In the Saarland the pension fund is not a separate body but a department of the medical chamber with its own asset management. For your career start this means that chamber, reporting and pension fund have to be looked at together. There is also a catalogue of exceptions that not every state has.
Short answer: Membership in the Versorgungswerk der Ärztekammer des Saarlandes begins when you take up medical work in the Saarland. The chamber must be informed within two weeks of the start of membership (§ 3 para. 1 Heilberufekammergesetz). Civil servants and military medical officers, among others, are excluded. Exemption from statutory pension insurance follows § 6 SGB VI (as of October 2026).
The Most Important Points
- Doctors practising in the Saarland belong to the chamber (§ 2 para. 1), and membership of the fund begins when the work starts.
- The report to the chamber is due within two weeks (§ 3 para. 1); registration with the fund is made in writing on a form.
- Civil servants, military medical officers and recipients of certain pensions are excluded from the obligation.
- A cut-off rule concerns doctors who were not members on 31 December 2004 and had completed their 45th year.
- Anyone who takes up additional work outside the chamber area must report it to the fund.
When does the obligation begin, and where is that written?
Under the Saarland Heilberufekammergesetz (state law on the health professions chambers) all doctors entitled to practise who work in the Saarland belong to the chamber (§ 2 para. 1). The fund is a department of the chamber with its own asset management (§ 1 para. 1). The start and end of the obligation, exceptions and exemptions are set by the bylaws (§ 6 para. 2 no. 2). The fund’s page puts the start briefly: membership begins when work in the Saarland begins (start of membership, in German).
| Level | What it regulates | Where to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Chamber law | Compulsory membership (§ 2 para. 1) and reporting duty (§ 3 para. 1) | Saarland Heilberufekammergesetz (in German) |
| Pension fund | Department of the chamber with its own asset management (§ 1 para. 1) | Heilberufekammergesetz, § 1 |
| Bylaws | Start and end of the obligation, exceptions, exemptions (§ 6 para. 2) | Bylaws of the pension fund |
| Federal law | Exemption from statutory pension insurance | § 6 SGB VI (in German) |
Who is excluded from the obligation?
The fund lists a catalogue of exceptions on its page. They concern membership of the fund and must be distinguished from the exemption from statutory pension insurance.
- Civil servants and military medical officers.
- Persons who, at the start of membership, already receive a disability pension or a full old-age pension under SGB VI or from a professional pension scheme in Germany.
- Doctors who were not members on 31 December 2004 and had completed their 45th year by then. This does not apply if a new job subject to social insurance contributions and related to the profession is taken up in the Saarland.
For career starters the first group matters most, for instance on a move into public service. The 2004 cut-off rule hardly affects new members today.
Which deadline is often overlooked?
Many think of the contract first and forget the chamber. Under § 3 para. 1 you report within two weeks of the start of membership. Enter the start date in your calendar as soon as the contract is agreed, and keep the report in writing. For the fund itself, its page names a written registration with a form but no deadline.
Worked example on the deadline. Assumption: your work in the Saarland begins on Monday, 4 January 2027. The two-week period then ends on Monday, 18 January 2027 (own calculation under § 3 para. 1).
What applies to temporary work or a move?
Anyone who works in the Saarland only temporarily and occasionally and already belongs to another health professions chamber does not become a chamber member (§ 2 para. 2). Service providers from other EU and EEA states are exempt as long as they are established there (§ 2 para. 4). Anyone moving to another state or abroad can remain a voluntary member if the bylaws provide for it (§ 2 para. 3). Further activities outside the chamber area must be reported to the fund.
How does this relate to the exemption from pension insurance?
Under § 6 para. 1 the bylaws must contain the conditions for an exemption under § 6 para. 1 no. 1 SGB VI, otherwise they are not approved. The specific conditions are therefore in the bylaws, not in the chamber law. The application itself runs through the fund as everywhere and should be filed within three months (procedure in the general guide, in German). The fund’s page checked here gives no contribution amounts, so none are stated. Academycon offers a personal assessment: How we work.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to register with the pension fund myself?
Yes. According to the fund’s page, compulsory members register in writing, and a registration form is provided there. Additional activities must also be reported.
Am I excluded as a civil servant in the Saarland?
The fund expressly names civil servants as an exception to compulsory membership. Have it confirmed in writing whether your case falls under it.
What if I already receive a pension?
Recipients of a disability pension or a full old-age pension at the start of membership are excluded. The page expressly names the full old-age pension.
Which contributions do I pay?
The page checked names no contributions. According to its navigation they are on a separate contribution page of the fund and in the bylaws.
What to do now
- Note the start date and the two-week deadline for the report to the chamber.
- Register with the pension fund in writing and state any additional activities.
- Check whether one of the listed exceptions applies to you.
- Have the conditions for the exemption read out from the bylaws and file the application within three months.
Related guides
- Ärzte in Weiterbildung: PKV, Versorgungswerk und BU richtig kombinieren
- Ärzteversorgung Niedersachsen: Beitrag, Befreiung und Leistungen für Berufseinsteiger
- Ärzteversorgung Rheinland-Pfalz: Rheinhessen und Bayern (in German)
- PKV oder GKV beim ersten Job: Entscheidungshilfe mit Rechenbeispiel (in German)
Sources: Versorgungswerk der Ärztekammer des Saarlandes, start of membership (in German) (accessed October 2026); Saarland Heilberufekammergesetz (in German) (accessed October 2026); § 6 SGB VI (in German) (accessed October 2026).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
