In most cases, self-employed artists and cultural workers are insured under the General Social Security Act (ASVG). Their insurance is therefore provided by the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK). 

Attention: If you work for the Austrian state, you are insured under the Insurance Institution for Public-Service Employees, Railway and Mining Workers (BVAEB). As this is less relevant for artists and cultural workers, you will only find specific information in the following chapter. Click on this link for detailed information on the BVAEB.

When am I compulsorily insured?

As an artist or cultural worker, you are compulsorily insured under the General Social Security Act (ASVG) if you belong to one of the following categories:

  • You are employed under an employment/service agreement;
  • You are employed under a freelance agreement;
  • You are a managing director (and shareholder) of a limited liability company or a managing director (and board member) of a stock corporation.

Info: What is the difference between freelancers and salaried employees? 
Both are contracted by employers, but their employment relationship is structured differently. Employees work according to specific terms defined by and employer, while freelancers are self-employed and can organise their work in a more independent manner. Different labour law regulations apply to both categories. See the chapter on labour law for more information. 
In terms of social security law, however, the same rules largely apply to freelancers and employees. One important exception: freelancers are not entitled to continued payment of wages in the event of illness, do not receive paid leave, and do not receive a 13th and 14th salary.

If you earn more than the marginal earnings threshold, you are compulsorily insured and therefore fully insured. This means that you are insured in all areas of social insurance, i.e. health, pension, and accident insurance, and have access to unemployment benefits. Your employer must calculate your social security contributions on a monthly basis and pay them to your social security provider. You do not need to worry about paying your insurance contributions. 

If you earn less than the marginal earnings threshold (up to €551.10 per month in 2026), you are only covered by accident insurance. You therefore have no health, pension, or unemployment insurance entitlements. If you are marginally employed, your employer only pays the accident insurance contribution.

Regardless of how high your income is, your employer must register you in the social security system and keep a payroll account when you start working (obligation to register). This obligation also expressly applies to marginally employed individuals. 

Your monthly insurance contribution is around 18% of your gross salary. Click on this link to see which areas of insurance your contribution goes towards. 

Voluntary self-insurance

People who only earn a low monthly salary are only insured for accidents. They are therefore not covered by health and pension insurance and have no access to unemployment benefits. 

If you earn a low income and are not already insured in another way (e.g. with relatives), it is advisable to take out voluntary self-insurance. This will provide you with additional health and pension insurance.

To Do: You must submit an application to your social security provider. If you work part-time for a private employer, this is the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK). If you work part-time for the state, it is the BVAEB.

If you are marginally employed by different employers and your total monthly income is above the marginal earnings threshold, you are required to be fully insured and do not have to take out voluntary self-insurance (health, pension, accident, and unemployment insurance).

Example: You are marginally employed in two different galleries. In the first gallery you earn €250 per month and in the second gallery you earn €350. As you earn a total of €600, you must be fully insured. In this case, the social security provider will ask you to pay social insurance contributions retroactively at the end of the year, so you should take this into account when budgeting.  

If you have an employment relationship with full compulsory insurance in addition to your marginal employment, your entire income is subject to compulsory insurance and is therefore taken into account when calculating your social security contributions.

Example: You are employed as a dancer in an ensemble all year round and earn €2,500 gross per month. You also teach dance for children at an adult education centre and receive €250 per month for this. You are compulsorily insured. These €250 are added to your other income and are fully subject to compulsory insurance.

The monthly health and pension insurance contribution for voluntarily self-insured individuals is €83.49 in accordance with Section 19a ASVG (as at 2026). Students can take out self-insurance at a lower rate. This totals € 78.84 per month (as at 2026), but this tariff does not include pension insurance.

Example: You are a singer with reserves from a larger project and are therefore only teaching one voice training course of three hours per week at a music school for one semester. You are marginally employed and receive €330 per month. You can take out voluntary self-insurance under the above conditions. If you have underage children, you can have them insured free of charge.