German Health Insurance: What Insurance Do I Need?
This guide provides a clear and simple overview of what health insurance you need in Germany. Whether you are planning to work, study, freelance or travel in Germany, we explain what health insurance policy is suitable for you.
Everyone living in Germany needs health insurance. This is a legal requirement for being a resident in Germany.
But the type of health insurance you are eligible for in Germany varies depending on your situation. In short, there are 3 options:
1️⃣ German Public Health Insurance
2️⃣ German Private Health Insurance
Your employment, income and visa situation will largely determine which health insurance you are eligible for.
Crucially, you always need suitable health insurance to be approved for a visa for Germany. To find out which health insurance you need for your visa application, see our visa guides.
So, which health insurance should you choose, and why?
Health Insurance in Germany: A Snapshot
If you do not fancy trawling through our explanations of who needs what health insurance, then here is a quick overview of which health insurances are suitable for your situation:
👨💼 Employees: TK Health Insurance
👩🎓 Students: TK Student Health Insurance
👨🎨 Freelancers: TK Public Health Insurance or Feather Private Health Insurance
🕵 Job Seekers: Feather Expat Health Insurance
🙋 Working Holidaymakers: Feather Expat Health Insurance
Note: All of these health insurances are accepted and approved by the German immigration authorities when applying for visas for Germany. Whether you are applying for a Work Visa, Student Visa, Job Seekers Visa, Working Holiday Visa or Freelance Visa, these policies will ensure you satisfy the insurance requirements for the visas.
Below, we have expanded on these options and detailed why they are required (and often mandatory) when living in Germany.
1. German Health Insurance for Employees
It is mandatory that you have German Health Insurance in order to start working in Germany. Your employer will need your health insurance details before you start your new job.
The type of insurance you are eligible for is determined by your salary. If you are an employee and earn below €69,300 per year (or €5,775 per month), then you must have German public health insurance. For the vast majority of the workforce in Germany (approx. 90%), this is your only option.
German Public Health Insurance
In Germany, there are a lot of public health insurance providers (Krankenkassen) to select from; 97 to be specific. They are legally obligated to cover the same public health services including in-patient hospital care, outpatient care, medicines, rehabilitative care and some dental services.
German public health insurance providers all cost the same. They charge a basic rate of 14.6% of your gross salary (plus additional premiums up to 2.4%). Therefore, as your salary goes up, your health insurance contributions go up, although this is capped once your salary reaches €4,837 per month.
Your employer is obligated to cover 50% of your health insurance contributions. Therefore, employees can expect around 7.3% (plus any additional premiums) of their gross salary to go towards health insurance contributions.
Which German Public Health Insurance should I sign up for as an employee?
With so many health insurance providers to choose from, it is hard to identify which one is most suitable for you.
However, it is important to note that only a few health insurance providers are expat-friendly and provide English-speaking services and support – this makes the decision-making process considerably easier for most newcomers to Germany, who are often non-German speakers. Better still, these expat-friendly providers are generally some of the best-rated and largest insurers in Germany.
Our absolute favourite German public health insurance provider for employees is TK Health Insurance. Here is why TK is our no.1 choice for employees in Germany:
✅ They offer high-quality English customer support as well as English policy documents.
✅ They have a straightforward, simple online sign-up process.
✅ Their policy is accepted by the German immigration authorities when applying for a Work Visa or EU Blue Card.
✅ They provide straightforward access to care. You just need to show your TK health insurance card when receiving health care. The healthcare provider will then arrange payment with TK.
TK is the largest public health insurer in Germany – by opting for TK, you are choosing an insurer that is trusted by millions of German residents and is consistently rated among the best insurers in Germany.
Another popular public health insurer for employees living in Germany is BARMER. BARMER offers largely similar insurance cover to TK so is a solid alternative for those looking to explore other options.
German Private Health Insurance
If you are an employee and your salary is above €69,300 per year, then you also have the option of taking out German private health insurance.
Employees sometimes opt for German private health insurance ahead of German public health insurance because:
✅ You can access a wider range of treatments.
✅ It can be more affordable.
✅ You can adjust your policy to suit your treatment needs and budget.
✅ You generally benefit from shorter waiting times for healthcare services.
✅ You usually get comprehensive dental coverage and travel cover.
If you earn above €69,300 per year and are interested in German private health insurance, then we recommend signing up for a policy via Feather.
Feather is an English-speaking brokerage with a close relationship with a wide range of German insurers. They will clarify your options and ensure you sign up for a suitable policy. Better still, their services are completely free of charge!
2. German Health Insurance for Students
It is compulsory for students in Germany to take out German health insurance. Your university will need your health insurance details before you can start your study programme – without this, you cannot be enrolled.
German health insurance is also a mandatory requirement for the German Student Visa.
German Public Health Insurance
German public health insurers are obligated to insure students that are under 30 years of age or until the end of their 14th semester at university.
In Germany, there are a lot of public health insurance providers (Krankenkassen) to select from; 97 to be specific.
For eligible students, German public health insurance is offered at a heavily subsidised rate – the health insurance contributions will amount to roughly €105 per month. For this, students will be able to access world-class public health services including in-patient hospital care, outpatient care, medicines, rehabilitative care and some dental services.
If eligible, we definitely recommend opting for German public health insurance as a student in Germany.
Which German Public Health Insurance should I sign up for as a student?
With so much choice, it can be difficult for students in Germany to choose an insurance provider. However, in our opinion, TK Student Health Insurance is a clear frontrunner. We like TK because:
✅ They offer high-quality English customer support as well as English policy documents. TK are one of the few public health insurers to offer English customer services.
✅ They have a straightforward, simple online sign-up process.
✅ Their policy is accepted by the German immigration authorities when applying for a Student Visa.
✅ They provide straightforward access to care. You just need to show your TK health insurance card when receiving health care. The healthcare provider will then arrange payment with TK.
German Expat Health Insurance
Students who are over 30 years of age are either not eligible for German public health insurance or are required to pay much higher monthly contributions. In this instance, German expat health insurance may be more suitable.
In particular, German expat health insurance is suitable for:
Students who are over 30 years of age.
Language school students, including students taking preparatory language courses ahead of their university enrolment.
Post-docs and researchers
Our favourite choice for this is Feather’s expat health insurance. By signing up for an expat health insurance policy via Feather, you get a policy that is:
✅ Affordable. The standard policy starts at €72 a month.
✅ Visa compliant. The policy is widely accepted by the German immigration authorities when applying for a Student Visa, Language School Visa or Study Preparation Visa.
✅ Flexible. The policy can be cancelled with just 1 month’s notice.
✅ Simple to take out. You can quickly sign-up online here.
❗ Before signing up for expat health insurance, we suggest checking with your university that this type of insurance will be sufficient for their requirements.
3. German Health Insurance for Freelancers
Health insurance is mandatory for self-employed workers and freelancers living in Germany. In theory, self-employed workers and freelancers can choose between:
However, unlike employees, who benefit from their employer covering 50% of their health insurance contributions, freelancers and self-employed workers are required to cover 100% of their insurance contributions. This can make certain health insurance options prohibitively expensive depending on your salary, age and health.
We have provided some information below to help you select the right insurance for your situation.
German Public Health Insurance
In Germany, there are a lot of public health insurance providers (Krankenkassen) to select from; 97 to be specific. They are legally obligated to cover the same public health services including in-patient hospital care, outpatient care, medicines, rehabilitative care and some dental services.
German public health insurance providers all cost the same. They charge a basic rate of 14.6% of your gross salary (plus additional premiums up to 2.4%). Therefore, as your freelance income goes up, your health insurance contributions also go up. This can quickly get very expensive. For example, if you earn €4500 per month, then your basic health insurance will cost €657 per month – ouch!
Even if you earn a much smaller salary as a freelancer or self-employed worker (or nothing at all), you are still required to pay a minimum monthly insurance contribution, which currently equates to around €180 per month.
Despite the high price tag, German public health insurance definitely has some advantages for freelancers and self-employed workers:
✅ Your health insurance contributions are not affected by your age or health. This is markedly different to private health insurance, which rockets in price as you become older.
✅ Pre-existing conditions are covered and do not affect the cost of your insurance.
✅ Your family members can also be covered by your public health insurance.
Therefore, if you are slightly older, have a family or have pre-existing health problems, German public health insurance may be suitable for you.
❗ Note: If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen and have not recently had public health insurance in the EU/EEA, then you will not be eligible for German public health insurance as a freelancer/self-employed worker in Germany. In this case, you will need to opt for private health insurance.
Which German Public Health Insurance should I sign up for as a freelancer?
As mentioned above, German public health insurance is charged at virtually the same rate no matter the provider.
However, while there is little difference in price, there are considerable differences between insurers with respect to expat-friendliness. Notably, there are only a few public health insurers that offer English-speaking services and support – for newcomers to Germany, who often do not speak German, this limits your options. Thankfully, the expat-friendly providers are generally some of the best-rated and largest insurers in Germany.
In particular, our absolute favourite German public health insurance provider for freelancers and self-employed workers is TK Health Insurance. Here is why TK is our no.1 choice:
✅ They offer high-quality English customer support as well as English policy documents.
✅ They have a straightforward, simple online sign-up process.
✅ Their policy is accepted by the German immigration authorities when applying for a Freelance Visa or Self-Employment Visa.
✅ They provide straightforward access to care. You just need to show your TK health insurance card when receiving health care. The health care provider will then arrange payment with TK.
TK is the largest public health insurer in Germany – by opting for TK, you can rest assured that you have chosen an insurer that is trusted by millions of German residents and is consistently rated among the best insurers in Germany.
German Private Health Insurance
Due to the often exorbitant price of German public health insurance, freelancers and self-employed workers often opt for German private health insurance instead.
While public health insurance always costs a fixed portion of your monthly income (14.6%), private health insurance varies depending on your risk profile, which includes your:
Age
Health and pre-existing conditions
Occupation
If you are young and fit, this makes private health insurance considerably cheaper than public health insurance. Especially if you are a high earner, a much smaller portion of your income will be going towards private health insurance than if you have a public health insurance policy.
As well as often being more affordable, private health insurance has various other advantages for freelancers and self-employed workers:
✅ You can access a wider range of treatments.
✅ You can adjust your policy to suit your treatment needs and budget.
✅ You generally benefit from shorter waiting times for healthcare services.
✅ You usually get comprehensive dental coverage and travel cover.
If you are interested in signing up for a private health insurance policy, then we recommend signing up for a policy via Feather.
Feather is an English-speaking brokerage with a close relationship with a wide range of German insurers. They will clarify your options and ensure you sign up for a suitable policy. Better still, their services are completely free of charge!
❗ Note: If you earn a low income or have pre-existing health conditions, then you may be rejected by private health insurers in Germany. In this case, your only option may be expat health insurance.
4. German Health Insurance for Job Seekers
If you are moving to Germany as a job seeker, then you will need adequate medical insurance. However, job seekers face some barriers when it comes to health insurance in Germany:
Job Seekers are generally not eligible for German public health insurance.
German private health insurance policies are often prohibitively expensive for job seekers, especially when moving to Germany without an income.
Thankfully, there is a great solution for job seekers in the form of expat health insurance, which ensures you have sufficient medical cover while searching for employment in Germany. In the event of accidents and emergencies or serious illnesses, expat health insurance will ensure you can access the care you need, without bankrupting you in the process.
Most importantly, job seekers require sufficient health insurance to be approved for a Job Seekers Visa. Expat health insurance is suitable for this purpose.
Feather is our favourite choice for expat health insurance in Germany. By signing up for an expat health insurance policy via Feather, you get a policy that is:
✅ Affordable. The standard policy starts at €72 a month.
✅ Visa compliant. The policy is accepted and approved by the German immigration authorities when applying for a Job Seekers Visa.
✅ Flexible. The policy can be cancelled with just 1 month’s notice.
✅ Simple to take out. You can quickly sign-up online here.
By choosing Feather’s expat health insurance, you will have a policy that both meets the requirements for the Job Seekers Visa and also ensures you have good quality medical cover while job hunting in Germany.
Once you land a job, you can then switch on to German public health insurance or German private health insurance.
5. Health Insurance for Working Holidays
If you are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan or Uruguay, then you can do a working holiday in Germany. On a working holiday, you can live and work in Germany for up to 1 year.
To do a working holiday in Germany, you require a Working Holiday Visa. To obtain a Working Holiday Visa, you need health insurance that:
Is valid for the full duration of the visa (12 months).
Covers at least €30,000 in medical expenses.
Includes repatriation to your home country.
To ensure you meet the health insurance requirements for the German Working Holiday Visa, our favourite option is Feather’s expat health insurance.
We like Feather’s expat health insurance policy because it is:
✅ Affordable. The standard policy starts at €72 a month.
✅ Visa compliant. The policy is accepted and approved by the German immigration authorities when applying for a Working Holiday Visa.
✅ Flexible. The policy can be cancelled with just 1 month’s notice.
✅ Simple to take out. You can quickly sign-up online here.
By opting for Feather’s expat health insurance, you not only get a policy that meets the requirements for the Working Holiday Visa but also a policy that provides high-quality medical cover should you need it during your time in Germany.
❗ Note: Some German embassies and consulates have stricter insurance requirements than those listed above. This primarily applies if you are applying for the Working Holiday Visa at a German embassy or consulate in Japan, South Korea or Taiwan – if this applies to you, get in touch with the relevant embassy or consulate to find out their specific insurance requirements prior to applying.
We hope you have found this guide useful for determining exactly what health insurance you require when living in Germany. While the health insurance system is confusing, we hope that our actionable and practical tips help you identify a policy that suits you.
For more tips on moving to Germany, see our other guides here.