You are required by law to register your new company with the statutory accident insurance (your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund) within one week of starting it. It does not matter whether you have employees or work alone. If applicable, the statutory accident insurance insures your employees against the consequences of accidents at work and on the way to work as well as occupational diseases. This registration and possible payment of contributions are the responsibility of the employer. If you are self-employed or freelance, you can take out voluntary insurance.

To register, you must notify the relevant employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund of the following

• the type and object (activities) of the company,
• the number of insured persons,
• the date of opening or the date of commencement of preparatory work for the enterprise, and
• in cases where the company does not have a fixed place of business in Germany, the name and place of residence or habitual abode of the authorized representative.

communicate the name of the authorized representative.

Exception: If you register your commercial enterprise with the locally competent trade office, you do not need to make the additional registration for accident insurance. The business registration is automatically forwarded to your responsible employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund. You are therefore considered to be registered with them. However, you must notify the employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund of any changes or the termination of your self-employed activity or business, despite the fact that you have registered or deregistered your business.

The employers' liability insurance associations are generally responsible for businesses, institutions and freelancers. They are organized by industry.

Accident insurance funds are responsible for public institutions (educational institutions) and public sector companies.

Only one employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund is ever responsible for your company, even if your company has components from different industries. Your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund is then determined by the company's focus, i.e. its main activity. There is no right of choice.

As an entrepreneur or freelancer, you are usually not automatically insured yourself. However, you can voluntarily insure yourself against the consequences of accidents at work and on the way to work as well as occupational diseases at your employers' liability insurance association.