|
Insurance
Social Insurance
Social insurance encompasses health, accident, pension and unemployment insurance as well as various other social services. Health insurance is designed to cover the insured party for costs resulting from an illness and to compensate the party for income lost through illness.
In Austria, insurance begins with the commencement of work which is subject to mandatory insurance. It is the employer’s task to ensure prompt enrollment and cancellation of the employee with the health-insurance office (there is one district health insurance office for each of Austria’s nine provinces). Cancellation must be carried out no later than seven days following the termination of the insurance relationship.
In contrast to employees, self-employed persons must enroll and cancel their own social insurance (with the office of trade and commerce) and pay the premiums themselves. In cases in which insurance is tied to formal prerequisite (e.g. a trade license), the insurance relationship begins on the day when the trade license is obtained and ends on the last day of the month in which the trade license is surrendered.
Further information: Taxation Guidelines
Insurance coverage for foreign citizens
There is an agreement among social insurers on “social security” among those countries belonging to the EU and/or the EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein). There are also agreements with some Eastern European countries (Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Croatia, etc.). Various forms are available (depending on the type of sojourn and duration thereof in Austria), for providing and assuring medical attention onsite.
Prior to their sojourn in Austria, citizens of the USA and Canada, for example, should file a copy of the A/USA 1 form with their employer. Costs of medical attention in case of illness in Austria must be paid upfront and will be refunded in whole or in part in the citizen’s home country depending on the type of insurance policy he/she carries.
Thus, American and Canadian crew members are advised to review the services of their health insurance policies during their working sojourn in Austria and may consider taking out additional insurance if necessary.
No agreement on “social security” exists between Austria and India. Indian citizens are responsible to make private insurance arrangements for their trip to Austria.
Wiener Gebietskrankenkasse für Arbeiter und Angestellte/The Vienna Health Insurance Commission for Workers and Salaried Employees
Richard Fellner
Wienerbergstraße 15-19
A-1100 Wien/Vienna
T: (+43) (0)1 60122-3200
|