Health insurance in Germany: the intro you should really read first
Health insurance in Germany is a crucial topic when moving here. As a newcomer, it’s normal to feel a bit lost at first. Germany has one of the most complex healthcare systems in the world!
This confusion ends today. Based on industry experts and years of experience, this guide gives you the best introduction on the topic, written for newcomers in Germany.
At the end of this lengthy guide (prepare a big cup of tea), you will be able to understand your options and decide which German health insurance policy is best for you.
Health insurance in Germany: short overview
Here are the main points to take away from this guide:
- All German residents must have adequate coverage. That’s the law.
- The German health insurance system is split into 2 types of providers: public & private.
- Public providers costs are set by law (14% to 17% of gross income.) If you are an employee, this is paid in part by your employer. Any relative without income of their own can be insured for free under your policy. 90% of the German population is with public providers.
- Private providers costs are set by an assessment of your health risks. If you are an employee, this is paid in part by your employer. Any relative without income of their own needs to be insured via an extra-paid policy.
- Students are eligible to special cheaper rates and conditions.
- Freelancers have to bear all costs on their own. Artists can apply for special support to cover half the contributions though.
- Visa applicants can use special cheaper “expat” policies for their initial applications, but should make sure to pick wisely. Not all providers fulfill requirements for the immigration office.
- If you don’t know if private is right for you:
Read on for more details about the system & typical situations newcomers face in Germany. There is an FAQ too. If something is still unclear, feel free to ask questions in the comments’ section.
Bastien
Public health insurance in Germany
Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (also called Pflichtversicherung and GKV) is the most widespread German health insurance regime. This statutory insurance guarantees a standardized coverage set by the German Social Act (SGB – Fünftes Buch). This system operates on the solidarity principle, where the active healthy working population contributes to care for the sick & the old.
Who should counsider this option?
- Employees earning less than 66 600€ a year (gross). The German statutory insurance is compulsory in this case.
- Students under 30 currently enrolled in a German university. It only costs around 120€ a month. Under 25, it’s even for free if one of your parents is also with a statutory insurance.
- In most cases, anybody that has relatives with no income of their own at home, as they can be insured with a single insurance policy for free.
- Older folks who have more health issues, more often.
- People with serious conditions, handicaps bound to occur more costs over time.
Costs of public health insurance in Germany
Good news: your contributions are directly related to what you earn. The basic contribution rate for public health insurance in Germany is set a 14,6%. The individual Krankenkasse then adds another fee on top (between 0,2% to 2,7%) to their discretion. A national average is 15,7%.
As a quick reference:
- Minimum contribution: ≈ 120€ per month.
- Maximum contribution : ≈ 470€ per month (920€ for freelancers)
Employees pay their contributions directly via their payslips automatically. Freelancers and students have to manually transfer those to their provider.
Benefits
- Going to the doctor is simple. You show up at an appointment, give your card, and everything is directly handled between your Krankenkasse and the doctor with hardly any paperwork.
- Relatives with no income (spouse, kids) can be covered for free, with the same policy and the exact same benefits.
- Contributions are always based on your income. If your income goes down, you are guaranteed the same level of service at a lower price.
- If you lose your job, unemployment benefits cover will pay for your contributions.
- Preexisting conditions have no impact on your contributions. Providers cannot refuse to take you on.
Drawbacks
- Practitioners tend to prioritize private patients over public ones. This is because they get paid better/faster. I never found to be an issue other than longer waiting times, especially with specialists.
- If you go the hospital, it’s also not guaranteed that your case will be followed by the most experienced doctor or that you get a private room. This is the case with private coverage usually.
- Also, expect some treatments to be only partly covered. Premium tooth fillings are for example not 100% covered.
How to chose and sign-up with a public provider?
Public options are more or less created equal and you won’t feel a difference as a patient. Difference in price is also negligible. Instead keep an eye on quality of customer service, coverage rates for specific treatments you might be interested in (eg; ergotherapy, homeopathy, etc).
Techniker Krankenkasse is a favorite among foreigners thanks to top ratings & English support. I have been with TK for 10 years now, and I strongly recommend it: Techniker Krankenkasse – A long term review
You can sign-up online to receive a certificate fast, which is useful to start working or to apply for a long-term residence permit ASAP:
- Digital signup with Techniker Krankenkasse
- Digital signup with AOK
- Digital signup with DAK
- Digital signup with Barmer
Once you sign-up with a public provider, you automatically get a social security number.
My experience with public German health insurance
If you want to know what it’s like to be on public health insurance in Germany, you can read my Techniker Krankenkasse review. It also contains a report of my life as a patient over 10 years, one surgery & 2 births.
In short: only additional waiting times with GPs and specialist is annoying. I never got the impression to receive second-class healthcare/treatment because I was with a public Krankenkasse. I’ve always been happy with the customer service too.
Private health insurance in Germany
Privatversicherung or PKV means that you are insured at a private Krankenkasse, provided you earn more than 66 600€ a year (gross) as an employee. It’s also an option for freelancers or for people who don’t qualify for the public system for any number of reasons. Standard coverage provided by private Krankenkasse also regulated by law. Contributions however are determined by a health risk assessment.
Who should consider this option?
You can read here a dedicated post to decide if private is right for you: Switching to private health insurance in Germany: consider this first
- Healthy single young professionals who earn well, and who are confident it will stay that way for the duration of their stay in Germany. Also, they should be fairly sure that they will only stay a few years in the country (at least, not retire in Germany).
- Best suited for people with no kids.
- Best suited for people with a strong retirement plan.
- Best suited for people that don’t have any other choice. This typically includes:
- Students over 30 no public Krankenkasse will take on.
- Freelancers that arrive from a non-EU country.
Costs of private health insurance in Germany
Costs are not easily assessed because it all comes down your health profile, age and personal situation. However, here are some approximate figures to get an idea:
With no deductible, no limit on dental coverage (monthly fee):
- 25 years old: 370€ to 570€.
- 35 years old: 445€ to 700€.
- 45 years old: 540€ to 795€.
With 10% deductible, dental coverage limited to 1500€/year (monthly fee)
- 25 years old: 185€ to 265€.
- 35 years old: 230€ to 325€.
- 45 years old: 265€ to 370€.
Benefits
- Lower costs short term & mid term (when young and healthy).
- An overall better access to higher-quality treatments, material & medical supplies.
- Easier and faster access to specialists, senior staff at hospital.
Drawbacks
- Higher costs long term with age & conditions. even with old-age provisions (Alterungsrückstellung), which are included in your contributions by law.
- Each relative with no income will need an additional paid policy.
- It’s a lot harder to understand offers and terms in a crowded market.
- More paperwork: pay medical bill first, seek a refund with your provider later.
- Coming back to the public system is extremely difficult if not impossible for freelancers.
How to signup for private health insurance in Germany
The market is more complex and more diverse. Since contracts are based on your individual preferences, it’s a lot more difficult to compare and pick the right policy. You can read a full guide about this: Picking the right private health insurance in Germany
Talk to independent knowledgeable brokers like Feather Insurance. They are used to talk to foreigners with all manners of cases. Ottonova is also popular with foreigners.
Please note that if you sign-up with a private provider, you need to manually request a social security number from the pension office.
Still undecided? You can read all the differences between private and public healthcare in Germany here.
Health insurance for employees
Costs are shared between you and your employer and you have a lot of options at your disposal:
- It doesn’t matter if you go with private or public, you are free to pick your health insurance provider. It is not bound to your employer.
- Your employer will ask for a membership certificate (Mitgliedsbescheinigung) before you start a job.
- If you are with public, you don’t need to pay anything to your Krankenkasse. It’s already been done for you by your employer.
- If you are with private, you pay directly to your Krankenkasse. However, you can also receive tax free allowance from your employer (Arbeitsgeberzuschuss), up to 385€/month. You should inform your employer if you are eligible.
Health insurance in Germany for freelancers
Health insurance for freelancers in Germany can become a major burden. Low-earning self-employed people pay a relatively high amount. Here are the options presented to you:
- If you have been in a public scheme within the EU recently, you can choose a public Krankenkasse (Freiwillige gesetzliche Krankenversicherung). This procedure is normalized via the form E104, which you should request from your domestic system, before you leave the country. Request this from your old provider and send it in for your new Krankenkasse. You can also go for a private provider too.
- If you are an artist, a writer, performer, creative: you can join KSK. The Künstlersozialkasse (KSK) will pay half of your monthly contributions. There is sometimes not a clear distinction between what’s a art job and what’s not. It might be hard to get into it. Some people hire specialists to fill in the paperwork to make sure they tick the right boxes. Full post on KSK this way.
- In the public system, if you make less than 1,131.67€ per month, you pay the minimum price (Mindestbeitrag) around 210€/month.
- In other cases, it is advised to stay with the private system to avoid high costs. In this case, Feather Insurance can help you find the right and fairest policy for your needs too.
German health insurance for visa applicants
Whatever your residence permit is, adequate health insurance is always a requirement.
Getting coverage from a local Krankenkasse is often impossible when you are outside Germany. For this, you will need an intermediate solution to grant you entry into German and get a visa, before switching to a local provider.
Those supercharged travel insurance (also called incoming insurance or expat insurance) have the following characteristics:
- The insurance policy complies with the minimum requirements expected by the immigration office. Otherwise, your visa might get rejected.
- It’s only valid for first-time visa application. They are not accepted when renewing a visa.
- It’s only valid for a maximum of 5 years.
- It gets expensive if you are older.
- Coverage is not as a good as with local providers.
- It’s a stop-gap solution until you have something better in Germany.
Providers like Feather Insurance or Ottonova specialize into those temporary German health insurance solutions that guarantee acceptance from the immigration office.
Health insurance for students
The system is fairly simple in this case:
- If you are under 30 and enrolling in a university program in Germany, you should probably stick with public health insurance too. This has a lot of benefits and costs around 120€ a month. It doesn’t happen automatically when you register at the university though. You have let the university know which Krankenkasse you picked. This is unfortunately only possible when you have registered an address in the country.
- If you are over 30 and enrolling in a German university, it’s probably best to pick a private provider. Students over 30 don’t have access to the special student rate.
- If you are not able to join the public system for any other reason, it is also possible to join a private insurance. If you need guidance on how what policy to get in this case, without it costing a leg, you might consider talking to knowledgeable independent brokers like Feather Insurance, who are capable of scanning the market and find the right policy for your edge case. And it’s 100% serviced in English.
- If you are an exchange student from the EU, your EHIC card will be enough. Not need to have a local provider.
- If you were with private insurance as a student, it is possible to switch to public again when you start to work in a job.
German health insurance when unemployed
Unemployment benefits in Germany covers the costs of health insurance.
As an employee, your pay into those benefits via your payslip. This safety net includes 60-67% of your net salary, as well as your health insurance costs for the entire duration of your unemployment benefits.
- If you are with a public Krankenkasse, you just need to notify them that you are unemployed and the rest will be taken care of itself.
- If you are with a private Krankenkasse, you have the right to cancel your private plan & switch to a public one to lower your costs. You can also decide to stay with a private health insurance provider, the Arbeitsagentur would then contribute to part of the costs
Dental healthcare in Germany
The German healthcare system takes good care of your teeth with trained professionals and up to-date equipment. Basic care is provided as standard by all healthcare providers in Germany:
- Regular checkups
- Teeth descaling
- Fillings with standard material
- Teeth removal
Other more extensive treatments (such as parodontologie treatments, fillings with premium composites, crowns, dentures implants, etc) are treated differently. Public healthcare companies will cover only 60% to 70% of the costs. Private providers will cover costs based on the agreed contracts.
If you want more detailed information and whether you really need a complementary dental insurance in Germany, feel free to read this detailed post.
Mental healthcare in Germany
Costs associated to psychotherapy for mental illnesses are covered by public Krankenkassen, also if those disorders come from another condition, even physical ones (depression in case of cancer for example). They however only recognize those 3 methodologies:
- Behavioral therapy
- Analytical psychotherapy
- Depth psychology therapy
Up to 300 sessions can be covered by public german health insurance, depending on the methodology.
Private Krankenkassen may chose to cover other methodologies/therapies than the ones listed above. Look closely at the extent of coverage you have in the package/plan you book.
Health insurance options for expats Germany – FAQ
Private health insurance makes sense in only a few cases. One of them is because you are earning so much that your are financially safe forever and your money is best invested elsewhere. The other one is because it’s the only available option you can afford right now in order to make progress during your time in Germany. If you are not in one of those cases, switching to private is simply not worth it.
It’s an option but not an obligation. You can also stay with public. It depends on your situation. If you stay with public, you will then switch to “voluntary contribution” (Freiwillig versichert). Self-employed people can also choose to stay in the public system, to make use of its advantages, despite the higher costs compare to private coverage.
Freiwillig (versichert) offers the same coverage and conditions as a normal public policy. However, your employer will no longer bare half of your contributions, but instead will pay a so-called “maximum contribution share”, set at 403,99€. This has for the effect to indirectly increase your net salary, since your employer will be paying less contribution.
No. You are free to switch and pick providers of your preference, regardless of the company you are working for.
The unfortunate answer is: it depends. If generally speaking, it can be deemed affordable compared to some other systems in the word, the actual contribution amount is tied to professional situation & income. If you stay with the public system, contributions are set by law at 14,6% of your gross income. If you are with a private provider, contributions are set by an assessment of your health risks. You can read more details in this post.
I hope this introduction helped to understand health insurance in Germany and make a better choice for your own policy. Good luck and feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.
Bastien
First, your website has been a gigantic help to me! Thank you so much. I could really use your help. I am a 32 year old American moving to Berlin for a one year language visa, and planning to settle in Berlin permanently. My school recommended care concept, but it seems they never reimburse and are sometimes not accepted by the foreigner’s office. GKV companies say they can’t cover me because I will not be working in Germany, but I have read that once you go to private insurance it is almost impossible to go back to GKV. Can you please give some information on what I should do? I do not want to hurt my chances of being able to get public insurance when I get a job later. Thank you.
Hey Hollee. It can be difficult to be going back to public in some cases but usually as an employee, this makes it much easier.
Hello.
Thank you for the post.
I am a student here in Germany and had TK for the last three years. Then I had to switch to Care Concept which is private. because they wanted to double the fee as I was already in my 14th semester.
I have been working part time in the meantime with a company and have been offered a full time job. I have started working already because I am allowed to work 120 days as I have a student visa.
Now I don’t understand if I have to switch to TK again or keep this insurance and tell my Employer that I have private insurance.
I have an appointment for Blue card in April and I have to get paid in the mean time which will be three months.
I know I have to switch to TK but what should I do in the mean time?
Is it ok to keep working on a student insurance for three months?
BR
Anees
Hey Anees. You probably need to speak with your HR department to get an answer. As you said yourself, you are allowed to work with a student visa, which means (like for other many other foreign students); a private coverage (non-statutory/non Krankenkasse). In doubt, you may also contact your consulate/embassy or your international student office.
Hi,
I’m a UK freelancer looking for the cheapest and most basic private plan that meets Germany’s minimum legal requirements. Where can I find a list of the exact minimum requirements needed? Is is purely inpatient and outpatient care or do I need other add-ons like dental, maternity, repatriation etc.
Do you know whether the Cigna Global international insurance meets Germany’s legal requirements?
Thanks so much for your help
Hey Verity, i can’t know for all possible insurance companies out there i’m afraid. As a resident in Germany, you need to sign-up for a local Krankenkasse, which then meets the local requirements.
Good day! I am an Australian citizen married to a German citizen. I am still learning the language, so it will probably take sometime for me to find a job. I have already my Aufenhaltstitel (unbefristet) and my partner is self employed. How would my insurance be calculated or how much do I need to pay for my insurance? Pleae help. Thanks
Hey Abe. Well, i can’t really tell. Depends on which system (private vs public / risks vs income) you want for yourself.
THank you for this helpful information! I am from the USA and moving to Frankfurt in a few months for a new job. The comp will be above the private insurance threshhold so am trying to figure out what will save me more money. I calculated the public insurance and it is around 4000 euros a year. I was wondering if you think I could get a material savings on a public plan? I am young, healthy, and currently visit the doctor once a year for my annual check up. Sometimes, I skip a year because the doctor tells me there is no reason to come in. I do visit the dentist twice a year for my regular cleanings but that is about it. I know private insurance is extremely variable depending on age, health, and other factors but wondering if you think I could see noticeable savings taking the private route? THanks!
Hey Johnny. First; will you earn more than 56K€/year in your job to be able to switch to private as an employee? If so, then yes, there will be noticeable savings if you are young/healthy/no kids/no condition/working partner. You need to look at this long term though, as mentioned in the post.
Hi Bastien,
I’m a UK citizen moving to Germany next week to work as a freelancer. I’m just trying to get everything in order, but I have just been told that I won’t be accepted on to the public health system? I’m actually eligible to join the KSK as I am 100% in the artistic field and satisfy all their criteria to the T, however, if I am forced to get a private insurance, will I still be able to join the KSK? And was I misinformed about the public insurance option? Obviously, I would prefer to be insured on with TK or something else in the public insurance scheme. Is it possible? Thanks, Joe.
Hey Joe. I’m not sure i can reply accurately with so little information on your case unfortunately. Depends on a few factors, what you did before, etc…
Hi Bastien, hope you can g help. I am currently insured as a dependent on my wife’s TK insurance, but want to register as freelancer at Finanzamt, as I have some mini jobs in pipeline. I do not expect to earn more than 9.000 annually, or regularly. Can I stay insured as a dependent, or I have to change and pay on my own? Thank you!
Hey Christian. If you are going to be registered, you will need to pay your own health insurance coverage. The expected revenue does not play a role here.
Hello!
I am 25 and just moved to Berlin 2 weeks ago and looks like I’ll be unemployed for a while until i learn better German or find something like a mini-job at most.
I’m not sure which type of insurance would apply to me under these circumstances. I do need to see a chiropractor and I wonder wether this is a grey area, as in, considered alternative medicine or something else. I also read in some chiro’s website that they only accept private insurance and from my understanding from your article it anyway sounds that that is what i should be going for. Mind you i am an EU citizen and do have European Health insurance but I’ve never needed to use it so i wouldn’t know how acceptable it is and where at this point!
Hey Thalia. If you become a German resident, you will need a local insurance. Your EHIC is only valid for the transition period. If applicable, have you looked into transfering unemployment benefits from your home country so it pays for health insurance here? More info on this post. Good luck to you!
Hi Bastien,
It was very nice your topic. I came to Germany with a reunion visa with my husband. To apply for TK insurance , they told me they only can apply me if I have residence permit card. It took me 2 months to get the card, then I went to TK apply for my insurance. Two weeks later, they sent me a letter to say that now Im insured and I need to pay even for the 3 previous months which I didn’t allowed to use their systems. For me this is an not logical at all.
I will go to ask them again for this, they didn’t agree to apply the Freiwillige gesetzliche Krankenversicherung even he was Italian now working as self employee here, this reason why I need to pay separate was cost 391 E/ month. I can’t understand, as a contract I should pay from the day I signed for it, not the day I came to Germany. Thanks
Hi Kina. I am as puzzled as you are. Can you prove you were covered through other means during that time? If so, that might get you out of it…
Hey Bastien,
First of all, thank you so much for the very informative blog. I do have a question for you regarding health and pension contributions. I recently landed a new job i Berlin from January 2019. In the contract, it says that i will be payed 3000€. Furthermore it states that, besides the monthly wage, the company will contribute to the pension and health insurance, which amounts to 22,11% of my total wage. How should i understand this? That the company pays for all the contributions, or that it pays to the contribution through my wage, and thereby deduce the wage in some way? Thank you!
Hey Oliver. 3000€ is your gross wage, on which 22,11% will be taken off to pay for your health and pension contributions. As stated in the post, your employer pays about 50% of contributions (something you can’t see on your payslip, it’s through other means) and the rest is paid by you, directly on your gross wage.
This is soooo helpful. Thanks. I’ve a curious one – I’m a freelance, finally breaking even and established with AOK. But they now want information on my assets (if any) outside Germany. Is this normal, and how could this affect my premiums? They’ve all my accountant’s output, they know my income – good years and bad years. Is it possible because I own a flat somewhere (unrented out etc, mortgaged to the hilt etc) they’re going to hike my monthly payments to some shockingly high level? Have you any experience of this?
Hey Lil-Eric. This is an odd case i have never heard of before… I suppose they are trying to identify any and all possible sources of income. Sorry, can’t help there. Good luck.
Hi,
I am originally from Lithuania, but worked last 2 years in UK.
I just arrived to Berlin and thinking to register at Arbeitsamt as job seeker.
Would the Arbeitsamt cover my health insurance while I am registered with them? I am not seeking for any benefits, just wondering, if I am a job seeker, do I get at least health insurance covered.
Thanks
Hey Milda, Take a look at this post. It should be helpful.
Hi guys! Great job with this blog, thank you so much!
I am a 31 year old Portuguese who just arrived in Berlin. I’ve done my Anmeldung, got my ID tax number and have a mini job lined up (it will be my only source of income in the next months as I learn deutsch). At the moment I am using the EU health card. My future employer has asked me for the Social Security Number which, if I’ve understood correctly, I can only get through a health insurance provider in germany (please correct me if i’m wrong on this). I’ve been suggested AOK or TK. I am trying to keep costs down since I haven’t started working and anyways, it’s a mini job and pays next to nothing… so, any suggestions on the best health insurance provider and how much would I pay minimum? I am also seeking to apply for the job center funding so that might help in the future. Thanks aloot!
Hey Tania. Yes, your assessment is right. the EHIC card is good for the few weeks of transition when you move to Germany but you need to switch to a local provider as a now German resident. You are unfortunately stuck in a bad situation where a mini-job won’t pay for your health insurance but you still need one and pay it yourself. AOK and TK are both good options. They will charge you the minimum rate, which can still account to a few hundred euro a month. Good luck with everything !
Thank you soo much!
Any step towards knowledge and clarification in this crazy system is a celebration to me 🙂 Keep up the good job!
Tania
Thanks again for all the information – in almost the same situation with just started mini job that wont yet pay for insurance (contract may come in the new year)
In the case of Tania, AOK and TK refer to the public system correct (which guess I will be on as well)?
I’m on a working holiday visa, and so far have private travel insurance that was needed for the visa application.
Heard from a friend that without the public german insurance, you are only able to work 45 hrs a month, but would be covered for those 45 hrs (and would need proper insurance to work more hours).
Any knowledge in this kind of case? Am I currently covered for those first 45 hrs? And is public insurance (TK, AOK) the way to go?
Thanks so much
Hey Gary. AOK and TK are both part of the public system but you are not obligated to go public. You can also go private for a cheaper rate. I have never heard of such a limitation mentioned by your friend but again; working holiday visa are not my specialty.
Dear Bastian,
Thank you for the work you’ve put in with this useful website.
My son has been in Berlin for 18 months and I’ve only found out he’s not sorted his insurance. He’s been freelancing for less that 450 Euros a month.
Will he have to pay or rather backdate his insurance? And if so, do you know if he or I will have to pay it in one go? Or installments?
Thanks again
Hey Clive. Yes that is quite likely he will need to pay some or all of it back. Payment terms are up to the individual provider. It might be negotiable.
Hey,
Thanks a lot for this interesting article, I just received an insurance with a total price of 809.78 € employers contribution included.
I don’t know how much my employer will take over but it is really looking for me a lot .
Any Idea of a cheap insurance where I can pay 250 euros or around?
The insurance I tried was tk.
Thanks a lot,
Dimitri.
Hey Dimitri. That’s how it works in Germany. “Cheap insurance” only happens in the private sector but read the post again for more details.
Hey Bastien, I’m applying to extend my residence permit in 2 days time, I’m an Australian who’s moving from a 1 yr working holiday visa to the 6 month job seekers visa. I just discovered that if your health insurance has not been continuous for the entire period you’ve been here they can refuse to renew it. Mine expired 2 weeks ago so I’m freaking out a little!
Do you have any idea whether they’ll ask for proof of previous health insurance in the interview? I could photoshop the dates in my old travel insurance certificate but I’m pretty hesitant to go down that path.
This is the document I’m referring to (last two paragraphs):
https://goo.gl/cGFRky
Hi Bastien.
Thank you for the informative post. I have a question. Soon I will be turning 3o in Feb. I have been insured with AOK for last 2.5 years and I am still a student. But above 30, I can’t be insured under Student insurance. Will it be good to stay with AOK by paying around 170 euros per month or go for some private insurance? Does AOK have some schemes to charge less than this amount when I am earning less than 600 euros per month. Any reply would be helpful
Regards
Hey Manisha. Make sure to do your homework but 170€ is super cheap when paying health insurance on your own (regardless of private/public). I doubt you could get something much better in the private system.
Thank you for reply. I will talk with AOK representatives
My son is 21 and has just moved to Berlin. He has dual American/Polish citizenship, and entered Germany on his Polish/EU passport. We’re told he is not eligible for the public system as he has never actually resided, worked, attended school, or paid taxes in Poland. He is attending German language classes to reach B2 certification before applying to University for his music performance masters studies. I told him we would take care of his health insurance, since he is not not working and spending all of his time practicing German and his instrument. He has no income and is living off of savings. His seems like unusual circumstances as I cannot find any options other than purchasing very expensive (>300 Euro per month) private insurance. This page says it will also be difficult, if not impossible, for him to switch to public once he is enrolled in University. Any help would be very welcome. Thanks.
If you are a freelancer, for the first five years you can get a very good coverage – accepted by the visa offices – from Hans Merkur and the product is Care Concept, you cannot get it after 5 years, you then have to pay full insurance. Anyway, beleive it or not, it’s only about €60 per month. I had it and needed a €9000 operation and they paid out with no fuss, all I had to pay was €150.
By the way, to get the € symbol on a Mac press Opt+Shift+2
Hi Raz. Thanks for the (belated) reply. We are STILL trying to sort this out. You said “accepted by the visa offices”. I’m not sure if Care Concept would work for my son, since he entered Germany as an EU citizen, which did not require a Visa. Thanks for the tip on the € symbol. It’s come in really handy.
Hey! Thanks for the info. I got to Berlin two weeks ago and I have done my anmeldung, got a bank account, phone number and also travel insurance. Now I am looking for a full-time job while taking german class. My plan with health insurance was to sort it when I got a job but have been told that by a friend you need to get it as soon as you do the anmeldung. Is that right? Not too keen to pay while Im unemployed. I came from the UK and though maybe Im covered by EHIC for 3 months or so first? Or will I get backdated bill once I get a job? Thanks for helping out.
Hi Bjorn. I guess in theory, you could just still be a tourist taking a long-stay in Germany at the moment, right?. You could be in the grey zone where you aren’t considered a german resident yet. so you could stretch your luck a little bit with your EHIC card i guess, but don’t wait to look to sort out a local insurance. It’s just an opinion however.
Hello, this was very informative.
I will be moving to Germany for study purposes in January/ February 2019 and am busy looking for the best health care options there. However, I will be turning 30 next year March and am not so sure about the benefits of foreigners above from 30 above. From some of my searches I was able to determine that it gets a bit more expensive from 30.
Do you think that I can still register for an affordable one before I turn 30. If I get an insurance while I’m 29 will they automatically change my benefits when I turn 30 or will I be able to remain on the one I got first?
Thanks in advance
Hi Laeticia. I don’t want to give you incorrect info and recommendations based on so little info, i’d talk to a pro if you are unsure about your situation. good luck!
Hi Bastien,
Thanks for the great info. I have recently acquired a freelance artist visa and need to organise my own health insurance. I’m basically looking for the cheapest and have come across some international health insurance plans. One being from ‘Health Care International’, which I found through a site called ‘Pacific Prime’. It’s 160 euro/mth which is more in my budget. I was wondering if you had an knowledge of this company and/or if this plan would legitimately cover me in Berlin?
Cheers.
Hey Lewis. I know i need to improve on this part of the post because i am unsure about what the German state deems a good enough coverage or not. You’d have to be sure that it’s good enough for your visa. Like i said, i need to make research there. 🙂
Hey Bastien,
I moved to Berlin very recently from London, i’m currently unemployed but am looking at various jobs (cafe, delivery services, cleaning etc.) while i get myself set up here, unfortunately a lot of the job ads request i already have my own health insurance. I’m finding it difficult to figure out how i apply for health insurance while i’m unemployed – can i do this through a public insurer? I can’t seem to find a proper answer on this
Hey Tobi. Yes, public or private doesn’t matter, you can be in both.
Hello Bastien. First thank you so much for the detailed information. Has been quite useful. I will travel soon to Germany for a PosDoc. I´ve had difficulties for the acquisition of the health insurance. I will stay for a total of 2 years with a guest contract and looking at the information I consider that a possible option is choosing a private insurance, however I am not sure a good provider. Do you have any recommendation?. Thanks a lot in advance.
Hi Sandra. Sorry i don’t have any recommendations on that precise topic.
Hi,
I want to shift from AOK to a private health insurance as I will be 30 years old by this July, 2018. I can’t bear 169 Euros per month as I am still a student doing my Masters in Germany. Could you please suggest me the best private health insurance or provide at least the information comparing the prices and support they can give for the health issues. It would be a great help if you can reply to my email.
Hi there. There is a comparison tool in this post that you can use to compare prices.
hi good afternoon please I want to know if you are using AOK for five years and over and want to change to different health insurance card .my question is,iso it possible and how?
Hi Salamat. It is possible yes. You can refer to the FAQ section of the AOK for more info.
Hello Bastian,
the health insurance topic seems to be the dog biting his own tail: during the application process for the National Visa here in UAE, the German embassy requests coverage of a German health insurance yet the German insurances require a German residency in order to provide an insurance plan.
My wife (non-EU citizen) and I (German) are relocating this year from UAE to Germany. The visa requirements (for National Visa type D) state the requirement for a health insurance yet do not recommend any way to get there. As of re-entering the country I for myself can be insured on the statutory plan (and then insure my wife with Familienversicherung). Still proving this to the UAE – German authorities seams difficult.
From your experience, would it work to sign up to ALC, Mawista or the likes for the transition period from National Visa to the residence permit? Technically it is not sufficient as the embassy requires full coverage as per their requirement being Section 257(2 )(a) SGB V.! However, I have not found a single insurance provider, which can be obtained from outside the country and would comply with the same law – or have I missed one?
Looking forward to your comments, suggestions, help!
Hi Jonas. Yes, this is another well-know evil circle in getting visa. I am no expert into that kind of stuff and visa issues so i don’t want to lead you onto the wrong solution. I think Mawista and the sorts would be ok but make sure to check that with somebody more knowledgeable.
Hi Jonas,
I came across your comment when researching for health insurance requirements for German National Visa from the UAE.
My husband is planning to apply for an German Blue card as he plans to work from March 2019 and i will apply for a family reunion visa at the same time of his application so we move together. We both are non EU citizens. (Indians)
I have written to public insurance Cos such as TK and AOK, and awaiting a reply. In the meantime, it would be helpful to know which insurance proof did you provide in your National Visa application.
Thank you for your help.
Hello Bastien!
Hope you are well! I had a question. I am from USA but here on a spousal visa (my husband is an employee for a start up). I currently have TK through him. TK told him that his spouse would be covered for free if I made less than 450 EURO a month. I just took a few small gigs but I believe that my freelance each month will be more than 450 EURO. If that is the case…. A.. Any recommendations of insurance programs I can get? B. Do I NEED to tell TK I have a freelancer gig that will give me over 450 EURO a month. ? Thanks!!!!!!!
Hi Aileen. Freelancers earning very little are in a bad situation concerning health insurance because a lot of the income goes towards it. You need to let know TK about any change of situation yes. For any recommendations, you can read the post or call a broker.
Hi Bastien, thanks for the great web site so full of useful information. I am a UK resident planning to live in Berlin for twelve months as part of a career break. This to have time with my young daughter who lives there with her mother (she will be starting school this year), and also to take language lessons. I intend to find a furnished apartment sublet to live in during this time, and will probably not be working. Can you tell me if I need to take out German health insurance or will I be covered by my UK EHIC?
Hi Ian. In the first few weeks, you will be covered by EHIC card but you need to have a coverage that lasts beyond that. You can check with the NHS directly how long they will cover you abroad. I guess something max 3 months is the usual thing.
Hi!
First of all thanx alot for the useful info!
second i wanted to ask you something regarding something you wrote… “You have to be insured by a public insurance company that your employer will most likely pick for you if it is your first job in Germany. Your employer will directly take over the payment of the coverage by paying its share and yours through your wage.”
Does it mean that my work will choose the health insurance for me, i mean do all the bureaucratically stuff and then will deduct a certain amount from my salary every month, or i have to register my self with the health insurance and only then provide my employer with all the details?
Thanx again!
Hi Dore. You can go both ways.
Hi, thanks Bastien this is very useful. I’m a freelance UK citizen living in Frankfurt. I understand that I can opt for public or private insurance but even after reading up on the difference I’m not sure which one to choose. Is it just a case of whichever is cheapest, or are there other benefits to either system that I haven’t understood?
Hi Stephen. Private is beneficial in the short-term because you pay a lower rate if you are young and in good health, but when you get old or you have a condition, the rate can go up significantly. It offers more perks too.
Hey Stephen, I know this is some time after the post but which did you go for? Thanks very much!
Hi Bastien, thank you so much for the informative post! I wanted to ask you regarding the health insurance, if you can kindly help me in any way. I am an international sutdent from a non-EU country coming to study masters in Germany. Since I am 30 years old, unfortunately all the public health insurance rate is double for me. But after searching online, I could not find the public health insurance that any 30 year old or above students can take. Can you kindly give me any suggestion/ recommendation regarding which public health insurances I can go for?
Also, the other question is, if I go for private health insurance, do they cover tooth filling/ cavity filling or a bit serious one like root canal treatments? So far I have seen this one option daad’s semi private health insurance and their optimum package seems reasonable, but I am a bit worried if they will cover the dental treatments I asked you about, since this is one of my existing health condition. Anyway sorry for so many questions. Thanks in advance. And thanks for the elaborate post!
Hi Fay. You can’t really go wrong with AOK or TK in my opinion. Both good options. Regarding your conditions, you have to check manually for each policy you consider what the extent of the coverage is.
Hi Bastien. Great site! Thanks very much.
As for health insurance, it’s quite clear now how it works and what you pay.
But what does it actually cover, and are there additional payments when you:
– visit a doctor,
– obtain medicine,
– visit a specialist,
– visit a hospital,
– what about chronic condition treatment?
Thanks
Hi Stephan. you can check on any Krankenkasse’s website. All of the above are basic things/treatment and are covered by default.
To begin with, I would like to express my eternal gratitude for your work. Your website has been an immense help to me and my girlfriend in our attempt to successfully move from Denmark to Germany.
I’m currently in the process of applying for a German health insurance. I’ve decided to apply at TK due to their language resources. In the membership application, I’m asked to give my Health Insurance Number. For obvious reasons, I do not have a German number yet and my Danish number is apparently not valid. Do I just leave it blank?
Thanks a lot
Hi Benjamin. In that case, simply enter something like “Danish health insurance” in that field “Dänische Krankenkasse”.
Hi Bastian,
I am from a non EU country and have studied in Germany for the last two years. I have AOK Insurance for students but in April 2018 I will start to work and of course switch to worker insurance contract.
Now my question is :
I would like to subscribe a health insurance for my family back home. Is that possible that I pay here and they can get health care back home?
Thanks a lot for your Advice
Raissa
Hi Raissa. No, they must be resident in Germany.
Hi- I am a freelance web designer/architect and American citizen. My wife is a German-American citizen and she has a new job that is taking us to Germany. I’m seeing that my insurance on the public plan could cost as much as 800 or 900 euros. Is that true? This seems incredibly high. I am looking at KSK, but worry this might be difficult to join with a profession that is not classically artistic in nature. Thanks!
Hi Ari, if my sources are correct, the maximum monthly free for a freelancer staying in the public system (freiwillig versicherter Selbständiger) is 646€ for 2018. I don’t know where this 800€ number comes from?
Hello,
I am 29 years old from Italy, just arrived in Germany for working.
I am in the lucky position where I earn enough I can choose between private and statuatory.
I understood the main differences, but I don’t get why, when using online net income calculators the income taxes differs from private (more) to statuatory (less) Health scheme. Is it because it already accounts for some tax deduction about the health insurance?
thank you
Hello Bastien,
Thank you for this very helpful information. We are a family of four from Australia planning to settle for nine months in Berlin. I am planning to apply for an artist visa upon arrival. Above you have mentioned that “For a lot of foreigners applying for a German visa here for all sort of reasons, the solution here will be to sign-up for a German travel insurance provided by a German company. ” – would it be a good idea to secure German travel insurance before we arrive?
Hi Jane. These are questions to be answered almost case by case so i would invite to do your own research for artist visa as it may come with its own requirements.
I am Ruth Nyirenda your Zambia. I have been enrolled at university of Applied Sciences Europe in Germany. I wanted to apply for a health insurance for me to start processing for a Visa. The problem is that I am 35 years old and I do not qualify for student insurance at a public insurance company. Please help me to find a private health insurance which is well recognized and with reasonable contributions.
Thank you
Hi Ruth. Sorry, i don’t provide that service.
Hi Bastian,
I come from a Non-EU country. Studied in Germany for two years. Have not yet been able to get a full time job due to lack of German skills. I got a 20 hour/ week job at my university for 3 months and therefore had to change from my previous private health insurance as a student to a public health insurance as an employee at the university. But my contract ended 31 december 2017 and for this month of January I am unemployed. For February and March I again have an employment of 16 hours/week. My question is that what do I do with regards to my health insurance for January? AOK guys said that you can pay some voluntary insurance of 180 euros. I do not want to pay that high an amount. I also asked them whether I can take a cheap private insurance for this month. They said it would be illegal. I am in a dilemma.
Need your precious advice. Please help.
Hi Swanpnil. I would take their offer, it is actually a very good one. Voluntary insurance in the public system often starts at around 400€.
I am master student in germany and having AOK health insurance, paying circa 90 euro per month. my question is , what will be the cost ? in case, if i marry in my homeland and she will live at homeland not here in germany.
Hi Patel. Being married doesn’t impact on the costs of your health insurance.
Hi Bastian,
I recently moved to Germany with my two sons 8 and 13,I immediately registered myself in the town I am living in and told them I do not yet have employment. I then proceeded to the AOK to register with them they told me I cannot register with them as I am unemployed and should therefore register with a private krankenkasse.. is there no possible way to register with a staatliche krankenkasse? I am in desperate need of some answers as I can’t let my boys not have any medical cover 🙁
I hope you can help me
Thank you very much for all the information!
What I did not understand is that the health insurance is mandatory, even if I do not work/ study. I just moved in Munich, and I did not find a job yet. Should I search for an insurance company?
Thank you in advance!
Yes Andra. Unfortunately that’s mandatory even while unemployed. I can understand your situation because I am in similar shoes. That rule is kind of silly and redundant to me because one does not have enough funds to sustain oneself and being hammered by high insurance amounts in order to reside. You should look for some cheap options with private health insurance providers. If you got a mini-job with earnings upto 450 euros per month, you can continue with that. When you cross the 450 euros mark, you will be compelled to insure yourself with a public health Insurance provider. Most famous of them is AOK.
Dear fellows, I’ve just arrived to Berlin directly from Brasil and I’m struggling to choose the best Krankenkasse for me and for my wife.
The thing is, we’re both Brazilian and both European citizens with passports, (I have the German one) but both never lived here before. And we are currently unemployed. Which one should we chose? where to go? who can be kind and guide us through this bureocratic hole?
Hi Alex, my recommendation is to always stay with a public Krankenkasse as it is the cheaper option in the long run for a similar service. TK or AOK is often said to have good customer service.
Hey Alex, I’m Irish and my wife is Taiwanese. I was wondering what Visa you arrived on? I am trying to organise things here for a move.
Hello,
Thank you for this website & information.
Apologies if this has already been covered. It is very easy to get confused with all the details online.
My situation:
Polish born, left Poland when very young with parents & now living in Australia. I had my Polish citizenship re-instated recently.
I am in the process of obtaining my Polish passport, with purposes to be able to relocate to Europe (Germany) arriving on my Polish passport as part of the EU.
What are my options for general/emergency healthcare whilst I am in Germany (ie. break a bone, dentist cover, injury) & unemployed for the time when I am searching for work?
Hi Agniezska. The first few weeks (or even months), you will be on your Australian insurance or travel insurance if you get one. If you can’t find work early enough before your coverage runs out, then you might have to switch to unemployment benefits to cover healthcare (ALG 2).
Hello Bastien,
Thank you for your reply. I still feel slightly in the dark about the whole situation, as my case appears to be different from others (perhaps?).
I currently have Private Health Cover in Australia. And it would be easy for me to obtain Travel Insurance.
However entering Germany on an Australian Passport will mean that I can only remain in Germany for 90 days, pressure to find any type of job in Germany, whereas I would like to continue with my career (Medical Scientist).
If I arrive on my Polish Passport, I will have freedom of movement as an EU citizen.
What options do I have?
Well then use your Polish passport and use your Australian coverage, why not?
Hi Bastien. Your site is an amazing find, full of information. Thank you so much! Can you please help me with my situation as I can’t really figure things out? I am a EU citizen and I recently started subletting a room in an a flat in Berlin. I will spend about 3 weeks in Germany every month. I plan on moving fully here in the next 6 moths. For the moment I am working remotely for my company back home.
I would like to register for Anmeldung in the WG I live, in order to be able get SCHUFA and a bank account and rent a flat. Since I am not paid by a German company and I don’t live here permanently, after I get the Anmeldung do I have to start paying health insurance or am I covered by my the health insurance in my (EU) country?
Hi Adrian, as long as you are working for this foreign company and they cover your health insurance costs through your home country’s system, you will be fine.
Hi Bastien, thanks for your post. I am due to move to Berlin and start a (low-pay) 6-month internship, and was going to bill the company as a freelancer. But now I have read that maybe I would have to pay around 350 euros per month to get health insurance if I do this (which is too much). What would you recommend? Do I have to be a proper employee to pay less for health insurance? (p.s. what about something like Mawista? Is this still an option?)
Thanks a lot.
Hi Matt. As mentioned in the post; if you are an employee, then health insurance is covered entirely through your salary. As a freelancer registered in Germany, you’d probably pay around that amount indeed. Mawista is not a Krankenkasse and is only suitable in certain cases for visas limited in time.
Thanks for all the information!
I have been living an working in Berlin since August and only just getting around to getting my health insurance. In this time I have received loans instead of my salary as I have not yet been added onto the payroll. Now when applying for my health insurance should I put the date I started working or the current date for ‘I’d like to become a member as of’? Thank you in advance 🙂
Hi Lu. The first day you started working for them.
Thank you for the information! 😀
I just arrive to Muenchen, and the insurance from TK is 90 euros, Do you know which intitution has the fee of 81?
Also, if you can compare the different Public Health Insurances Institutions, Which do you pick up? Are there many differences between them?
Thank you again!
Hi Krystal, as mentioned in the article, there are no big differences between public Krankenkasse.
Hey! Thanks for this information. However, I am confused about something. I’ve been a student in Berlin for 2 years, and am about to apply for the “Residency for university graduates looking for employment” category of visa. Till now, I’ve been covered by a private insurance company, which should end in October 2017 officially (since I will no longer be a student after that). My appointment at the Ausländerbehörde Berlin, is in the mid of September. As one of the documents required at the Ausländerbehörde is a proof of health insurance, I’m wondering if my current one will cover that issue. If not, do I have to get another health insurance on my own? Or first get a job and hope for them to handle my health insurance? I’m really confused, so any help would be super!
Hi Mary. Those in-between situations are always confusing. I’m no expert on visa issues but i believe that in your case, the best case scenario would be to have a job which would cover your health insurance yes. In all cases, you need a coverage that is recognized by the German state. If unsure, it maybe best to call the foreigners’ office directly.
Thank you very much for such a helpful website, My question is : I have in Jun quitted my job and now the insurance company have sent me a message that I should pay for last month, apparently the company I was working for didn’t stop the insurance, is that the company’s responsibility or mine?
should I pay for the last month ?
Thank you vey much in advance
Hi Sary. The company that employed you is covering your health insurance for the entire time you are working there. Anything after that is your responsibility, should you switch to another company or apply for coverage at the Arbeitsagentur for example.
Hello. Thank you for the useful information. I have a questions about Care Concept AG as well. I am from Canada and am planning to enter German on a tourist visa with the hopes of entering a language school once I get there. From what I’ve read, it seems possible to transfer over to a student visa without leaving the country. If you were in my situation, would you get Care Concept AG insurance for the whole year?
Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks again for the site.
W
Hi William. I would not like to give you a false answer that could jeopardize your visa situation. I would tend to say yes but since i’m not 100% sure, make sure to check again.
Thanks for this valuable information. I am from India and doing my Master in Berlin. I opted here one private health insurance (35euro per month fee). Recently I started working as student job, and HR told me that, with this insurance policy, they can’t give me more than 430 euro as a salary. so If I want to work more (eligible hours) to get more salary, I have to take another health insurance. They also mentioned that my policy was a traveler policy, and now I need to take some different policy, which also contributes something to my social security. Can you please advise any private health insurance policy, which has a reasonable fee. I am above 30, so can go only for private. Thanks in advance.
Hi Arun. I cannot really do that it would take a little time to understand your needs. If you are single, it should be fairly straightfoward though. I would recommend your compare private plans via one of the comparison platforms mentioned in the post.
Hello,
First, thank you for the website, you make this confusing topic clearer for us, which already are in a troubled time, totally selfless. So a million thanks!
After reading the entry and comments I have a clearer idea but still not sure about what I have to do:
I am a EU citizen from Spain, I am 32. I arrived and did the anmeldung in Berlin exactly 3 months ago. I am here with some savings in order to open a business, but this will be a lengthy process, several months or a year, where I will be unemployed. When I open the bussines I will be employed by it.
As I understand I should get now a private insurance as I believe i will not apply for a public one. In a previous comment someone said they are insured by CareConcept AG, which offers something around 60€ per month. But I don’t know if this kind of insurance is the one I should be getting or I might have some problems in the future, as it seems that the price should be around 100-200. Is that correct?
Thanks in advance.
P.S: When I open the business should I change then to a public one?
Hello Carlos. CareConcept AG is not a Krankenkasse but a travel insurance specialist so it would be accepted as health insurance really. If you are employed by your own business, i guess it’s best to be on the public system, but it still be more costly.
Congratulations for the site! it really helps me and my boyfriend for our move to Berlin. I have a small question. i am moving to berlin with my boyfriend from the Netherlands. I found a job there and i wll have a healthinsurance since I have a job there. Myquestion comes regarding my boyfriend. Since we are not married and he hasn’t found a job there yet, what can he do regarding the insurance? doe he need to pay by himself? does the governement support people who moved in to berlin and do not have job to pay the insurance? Thanks
Hi Janine, his Dutch insurance will cover him the first few months (6 months usually), which should give him enough time to find a job, at which point he can switch to the German system. If nothing else works, then you boyfriend will have to pay a private coverage or sign up for Hartz 4.
Hi, thanks for all the super helpful info! I’m in the same situation of Janine – I moved to Berlin because of a new job, with my partner (not married) who is looking for a job here. Do the German insurance ask for a specific document from the foreign system once you register? Or is the coverage of the foreign insurance automatic for max 6 months since we are part of EU? My girlfriend is French, but we moved from Italy 3 months ago, so I don’t know if the Italian state insurance will cover her and if we need a specific document.
Thanks a lot!
Fabio
Hi Fabio. You partner will be covered six months by the Italian system, provided you have the EHIC card with you. This should be enough until she finds a job and sign up with a local Krankenkasse.
Hi,
Thanks for a great resource!
I’m an Australian with dual Irish citizenship but have never lived in Ireland or paid income tax there.
I’ve recently moved to Germany with my partner (not married) who is covered through his work. As we are not married I am not eligible for any assistance from his workplace which is US based.
I have registered to live in Germany as a EU citizen. I’m currently not working and am learning German through the state supported migrant system. I am over 30 too. I have comprehensive travel insurance for six months but ideally would like to get some sort of local cover as we’ll be here for at least three years.
Any suggestions on if I’m eligible for any local health insurance or can I get some non-travel type insurance?
Hi Sara. It might prove to get on the public system as you don’t have a job yet. Alternatively you can get on the private but i would advise to try to find a job instead, before the temporary travel coverage runs out.
Hi,
Thanks for this very useful information. I am currently in Munich on internship as part of my studies. I am a student from Ireland. I have been requested to take on health insurance despite being covered by the EU Health Insurance scheme, and a private Irish health insurance that covers me here. However I am being told it is mandatory to take out a German policy.
Is this correct, or am I right in saying I should be covered already?
Hi Sid. This is a good question. As a temporary visitor with an internship contract as only contract, i don’t think it should be mandatory. It depends how much your earn too.
Hi! This information is very useful 🙂
But I have a question – I will do an internship in Berlin for 4 – 6 months. And I will receive a small salary. Is it enough if I will have only travel insurance for that time or I am obligated to have German insurance?
Thank you in advance!
Hello Anna. If it’s an internship, you can prove you already covered from back home. If it’s an EU country, you don’t need extra insurance. If not from an EU country, you will probably need a travel insurance for your time here in order to obtain a visa.
Thank you!
Hi, thank you for so much useful information! It’s been a lot of help. I have a quick question. My husband has just been offered a job in Berlin, is it at all possible to get insurance with AOK or TK before he even moves there?
Hi there. It won’t be possible before hand because you will to register your adress in Germany before.
Hello there! Thank you so much for all the information. I have a question. I’m from Argentina and had to buy a travel insurance for a year to get a visa for Germany. Now I got two minijobs and they are asking for my health insurance (they recommended me TK or AOK), but I called both and they said that with minijobs I can’t get a medical insurance from the state, AOK told me to get a private insurance and TK said that with my travel insurance would be enough. Do you have any information of this? Thank you in advance
Hi Flore. This is correct; Mini-jobs don’t provide health coverage. Travel insurance should be enough for the time of your visa.
Hey Flore, which insurance you have to apply for your visa? I am looking for one for my boyfriend who is applying for the work and holidaz visa.. Thank you
Hi there !
I am in a really tricky situation and maybe you have some advice for me…
[Comment edited by SiB Editor for clarity: Anne’s been in Germany for 2 years as freelancer, not paying any health insurance. Now she has a full-time job but she is afraid to go to Krankenkasse as they might ask for all late fees.]
Shall I NOT go to TK as they might still have me in their database as i tried to subcsribe there ?
Do you know what documents i should provide when i will subscribe ? I mean i only have to “choose” one and my employer will probably take care of it but maybe they will ask for my anmeldung ?
I anmeldet two years ago but i recently moved. I was planning to say to the insurance – if they ask- that i just moved and got this contract proposal.
Sorry, that’s long and maybe messy even though i tried my best to make it clear.
Please don’t yell at me, I just have to find a way to get out that horrible and stressful situation I’ve put myself in.
Thanks a lot.
Hi Anne. I’m afraid there is no magic solution to your situation. Health insurance is a legal obligation; you might be liable to paying late fees, although you can probably negotiate installments if that happens. Try to go with that address change trick with AOK for example and see what happens, maybe you’ll be lucky. Bonne chance!
Hello there!
Thank you very much for such useful information. I am EU citizen and I just got a job in Munich, under the the Gesetzilich (versichert) plan. I was wondering if there is much difference between the different Krankenkasse offers out there (for instance AOK, TK, SBK, BEK, DAK) and if there is one that provides English services, or that provides better services. As a non-German speaker that would very much help. Also, as mentioned in your post it might be that since this is my first job in Germany, the employer will choose the Krankenkasse for me? Do you think it would be better for me to sign up to one and let them know the details instead?
Thank you in advance!
Hi An. There are only marginal differences in terms of customer services between public Krankenkasse, AOK and TK often seen as reliable their. In terms of coverage/services, it’s otherwise quite similar. You can either pick your own Krankenkasse or have your employer pick one for you yes.
Hello!
I am moving to Berlin in a couple of weeks with my husband. We are from New Zealand, but he is a British citizen and so are our two children, so they can all just move to Germany as EU citizens and register with the Bürgeramt when we arrive. I will be applying for my residence permit as a spouse at the same time. His company is helping us with that.
[comment edited by SiB Editor for clarity – Please keep it short guys! Bottom line: Leah is earning too much as a freelancer to be able to get coverage through her husband’s health insurance. Looking into solving this issue]
I’m assuming I should set up general travel insurance to cover me for a few months so that I have some kind of coverage when we arrive in Germany. Is this usually sufficient for the beginning?
I’m also considering whether it is worth reducing my work hours so that I earn under the 450EUR per month threshhold for the mini job, so that I can go on his public health insurance as a spouse.
Your thoughts??
Hi Leah. Yes, an extensive travel insurance recognized by the foreign office should be enough for the first months of your stay in Berlin. If you are earning so little with your freelance job, i’d say it’s definitely worth to reduce your hours to be able to be eligible for your husband’s coverage. That or your dramatically increase your income to be able to afford it.
Hello,
Thank you for all this useful advice, I hope you might have something for my situation, too.
I have been living in Berlin for a few months now, working as a freelance translator for international companies online (without a German Tax ID number so far, getting paid through PayPal) and I’m trying to make the whole thing legal. My last insurance in my country of origin (EU) was over around a year ago, and after that, I was covered by the public health system since I didn’t earn more than 10.000 per year (according to a national law of my country, a freelancer that earns 10.000 per year is not obliged to pay for health insurance). The problem is that although everything went smoothly with TK and I was told to expect my papers within 10 days, actually I got a rejection letter instead, on the grounds that since I was uninsured when I entered the country, they can’t accept me by law. They told me that I should either get a full-time job or go try with a private insurance company. The first one would be rather difficult if not impossible for me right now, and I’m afraid of the second one, since I’m not that young and even if they accepted me I would have difficulties switching to the public system afterwards. Do you think I could try with some other public companies? Or, since I and my partner are planning to get married soon, do you think that he could insure me with a family plan? Or would the same restrictions apply, no matter what, and I am doomed? Thank you in advance!
Hi Lydia, TK’s answer is in tune with what i have heard. You can always try with other Krankenkassen, but i’m afraid the answer might be similar. Getting a job would be the best way to solve your problem indeed, even if only-part time. The marriage solution also works but only if you don’t have a job or don’t work in Germany at all.
Hey there and that you for your reply. Just one more question because I am a bit confused as of what is considered a job. Does getting registered with the tax office as a freelancer or a Kleinunternehmer before trying to be insured count as having a job or is the only solution to get employed by someone else?
It is best defined by having an employment contract, you need to be an employee and not self-employed.
Hi,
May I know if there are any English friendly health insurance company in Berlin? And does all health insurance company have options to choose between public and private? Or are some only specifically public or private?
I will be moving half way across the world to start work in Berlin soon on a signed contract and any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Cheers,
Melissa
Hi Melissa, Your question may suggest that you need to read the post again. If you are going to be an employee, i’d suggest you sign-up with a public Krankenkasse.
Thanks for the info. I have a very difficult situation at the moment. Perhaps you have some advice? I have been living and working in Berlin for 2 years now as a freelancer. I was previously insured privately with an international health insurance that covered me globally. At my last visa appointment I was told that my insurance was inadequate and that I need a German health insurance. I have since been applying to public and private health insurances , and pretty much all of them at this point have rejected me. Public ones say that they can’t insure me because I’m a freelancer, and private health insurances either give me no clear reason why they’re rejecting me or have said that my visa isn’t valid for longer than a year so they can’t insure me. I was only given a year long visa extension because of my lack of german health insurance though. I have my new visa appointment coming so it has nearly been a year of me trying to get insured and I assume my visa will not be renewed if I don’t have insurance, but no insurance will take me!! What can I do?
Hi Estell, have you tried to go with HanseMerkur or Mawista? They are german insurance that specialize in covering foreign workers with limited stays visa. Good luck with everything?
Hi,
this blog is amazing. It really helped me a lot, thank you. Quick question. I’m starting to work in Berlin on May 2nd, but I will only be able to register in Berlin, and hence apply for health insurance, next week. How long does it take on average to get all setup?
Thanks!
Hi Drini. It’s hard to say precisely, but i think that you should be set-up within 2 weeks after signing up.
Hi, thanks for all the info here and on all the other pages! I’m a NZer living in Berlin and I plan to take out travel insurance with a German provider, as a means of applying for a 12 month working holiday visa. Are there any providers you’d recommend for this purpose?
Hey Guy. I haven’t made research about this but it’s a good idea to add a suggestion for people in your case. I don’t have a recommendation for you but i will add one soon. You can also let us know what your research uncovered. 🙂
Hello everyone,
I have a question; I have been here in Germany for 3 and half years. I’d studied here and got my degree, Master of science. At the beginning I had a public health insurance for students. Then I turned 3o years old, I switched to private health insurance which is the case right now. I’m going to have a new job. As far as I know, I must have a public health insurance as long as my salary is less than a certain amount of money which is the case right now. The question is can I switch back to public health insurance without any problems?
Thanks in advance
Hello Mahmoud. It shouldn’t be an issue, especially if you were in the public system in the past in Germany.
Hi, i will be moving to berlin in july to continue my studies, however university only starts in october… and i’m not sure if i will have a job for those 3-4 months… what should i do?
Hi Jessica, i assume you are asking what to do about health insurance. If you come from an EU state, you can bring your EHIC card with you, it will cover you for that time. If you are outside in the EU, you might need to book an extra travel insurance for that gap of time.
great thank you
Hello,
I would love some help on how to get health insurance with AOK in berlin. I am really confused with it all at the moment.I came from Ireland and I am on the AOK system but I do not have a health insurance card. I have a European union card at the moment and I have been using that for the doctors, each time I go they give me a little form I do sign and then my visit to the doctors is covered but I went to AOK asking how I get the card and they said I need to get an E104 form or S1 form I got the forms and managed to get the E104 form. If i go back to AOK with this form would they help me get the insurance or is there another way of getting the insurance? Any advice would be nice. Thank you.
Hi Sonia. You can use your EHIC card if your stay in Germany is temporary. If you plan to be a resident here, you need to switch to a local Krankenkasse. You already made the right first few steps to doing that. You are on the right track. If you are starting a new job, the HR people can also help you there.
Me and my wife are moving to Berlin. I will have a job in the UK, hired by a UK company, and receive health insurance from the UK. However, since we are planning to stay long term in Germany, we do want to join the public health system. Since the company is not german, they will not pay half of it. Would I have to pay the full Premium? I would not be in fact self-employed, but I wouldn’t be on a German company either.
Thanks!
Hi Rodrigo. This is a tricky one. I found on the NHS website some information for people in your case. Look there, paragraph “Living in Germany > Working in Germany”. If nothing works, you might have to go with a private Krankenkasse.
Hello there,
First of all, thank you so much for all the precious information and all the effort you’ve put to share all this!
I’m a Canadian married to a EU citizen. We also have a son and are planning to establish in Berlin for a while. We are currently living in Canada.
We are both artists (musician, singer-songwritter). You’ve mentioned that we could get a health insurance through KSK if we are part of the public system. How can we be “part of if”? How to find if we are eligible to the public system?
Would you know?
Thanks a lot once again!
Hi Mélissa. As a rule, it seems that if you have been part of public scheme in your own country before(Canada has universal free public health insurance i believe), you will be able to knock at a public Krankenkasse’s door and they will likely accept you. Being part of it is simply signing-up with one.
Thanks a lot for the article!
I did my anmeldung in July 2016 but still haven’t set up my health insurance (have been technically registered as a freelancer in the UK up until now). I’ve been trying to fly under the radar but want to get fully legit now. I’m just about to apply for a tax number and register as a freelancer here, as well as setting up state health insurance – my question is – should I do my abmeldung, then anmeldung again, so I don’t get backdated charges for health insurance for all those months up until now?
Hi Alan. I see what you want to achieve with that trick but it will probably not work. They have you in their database ever since you registered; they would easily make the connection if you did that. I think you will be fine though; your domestic health insurance covered you up until now so you don’t owe anything. Or is there something i am missing?
Thank you so much for the article. that was heplful as I am trying to take the right direction. I have a question, is it possible to combine freelancing and employed status? and if so how does work with the health insurance, 50 – 50?
many thanx saviex
Hello Saviex. I’m glad this can help. It is possible to combine freelancer and employed status yes. Your freelancing will be called “Nebenberuflich”. In that case, your health insurance is covered by your employee benefits (No 50/50).
Hello there !
First of all thank you so much for all the info you put on this website. It’s been a huge help in my preparation to move to Berlin. I have a question though about the fees as a student: I am Belgian and plan on starting a bachelor’s degree in a private school next September, does the diminished fee only apply to students from public universities or all students under 30 ? Or does it vary from school to school, whether public or private ?
Have a nice day and thanks in advance for your reply !
Hi Paloma, if you enroll in a university recognized by the German state, you will be able to benefit from the reduced fee.
hi Dan. thanks for the great article.. my question is a bit tricky. i am a student here, a non eu resident and i am 35.for almost five years insured over mawista student (private). after five years i am not allowed to have that private insurance no more… i just tried to communicate with aok over moving to their insurance but was said that i have nothing to do with them as i am over 30. i think i cant apply to.ksk as i am still at school. i have a tax id and actually working here over 4 years. would like to get an advice if possible.
thanks
m
Hi Marat. It would be best if you talked to a professional with experience in Visa related issues since you are a non EU citizen. I don’t want to lead you into incorrect information that could impact your permit. best of luck.
Hi there,
Very informative article, thanks for the taking the time out. Let me explain my situation, my wife and I moved to Berlin a year ago, me for my MBA and for her to work. She got her 5 year residence permit and work permit and thus is currently looking for work. I have just graduated and am also looking for work. So two unemployed married couple actively looking for work. She is covered by CareConcept AG as recommended by some people and myself am covered by AXA PPP international from London, I am British. We are thinking to switch her to another insurance company or go private. What would we be expected to pay per month in your opinion? Will there be anything stopping us getting public or private insurance as she is unemployed at the moment? Do you recommend staying with Care Concept? My thoughts are that the monthly premium is well below what Allianz or any other insurance company would charge so worries me that it is not a complete coverage.
any help much appreciated
Cheers
Terry
Hello Terry. It’s very difficult for me to guestimate your rate because (as mentioned in the article), it will depend either on your health profile or your income. With children, it is usually recommended to have at least one partner stay in the public system to cover them too. I can’t comment about Care Concept or other particular insurance companies because there are so many with so many different plans to suit different situations. You should probably get in touch with a broker with knowledge about visa issues if you are unsure. best of luck.
This article is indeed very helpful! My husband and I were coming from the Netherlands EU and we bought a house in Emsland. I am from the Philippines and I have a resident permit in the Netherlands and wanting to change it to a German one. Both of us has no work and I am currently studying the German Language to find a Job later on. Now, we went to one of the Public insurance and they cannot accept us and they told us that we have to take Private Insurance which is very expensive for people who has no income although we have good enough savings. Has anyone here have the same problem? Any advice? Because its very stressful.
Thank you!!
Hello, first of all I want to thank you for all your work in this page, its been really useful before moving to Berlin in a few weeks.
I have one question regarding health insurance. My wife will be the manager of her company with enough income for both of us. In my case I’ll be looking for a job in the first months, so its not secure I’ll have an stable job by the time we choose our health insurance plan. I read that the best option for us its to choose a family public insurance plan, so my wife can insure me for free because my low income. Is it true? Whats the best option for us? I think its public insurance but im not sure.
Thanks so much in advance,
Hi Ruben. I would also recommend to go with the public scheme when first arriving to Germany. You can switch to private at a later point in time if it’s relevant to you. If you are a EU citizen, your home insurance can cover you until you find a job here.
Hi! Great post, I have been pulling out my hair trying to figure out what type of insurance I will need. I am starting an internship in February, and will be staying 6 months. I am from the US, so assume travel insurance will do the trick. Any suggestions on which travel insurances are the best to look into / purchase? Thanks for the advice!
Meghan
Hi Meghan, glad this could help. Since this is visa related, i wouldn’t dare recommending something that wouldn’t work out in the end. Google is your friend this time. 🙂
Hi,
I have had also some inconveniences with my public health insurance. My status has changed many times from student, freelancer, intern and potentially I will be a freelancer again the next year. So, please could you recommend me what to do: should I stay with the public health insurance (as an intern I do not have to pay), I used to pay 170 Euros when I was a freelancer months ago; but I am afraid that becoming again a freelancer again earning a little bit more than before, I will have to pay around 380 euros per month. It is very difficult to be compared options among health insurances as all of you have mentioned. Moreover, when I switched from student to freelancer at the very beginning the public insurance did a big mistake calculating my rate and they discounted me from my bank account 2000 euros. Fortunately, they recognised the mistake but took four visits (4 hours waiting in service offices) to fix the problem. I think they are efficient to charge you but not so fast to solve inconveniences with the rates for freelancer. Please could you help me to know what to do? For canceling the public health i need to decide asap because they will ask me to have another policy.
Hi Silva. This is always a difficult choice when becoming a freelancer, or coming back to freelancing. I always advise to stay in the public system to begin with and switch to private only when you have a solid situation first, which can take years. Your rate will always be depending on your income. If you earn less than the minimum of 2178€ per month (Mindestbemessungsgrenze), you can let them know and they will find you a better rate.
Hi Bastien Settle in Berlin
Thank You for this useful an informative site.
May I ask I was previously self employed with an inconsitent low income and frequent invoice chasing for late payments. It has been tough and a worry to even cover rent payment. This has taken its toll. I had approached health insurance companies but I haven’t had any luck with getting a policy. Now I’m unemployed and Im determined to change my job situation asap but the arbeitsamt of course require I have health insurance. I have to go the health insurance and ask about p flicht versicherung..is this going to be impossible? Will i be completely refused . I’m not covered from my native country either.
Hi there. You are in a dire situation indeed. It’s illegal not be covered in Germany and a Krankenkasse has to take you on board by law, even if you have limited means. I guess in your case, it would help to get a written statement from the Arbeitsamt saying you will get ALG1 or ALG2, which means it will pay for your health insurance too. It will probably increase your chances and let you avoid any questions for the Krankenkasse. Good luck.
Hello! I’ve just moved to Berlin from Canada on a working holiday visa. In order to apply for the visa, I had to purchase one year’s worth of travel insurance to cover the full term of my stay here in Germany. Would I also need to apply for German health insurance on top of this? Thanks in advance!
Hello there Amber, since it’s a limited stay, you probably don’t need to subscribe to a local health insurance.
Hello Amber!
I am from Argentina, also on a Working Holiday Visa here in Berlin. I have the same doubt you had a month ago. Can you tell me what did you do finally?
Thanks a lot!
Hi there.
Thanks for this its really helpful.
[long comment edited by editor]
I moved to Germany last year October 2015 and I freelance. I have public insurance which I find pretty expensive. 360 something a month. I dont make a huge amount a year but I get paid every few months in big amounts. Not that big but they get me through. Unfortunately I got paid in the last 2 months of the year 2015 when I got to germany and they took those 2 months income and determined my salary for the entire year.They have now asked me to pay 3000 extra and they increased my payments to 620 a month. Impossible to pay. Is there anything I can do? They calculated those 2 months in 2015 and are asking for the back payment on 2016 while increasing my monthly payments.
Also can I get in on this Künstlersozialkasse (KSK)
Im from UK and I live in Germany now freelancing with my family
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Hi Bob. I would simply reach to your Krankenkasse and explain your situation. They probably have a misrepresentation of your income and have to adapt to it by law. Concerning KSK: impossible for me to tell without more info about you. Your answer is in the post already too. Good luck sorting it out.
Thanks for your reply:)
I really appreciate it.
Yes I have reached out so lets see and hope for the best.
Thank you.
Hi there,
I am new to Berlin, on a 1 year working holiday from New Zealand. I am currently freelancing and looking at getting insurance. I have looked into private insurance but because I have an existing health issue (asthma) the private insurance companies have told me they can’t insure an existing condition… (seems a bit odd to me!) Is it possible to get on the public health system as a freelancer? The biggest concern for me is running our of asthma inhalers… :s is it possible to just go to a doctor and pay out of my own pocket? If so how much is that likely to be? Thanks 🙂
Hi Richard, It it totally possible to get public health insurance as a freelancer as mentioned in the post. Concerning inhalers; i have no idea since i don’t know anyone with asthma but i can imagine that you’d get a note from the doctor that it might partly covered by the insurance.
Hi,
Thanks for your post!
I am an Australian moving to Berlin and had to buy 1 year’s Travel Insurance (very expensive) to get my Visa – will I have to sign up to German Health Insurance to get a tax card, or will my Anmeldung be enough?
Cheers,
Hi Max. I’m glad you liked the post. To my knowledge, there is no distinct link between having German coverage and obtaining a tax card. However, when you start working, you will probably need to switch to a Krankenkasse to renew your visa. As an employee, it will be quite easy to do. Best of luck.
Hello Max!
I am from Argentina, also on a Working Holiday Visa here in Berlin. I have the same doubt you had a few month ago. Can you tell me what did you do finally?
Thanks a lot!
Hi,
first of all thanks for all these info! more people should be like you.so my situation is i did the anmeldung and i am waiting for tax-id to be able to get the Steuernummer in order to issue invoices (i am working as a freelancer earning less than 600/month) i come from greece so i still have my EU insurance that will cover me for the rest of the year. I know it is illegal, but can i postpone the health insurance until i know if i m gonna stay in berlin? do you know how you can get caught and what happens if you do so? i am only planning to work as a freelancer in berlin
thank you so much for your time!
terry
Hi there Terry. As you mentioned; if you are working in Germany, you should also contribute to the healthcare system. If you go on as you do, you will probably have to pay part or all of what you owe for all that time once you sign up with a Krankenkasse. In other words, if you sign-up in a year, they will ask where you were all that time since they will probably know you did your Anmeldung. They might ask you to pay up for what is a compulsory coverage. Hope that helps. Good luck. 🙂
Hi – thanks for this blog post, it’s confusing trying to navigate all the different German health insurance sites.
I’ve just graduated and moved from the UK to Berlin about a week ago. I have angemeldet and my tax number should be on its way in the post. I’m working as a freelance translator (and may have to get a job on the side) and reckon I’ll earn between 450 – 550 € per month, at least to begin with. It sounds like private insurance may even be cheaper as an expat freelancer than state insurance? Also, do you know the regulations on getting some form of expat health insurance from your home country – would that be a viable alternative? At the moment what I’m earning is barely enough to cover rent and a health insurance where you pay something like 200 € per month. Because I’m freelance I won’t have an employer to help out with insurance costs etc.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Eddie, In your situation, i would take a part-time or full time job on the side that covers your health insurance until you have enough revenue as a freelancer to rely on this source of income. Your freelancing can be done “Nebenberuflich” in the meantime. Even with a private health insurance, it would cost you at least 250€ – 300€. Until you have found this job, you can probably rely on your NHS coverage from back home for a while. How long exactly i don’t know, try to look it up.
Thanks!
Hello there! I really like your blog and it has been very useful to clarify some things. I am Brazilian with Italian citizenship and working in Greece. I am moving to Berlin to study German, but I will continue working remotely for my company in Greece. They pay an insurance for me that can be used abroad. I will stay for 3 months initially (this is also the period that I rent the place for), and maybe longer, since I will apply also for a Master. What do you recommend in this case? Should I register and pay for the insurance?
Thank you for the help!
No need to pay an insurance here since you are covered by your greek health insurance system for now. If you do stay longer and become a student in Germany, you can register and obtain health insurance in Germany at a student rate, which is paid by the yearly fee for the Master degree at the University (if public university).
Thank you! And the Anmeldung, is it OK to do it later? I mean, in case I stay longer than the 3 months or should I do it right away?
I have been living for the last year between London and Berlin.
I am registered in the first flat that I moved into here since last December but moved out in April. I never got round to reregistering after that because I stayed in short term accomodation and then moved back to London, coming to Berlin occasionally for a couple of freelance jobs lasting for a few days each.
I haven’t had health insurance yet because I haven’t been employed here.
I have now moved back to Berlin for longer term and have a new flat that I want to register at.
I want to register but realise I am still registered at the last flat that I left in April. Is it possible to deregister from that flat in “retrospect” so let them know that I haven’t been living there since April. I moved to London and don’t want to be liable to pay health insurance for the time I wasn’t here.
You probably should go through the Ummeldung yes however, there are no concerns over health insurance fees as you are covered from your home coverage at home. No one will ask you any money in Germany given the fact that you are a freelancer. It’s not necessary to mention that you moved out in April, simply indicate the last place where you were registered when going to the Bürgeramt. Should be easy. 🙂
Thankyou for the advice.
Another thing, I now want to look for a job here and not be a freelancer. Can I wait until I’m employed until I deal with health insurance or do I have to sort something out in the meantime?
Wait until you have found a full time job.
Hi
I am an international student enrolled to a public insurance in Berlin. I will be submitting my thesis in march, (no defence) but I am planning to leave Germany by November .
Can I cancel my Tk insurance in November , but still submit my thesis in march ?
Thank you
Correct me if i’m wrong but as student in a German university, is not the health insurance covered by tuition fees as well? In that case, you are covered until the end of the enrollment at no extra-cost, so why leaving early?
We need to pay the health insurance out of our own pockets.
Hey, we’re planning to move to Berlin, I will continued to be paid and taxed by my London based company, my fiancé has been self employed for 4 years in the UK and will continue this in Germany. Any idea what sort of health insurance we should be looking into? We might only be here till may before heading to Spain for the summer, we both have E111 cards and travel insurance, do you think this will be enough for 6 months? Should we register for an anmeldegung? We will be subletting or long term renting on Airbnb for the 6 months. Would love your opinion. Thanks, Joanna and Neil
Hi there Joanna. If this is all short-term plans, you are fine with your NHS coverage and E111 cards. Unless you are planning to stay longer, i would not register in Germany like i mentioned in this article. I would look into Wunderflats for example too in your case, instead of Airbnb. It would probably be cheaper.
Hello SiB,
I have the european health insurance card given by italian health authority. I ‘m not italian citizen but I have an unlimited residence permit. I’m planning to relocate to Germany next month because I have a job offer. Do I still need a german health insurance?
Thank you
Hi Ledio. Yes. Your italian health insurance will cover you for the transition period when relocating to Germany, before you switch to a German health insurance. It will be paid by your employer.
Hello,
I am on an academic research grant and just landed in Berlin (under 56k eu. payment). I am not sure that the American grant provider will pick up the co-cost for the public insurance. Perhaps it is easier to register for a private insurance? And if so, which is the best?
Thank you!
Hi there Ravi. My question to you is: who is employing you? Or are you still considered as a student? (honest questions; i don’t know anything research grants).
Question: I’m an actress and a playwright /producer and a home owner in Berlin, so my situation is a little complicated. I now live in Berlin, and have a tax number associated with the meager profit made from rent when the apartment was tenated. Im told this tax number would change on becoming a resident, but drawing blanks on this. So as I now live here, I am seeing if i can find a way to make a living, but as with many, utterly clueless as to which health insurance (I’m from the UK, so never needed it either) and finding one that is affordable considering I’ve not yet earnt any money here yet. Also, i still get work on PAYE back in the UK, on short temp contracts, which I take to tide me over.
When acting, I get paid a wage e.g. you get a daily rate, from which you pay out your tax (we don’t invoice).
I’ve just had some extra work here, which again pays out a flat fee, not invoiced, and from which I would pay tax. They needed a Social Security number and I’ve yet to get one. Should I register therefore as a ‘Freelancer’ or ‘Job Seeker’ or ’employed’? I’m also aware that there is a body called the KSK that helps with emerging freelancers. Again, as earnings are so far few and far between, and that I still work in the UK, can I take ‘payment breaks’ when back home? And if I am earning little here, am I exempt from payments?
Bit of a jumble, but as mentioned, my situation is not straight-forward and no one seems able to give me a clear indication of how to proceed.
Thanks in advance for any input.
If you are serious on moving to Berlin long-term then it makes sense to register yourself as a freelancer in Germany. You will then bill companies in the UK from Germany. If you are freelancer earning less than 18K a year (not exact amount mind you), then you are entitled to the “Kleinunternehmer Regelung” which means that you bill without V.A.T in Germany too. Concerning health insurance, you can register with the KSK yes, which helps freelancers and particularly artists to cover part or whole of their health insurance fees.
Many thanks for the reply.
As a UK national I believe I can enrol in the Public Health Insurance, if done within the first three months of being here, as i come from a Country that has public health insurance. The excellent Expath online tutorial mentions this as a possibility. During this time my EHIC card covers me, I’m told. So presently looking into this as an option. My concern is if I go private, my earnings simply will not cover living costs and health insurance costs. Brexit has understandeably made all us British expats nervous as to what the years ahead involve, and to sink such large sums into a system that we may not be able to draw on, e.g. pensions, is a concern. The other option is to de-register and return to the UK, keeping my flat as a kind of ‘holiday home’ where I come for regular periods of time to work on personal projects.
Hi,
When living and working in Germany, you must have permission unless EU citizen. You have to correctly register your type of income — be it freelance or employed. “Job seeker” does not typically have income because he is seeking a job. The KSK does not help emerging freelancers but is the old-age scheme for artists in Germany and also to some degree pay you. However, when you want to register with them you have to prove you are a freelancer — i.e. with tax number and tax identification number. You mentioned to have received a tax number. I further presume that you have not (yet) registered any business therefore what you received is only your tax — identification — number. They are not asking for that number.
Good luck with your plans
Alexander
Hi, thanks for hat tips, but here is another question.
Before I came here with Work-holiday visa From South korea, I already signed up to International Medical Insurance that co