Health Insurance Germany
This page covers exactly what health insurance you need in Germany. Depending on your situation, you will need a health insurance policy that works for you, especially when it comes to applying for visas for Germany. Explore your different visa options based on whether you are an employee, freelancer, job seeker, working holidaymaker or student!
Germany is renowned for its comprehensive health insurance system, with around 89% of residents being covered by the public health insurance scheme and the remainder by private health insurance or expat health insurance.
🚑 It is mandatory by law that you take out a German health insurance policy that covers outpatient and hospital treatment if you are resident in Germany for more than 90 days. In short, everyone who is a resident in Germany must be medically insured.
For this, there are three different insurance systems in Germany:
1️⃣ German Public Health Insurance (GKV)
2️⃣ German Private Health Insurance (PKV)
3️⃣ Expat Health Insurance
Your eligibility for the different insurance systems is dependent on a range of factors including your employment status, salary and visa status. We have categorised who is eligible for the different health insurance types below.
🛂 As health insurance is a key prerequisite for all German visas, it is important that you get your head around the different requirements before applying for your respective visa, whether this is a Work Visa, EU Blue Card, Freelance Visa, Job Seekers Visa, Working Holiday Visa or German Language Visa.
Importantly, it is essential to have a German health insurance policy or expat health insurance policy that meets your needs. Opting for the cheapest, crummiest insurance just to meet the legal requirements will likely leave you frustrated, out of pocket and even unable to access the treatment you require in the event of an illness or accident.
Your German health insurance options
The German health insurance system is complex, and understanding exactly which insurance is right for you can be tricky. Therefore, we have provided some quick links to our favourite expat-friendly health insurances for different situations:
👨💼 Employees: TK public health insurance
👩🎓 Students: TK student health insurance
👨🎨 Freelancers: Feather private health insurance or Feather expat health insurance
🧑🦰 Working holidaymakers: Feather expat health insurance
🕵 Job seekers: Feather expat health insurance
🙋 Language school students: Feather expat health insurance
We have expanded on each of these below. Rather than bore you with the complexities and vagaries of the German health insurance system, we hope to provide you with practical options for which health insurance may be suited to your situation.
1️⃣ Employees in Regular Employment
👨💼 If you are in regular employment in Germany and earn under €66,600 per year, it is compulsory that you sign up for the German Public Health Insurance System (GVK), commonly called statutory health insurance or public health insurance.
You should sign up with a German public health insurance provider prior to starting work at your new job. Most employers in Germany will not permit you to start working unless you can provide proof of your health insurance cover.
❗ Note: If you are a regular employee in Germany and earn over €66,600 per year, you are also eligible for the German Private Health Insurance System. To find out why this might be a better option for you, see our guide on private health insurance in Germany.
Who are the providers and how much does German public health insurance cost employees?
There are 113 Krankenkassen (public health insurance providers) for employees to choose from. While all the providers are legally required to offer statutory health services, they vary greatly in how geared up they are for expats and newcomers to Germany. Notably, only a handful of the Krankenkassen actually have English-speaking customer support.
💰 While there are 113 Krankenkassen to choose from, they are all legally obligated to charge the same standard rate of 14.6% of your gross salary (plus a potential 1.1% supplement). If your pay increases, your health insurance contributions will also increase, although proportionally they will stay at 14.6% of your salary. This is capped at an annual salary of €56,250, at which point your contributions will be fixed and will not continue to increase as you earn over €56,250.
14.6%? That sounds a bit steep!
Fear not, if you are a regular employee, you are only required to pay half of your health insurance contributions (7.3%). Your employer is responsible for the other half.
As an employee in Germany, which public health insurance provider should I choose?
As mentioned above, you have the option of many different public health insurance providers. While your employer will likely have a default health insurance provider that they use for employees, you are under no obligation to go with this provider, and it is often a good idea not to as the majority of the providers are not very expat-friendly.
👍 Based on our experience, our favourite German health insurance provider for employees is TK (Techniker Krankenkasse).
We like TK because:
✅ It meets all the requirements for a German Work Visa or EU Blue Card. If you are needing to apply for a work permit to work in Germany, proof of German public health insurance will be an integral part of your application. We can confirm that TK meets the necessary insurance requirements for a Work Visa or EU Blue Card.
✅ They offer a quick, online sign-up process. By signing up online, you will receive your policy confirmation within 48 hours. This will save you a lot of time compared to other providers who make you laboriously post in your application and wait to receive your health insurance certificate in the mail.
✅ English-speaking customer service representatives, resources and documents. Importantly, TK can help clarify any uncertainties you have about your policy/coverage in English, and answer any other questions you might have about your health insurance. They can even help you find and schedule a doctor’s appointment.
✅ High level of coverage and seamless process. By opting for TK, you will receive the medical treatment you need upon showing your health insurance card. You will never even see a bill as the doctor will arrange this directly with TK.
TK has recently been recognised as the no.1 public health insurer in Germany for the 14th year running so you can rest assured that you are opting for a well-regarded insurance policy! For further details of why TK is a good option, see our 6 reasons for choosing TK health insurance.
What insurance should I get if I only have a minijob?
🪙 In Germany, there is a unique form of part-time employment called a minijob. In short, a minijob allows you to earn a maximum of EUR 450 per month and not a penny more. They are actually remarkably common with 7 million workers in Germany employed in minijobs.
One of the unique aspects of minijobs is that your employer is not responsible for paying any of your insurance obligations (as with regular employment detailed above). However, you are still legally required to have sufficient health insurance while living in Germany.
For this, we like Feather’s expat insurance, which is specially designed to ensure that ‘minijobbers’ have adequate health insurance coverage while working in Germany.
2️⃣ Student Health Insurance in Germany
👩🎓 If you are enrolling as a student at a Germany university, then you must take out a German health insurance policy prior to the start of your course. Without it, you are unable to enrol at any German university or college or apply for a Student Visa for Germany.
In Germany, public health insurance providers (Krankenkassen) are obligated to offer affordable health insurance to students if you are under 30 years of age or up until the end of your 14th semester of study.
💰 Students are offered a much lower rate when it comes to public health insurance and can expect to pay approx. €100–115 per month.
If you are over 30 and just starting your studies, you may not be eligible for German public health insurance and may instead have to opt for a private health insurance policy.
As a student in Germany, which public health insurance provider should I choose?
✅ Our favourite student health insurance provider in Germany is TK (Techniker Krankenkasse). We like TK’s student policy because it has a fast and effective online sign-up process, it offers English-speaking customer support (making it a great German health insurance option for international students) and affordable rates for all students under 30.
Perhaps most importantly, TK insurance meets all the requirements for a German Student Visa. If you need a visa to study in Germany, you can rest assured that TK’s insurance ticks all the necessary boxes for obtaining a Student Visa for Germany.
The student rates for TK health insurance are as follows:
Students under 23: €103.94 per month.
Students over 23: €105.80 per month.
Here is a link to sign up for a TK’s student insurance policy.
3️⃣ Freelancers and Self-Employed Workers in Germany
👨🎨 As with regular employees, freelancers and self-employed workers are legally obligated to have health insurance coverage in Germany.
As a freelancer or self-employed worker, you technically have the option of choosing between German public health insurance and German private health insurance.
However, in reality, if you are a non-EU citizen and a newcomer to Germany, your chances of being accepted on to a public health insurance scheme (such as the TK health insurance detailed above) are virtually zero and even lower if you do not already have a 2-year Freelance Visa for Germany.
Therefore, we will focus on your best private health insurance options in this section. Important factors to consider when choosing a private health insurance provider in Germany:
The cost is determined according to your risk profile (age, sex, health). While often cheaper than public health insurance when young and fit, private health insurance can get fiercely expensive as you get older and your health begins to deteriorate.
Legally in Germany, your private health insurance policy must provide the same coverage and scope as a public health insurance policy.
If you are applying for a Freelance Visa for Germany, one of the main application requirements is a suitable German health insurance policy. We have based our suggestions below on German providers that are accepted by the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin when applying for a Freelance Visa.
Click here for further information on private health insurance in Germany.
As a freelancer/self-employed worker in Germany, which private health insurance provider should I choose?
When it comes to getting insurance as a freelancer/self-employed worker in Germany, here are a couple of our favourite options:
✅ Sign up for a German private health insurance policy through Feather
Feather is an English-speaking brokerage company that has a close relationship with a wide number of German insurers. Feather will assess your situation and propose a German private health insurance that is suited to your needs. And best of all, the entire sign-up process is completely free of charge.
Importantly, Feather’s private health insurance policies meet all the requirements for a Freelance Visa. If you are needing to apply for a Freelance Visa in Germany, proof of suitable German health insurance will be an integral part of your application and one of the most common reasons for Freelance Visa applications being rejected. We like Feather’s private health insurance options as they meet all the necessary insurance requirements for a Freelance Visa and are accepted by the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin.
Having worked closely with Feather over the last year, we can assure you that you will be in very capable hands – this would therefore be our no.1 suggestion for freelancers and self-employed workers looking to get insured in Germany.
You can sign up for a free online consultation here.
✅ Sign up for a German private health insurance policy with Ottonova
Another popular option amongst freelancers in Germany and a good alternative to Feather’s private health insurance policies is Ottonova. We also like Ottonova because:
It also meets all the requirements for a German Freelance Visa.
It offers 24/7 English-speaking customer support. Whether you want to find out details about your coverage, find a local doctor or book an appointment, ottonova can assist you in English.
It is all managed online via an app. Ottonova have rid themselves of burdensome paperwork. Everything related to your insurance will be managed online or via Ottonova’s sleek app.
In the same way N26 is making waves in the German banking sector, Ottonova is setting a new benchmark for what a modern health insurance company should look like. To sign up for one of their policies, click here.
What if I am rejected for German private health insurance?
It is common for non-EU/EEA freelancers and self-employed workers to be rejected by German private health insurers for various reasons. If, after contacting Feather and Ottonova, you are deemed ineligible for German private health insurance, you will obviously still require health insurance coverage in Germany, especially if you intend to apply for the Freelance Visa.
✅ As a temporary solution, one option to consider is Feather’s expat health insurance cover, which will ensure you have adequate cover and meet the insurance requirements for a Freelance Visa. However, freelancers should regard this as a temporary measure and switch to a German private health insurance policy as soon as possible if they want to stay longer term in Germany.
4️⃣ Working Holidaymakers in Germany
🧑🦰 If you wish to do a 1-year working holiday in Germany, then you will first need to apply for a Working Holiday Visa for Germany. Whether you apply for the visa at an immigration office in Germany or a German consulate/embassy overseas, they will require that you show a full-year travel or expat insurance policy when applying.
⚠️ Without a suitable insurance policy, you will not be approved for a Working Holiday Visa for Germany.
✅ With 5 years of experience helping people apply for Working Holiday Visas for Germany, our favourite choice of insurance is expat health insurance via Feather. Starting at just €72 a month, Feather’s expat health insurance not only meets the requirements for the Working Holiday Visa but also ensures you have adequate medical insurance cover for the duration of your stay in Germany.
✅ Another popular option to look into is insurance through World Nomads, which is also widely accepted for the German Working Holiday Visa.
While there are cheaper travel/expat insurances on the market than those suggested above, these often do not meet the requirements for the Working Holiday Visa or provide shoddy cover that can leave you in a sorry situation in the event that you require medical treatment while living in Germany.
5️⃣ Job Seekers
🕵 It may be that you have moved to Germany and are looking for a job or living off savings. In this situation, you will not be eligible for German public health insurance and private insurance policies will likely be too expensive considering you do not currently have an income.
This situation can leave you exposed as you need medical insurance cover in the event of an accident or illness. Even simple procedures can cost 1000s of euros, leaving you in a precarious position if you do not have sufficient coverage.
Further to this, you need adequate health insurance cover if you are applying for a Job Seekers Visa for Germany.
✅ For job seekers in Germany, our favourite choice of insurance is expat health insurance via Feather. Starting at just €72 a month, Feather’s expat health insurance not only meets the requirements for the Job Seekers Visa but also ensures you have adequate medical insurance cover for the duration of your stay in Germany.
✅ Another popular option to look into is insurance through World Nomads, which is also widely accepted for the German Job Seekers Visa.
Whether you opt for Feather or World Nomads, both policies offer medical cover while you look for a job and meet the insurance requirements for the Job Seekers Visa for Germany. Once you find a job in Germany, you can later switch to a German public health insurance policy such as TK (detailed in section 1 above).
6️⃣ Language School Students
🙋 Every year, many expats move to Germany on a German Language Visa.
Whether you apply for the visa at an immigration office in Germany or a German consulate/embassy overseas, they will require that you show a travel or expat insurance policy that covers you for the duration of the visa. Without a suitable insurance policy, you will not be approved for a German Language Visa.
✅ With 5 years of experience helping people apply for German Language Visas, our favourite choice of insurance is expat health insurance via Feather. Starting at just €72 a month, Feather’s expat health insurance not only meets the requirements for the German Language Visa but also ensures you have adequate medical insurance coverage for the duration of your stay in Germany.
✅ Another popular option to look into is insurance through World Nomads, which is also widely accepted for the German Language Visa.
While there are cheaper travel/expat insurances on the market, these often do not meet the requirements for the German Language Visa or provide shoddy cover that can leave you in a sorry situation in the event that you require medical treatment while living in Germany.
🎉 So, there you have it! A rundown of some of our favourite health insurers for your time in Germany, whether you are a regular employee, student, freelancer, working holidaymaker, job seeker or language school student!
For further info on moving to Germany and navigating German bureaucracy, check out our homepage and free relocation resources.