departure to Germany.