Health insurance for expats moving to Germany, one free call in English: which system fits, what it costs

An expat couple at home in Germany

Whether you can go private and when to start, settled before you move.

Book a Zoom call in English

5.0 from every reviewon ProvenExpert and Trustpilot

Public or private for your job?

In short

How does health insurance work when you move to Germany?

  1. Two systems

    Germany has public health insurance and private health insurance. Almost everyone who lives here must hold one of them.

  2. Your job decides

    A salary over €77,400 a year (2026) opens private cover to you. For a job starting in 2027, the limit is €84,150. Below the limit, public cover applies. Freelancers choose at any income.

  3. Day one

    Your German cover runs from your first working day. You can sign private cover before you move, so it is in place on that day.

Your first day

What health insurance do you need to move to Germany?

From your first working day, you need German cover: public membership or a full private policy. For the entry visa, an incoming or travel policy is usually enough. Your residence permit then asks for adequate cover. Coming to look for work first? Until the job starts, you insure yourself; expat and incoming tariffs exist for this. If your job qualifies for private cover, you can take it out before you move. Whether and how depends on several factors, and we are happy to help. Plan your first day

Reviews

What clients write

5.0

from every review

on ProvenExpert and Trustpilot

Read every review

Australian, living in Berlin

He helped me navigate the entire process of moving from the public system into a private policy that works great for me – and all in superb English!

A.

Client since arriving in Germany

I've been working with this broker since I arrived in Germany more than 5 years ago, and I honestly couldn't recommend them more.

Anonymous

Switched from public to private cover

As someone navigating this in English, I really appreciated how clear and detailed his explanations were.

Mellina Y.

Advised through maternity leave

He helped me so much with all aspects of German health insurance, including specific advice on how to handle some German bureaucracy with regards to maternity leave.

Anonymous

Client for several years, with two children

The original setup for me and my two children was handled professionally and thoroughly … claims are handled smoothly

Saurabh G.

Portrait of Jonas Marx, founder of TheGoodBroker

Jonas Marx

Licensed insurance broker · register no. D-ON7P-Y7Q94-16

Advising since
2018
English-speaking clients
900+
Meet Jonas on Zoom More about Jonas

Your first job

Can expats go private with their first job in Germany?

Yes, if it pays enough: your employment contract decides, not your passport. A job paying more than €77,400 a year in 2026 lets you choose private cover from your first day. For a job starting in 2027, the limit is €84,150. Below the limit, public cover is compulsory. Above it, you can still join a public fund within three months instead. Freelancers choose at any income. The check below shows where you stand.

A couple sharing a pizza among moving boxes in their new flat
Step 1 of 3

What is your situation?

Student, not in paid work or something else? Who can get private health insurance

Cost and cover

What does health insurance cost when you move to Germany?

On a salary above the limit, private cover costs you €250 to €475 a month once your employer has paid its share. The figure follows your age at entry, your health and the cover you pick; salary and nationality play no part. Without an employer, you pay the full premium. Public cover takes €648 a month from you in 2026, a maximum that has nearly doubled since 2010. We work out your household’s figure with you. Book a free call

A couple at home going through a letter and their laptop together

Choose a level to compare

Medium: Entry plus hospital comfort, around €350 a month. Public: €648 a month

The basics: Typical cover at each level, 2026
Who can joinCompulsory below €77,400Non-EU, temporary permitPublic: Compulsory below €77,400Above €77,400, or self-⁠employedPublic: Compulsory below €77,400Above €77,400, or self-⁠employedPublic: Compulsory below €77,400Above €77,400, or self-⁠employedPublic: Compulsory below €77,400
Premium based onYour incomeAge and healthPublic: Your incomeAge and health at entryPublic: Your incomeAge and health at entryPublic: Your incomeAge and health at entryPublic: Your income
Health questionsNoneYes, surcharge possiblePublic: NoneYes, after an anonymous pre-⁠checkPublic: NoneYes, after an anonymous pre-⁠checkPublic: NoneYes, after an anonymous pre-⁠checkPublic: None
DeductibleNone10% up to €500, or €1,200Public: NoneYour choicePublic: NoneYour choicePublic: NoneYour choicePublic: None
Contract lengthOpen-endedUp to 5 years, monthly noticePublic: Open-endedFor lifePublic: Open-endedFor lifePublic: Open-endedFor lifePublic: Open-ended

Get your numbers

Family

Can your family join your private health insurance in Germany?

Yes, each with their own contract: a child costs €200 to €250 a month in a very good tariff. Your employer pays half, for your children and a spouse without income too, at most €613.22 a month in 2026. A baby born here joins without health questions if registered within two months. Public cover insures children free; a spouse without income is free until 2027 and then costs a surcharge, unless, for example, a child under 12 lives at home. We compare both for your household. Talk it through

How it works

Three steps to your cover

Jonas Marx on a video call at his laptop

From your first call to confirmed cover takes 24 hours to a few weeks.

  1. 1

    A Zoom call in English

    30 minutes

    You leave with your likely premium and the option that suits you. Your Zoom link arrives by email when you book. No preparation, no obligation.

  2. 2

    Anonymous pre-check

    If needed: a few weeks

    Insurers rate your health without your name. Nothing goes on record. You get a shortlist.

  3. 3

    Application and aftercare

    For as long as you are insured

    We prepare the application with you, including the confirmation for your residence permit, and stay your contact.

Book a Zoom call in English

Our advice costs you nothing. The insurer you choose pays us as your independent broker, and your premium is the same with or without one.

Leaving again

What happens to your health insurance when you leave Germany?

Moving within the EU or EEA, your private contract travels with you, with the benefits you had in Germany. Further afield, dormant cover (Anwartschaft) holds your contract for a fraction of the premium, and you come back without new health questions. You can also cancel. Public cover usually ends when you leave. Back in Germany with a job below the limit, public cover usually applies first and your private contract waits. With a job above it, your private cover restarts at once.

Your situation

Who we help

  • Blue Card and skilled workers

    From the contract offer to your first day, we settle which system your salary opens.

  • Freelancers and the self-employed

    You can go private at any income; we fit the deductible and sick pay to your work.

    Health insurance for freelancers

  • Researchers and postdocs

    Employment contract or stipend: we check which cover your funding opens to you.

Independent

What is the best health insurance for expats?

There is no single best insurer for expats. Yours has to pass four checks.

  1. 1

    Accepts your health history: the anonymous pre-check shows which insurers do.

  2. 2

    Covers what you want: hospital, dental, specialists, cover abroad.

  3. 3

    Fits your budget: we set the deductible with you.

  4. 4

    Stays a good partner: we track its premium history and review its finances every year.

Only insurers that pass all four make your shortlist.

Start your shortlist with a free call

Allianz
Hallesche
HanseMerkur
ottonova
SIGNAL IDUNA
AXA
Barmenia
Continentale
VKB

Guides

Want to read first?

Explained

Health Insurance in Germany for Americans (2026)

What actually changes for Americans moving to Germany: how the two systems differ from a US plan, which one you are allowed to join, and what an insurer asks for when you have just arrived.

11 min read
Guide

Health Insurance for the EU Blue Card in Germany (2026)

An EU Blue Card requires you to be insured, but it does not decide which system you enter. That is set by a different, higher salary threshold, and the two are constantly confused.

11 min read
Guide

Health insurance for expats in Germany: what you need, from visa to first job

What expats need for health insurance in Germany: cover for the residence permit, public or private for the first job, family, health history from home, the first weeks and leaving again.

10 min read

FAQ

Before you book

Does private cover satisfy the immigration office?
Yes. Full private cover at the statutory level meets the requirement, and we give you the confirmation the office asks for.
Which health insurance do I need on a research stipend?
A stipend is not a salary, so the limit for private cover does not apply and no employer pays a share. We check which cover your permit accepts.
What is an expat or incoming tariff?
A private policy for people new to Germany. Whether one is enough for your permit depends on the tariff and your situation; we check it for you.
Can I go private on a Blue Card?
Yes, if your salary is above €77,400 in 2026. For a job starting in 2027, it must be above €84,150. The Blue Card minimum is lower.
Does my medical history from home count?
Yes. Insurers ask about treatment abroad too. Our anonymous pre-check shows which insurers accept you before you apply.
When should I book the call?
Once you have the contract offer, a few weeks before you move. Then your cover is settled before your first working day.
Sources and status ·
  1. [1]§ 193 Abs. 3 VVG (duty to hold health insurance) and § 2 Abs. 3 AufenthG (adequate health insurance for a residence permit)
  2. [2]Sozialversicherungs-Rechengrößenverordnung 2026 (income limit €77,400, or €6,450 a month; contribution ceiling)
  3. [3]Sozialversicherungs-Rechengrößenverordnung 2027, draft of the Federal Ministry of Labour of 21 September 2026 (income limit €84,150 from 2027)
  4. [4]§ 5 Abs. 5 SGB V (no compulsory public cover for the self-employed in their main occupation, at any income)
  5. [5]§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 and § 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 SGB V (compulsory public cover for employees below the limit, free choice above it; a stipend without employment is no pay for work, so the limit does not apply); § 9 SGB V (voluntary membership, including the three-month window after a first job above the limit)
  6. [6]§ 241 SGB V and § 55 SGB XI (contribution rates) with § 1 Abs. 1 PBAV 2025 (general long-term care rate of 3.6% since 2025), and the average additional rate for 2026 of 2.9%
  7. [7]Sozialversicherungs-Rechengrößenverordnung 2010 (contribution ceiling €3,750 a month) with the 2010 rates (general rate 14.9%, employee share 7.9%; long-term care 1.95%, childless surcharge 0.25%): employee maximum €342 a month, against €648 in 2026
  8. [8]§ 257 Abs. 2 SGB V and § 61 Abs. 2 SGB XI (employer contribution to private health and long-term care, also for a spouse and children who would be family-insured in public cover; at most half of the premium and at most €613.22 a month in total in 2026, €584.15 in Saxony)
  9. [9]Hallesche, tariff Hi.Medical L (PM 247u) and AVB Hi.Germany (PM 246u), version January 2027 (the expat plan column)
  10. [10]§ 146 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 and 2 VAG (private premiums set by entry age and risk, with old-age provision) and § 149 VAG (10% surcharge until the end of the year in which you turn 60); § 220 Abs. 1 SGB V (public cover financed from current contributions)
  11. [11]§ 19 VVG (duty to disclose your health before the contract; the anonymous pre-check comes before it)
  12. [12]§ 206 Abs. 1 VVG (the insurer cannot give ordinary notice on health insurance that meets the duty to insure; only you can leave)
  13. [13]§ 207 Abs. 3 VVG (moving within the EU or EEA; the insurer pays at most the German level); dormant cover (Anwartschaft) under § 15 MB/KK and the tariff terms; public cover: membership usually ends on moving away, while § 240 Abs. 4b SGB V lets voluntary members keep it at a reduced contribution during a work-related stay abroad
  14. [14]Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, Art. 19 (European Health Insurance Card: care within the local public system in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland; the UK under the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement) and § 13 Abs. 4 SGB V; § 16 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 SGB V (public benefits suspended abroad unless the Code or an agreement provides otherwise; social security agreements, for example with Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, give care in the local public system there); § 1 Abs. 4 MB/KK (private cover in Europe, outside it for one month a trip unless the tariff gives more)
  15. [15]TheGoodBroker Specialist Access Study, August 2026: 2,082 specialist practices in six cities; median wait for an online-bookable appointment
  16. [16]§ 76 SGB V (choice of doctor in public cover: contracted doctors; others only in emergencies, private practices only by cost reimbursement with the difference at your own cost, § 13 SGB V); § 4 Abs. 2 MB/KK (private cover: free choice among licensed doctors)
  17. [17]§ 61 SGB V (co-pay in public cover: 10% of the price, at most €10 a medicine, never more than its cost; 2026)
  18. [18]G-BA Psychotherapie-Richtlinie, §§ 29 and 30 (version of 19 March 2026): public psychotherapy in set hours per course of treatment
  19. [19]§ 17 Abs. 1, 3 and 4 KHEntgG (separately charged accommodation and the chosen doctor are elective services on top of general hospital care)
  20. [20]GKV-Spitzenverband, Festzuschussbeträge from 1 January 2026, finding 1.1 (crown, per tooth), 60%: €239.03; the amounts are set under § 57 SGB V; the hardship rate is capped at the actual costs (§ 55 Abs. 2 SGB V); § 55 SGB V as amended by the GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz (the subsidy falls from 60% to 50% of the standard treatment in 2027; the 2027 euro amounts are not yet set). The implant itself gets no public subsidy (§ 28 Abs. 2 SGB V); the crown on it does.
  21. [21]§ 53 SGB V (public premium refund: at most one twelfth of the year’s contributions, at most €600, only where the fund offers it)
  22. [22]§ 47 Abs. 6 SGB V (public sick pay: at most €135.63 a day gross in 2026) and § 3 EFZG (six weeks of continued pay); § 192 Abs. 5 VVG (private daily sickness benefit, an add-on tariff)
  23. [23]§§ 237 and 240 SGB V (public contributions in retirement, on pensions and other income)
  24. [24]§ 198 VVG (a newborn joins without health questions if registered within two months of birth)
  25. [25]§ 10 SGB V (family insurance)
  26. [26]§ 242b SGB V, inserted by the GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz (surcharge for a family-insured spouse from 2028; exceptions include a child under 12 at home)
  27. [27]§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 SGB V and § 6 Abs. 3a SGB V (return to public cover with a job below the limit; rule from 55)

Private figures: TheGoodBroker, typical premiums for healthy applicants in a very good tariff with a deductible of up to €600, long-term care and the statutory surcharge included. Entry, Medium and Max: typical tariff levels from our market observation, as at October 2026; the tariff wording decides. Crowns, bridges and implants: typical reimbursement in good tariffs; dental limits apply for the first four or five years in many tariffs, from around €1,000 in year one, none in top tariffs. Premium refund: 1 to 6 monthly premiums, depending on the tariff and the number of claim-free years, set off against your tax-deductible contributions. Public figures: official amounts for members without children, long-term care included. Legal position: as at October 2026.

Plan your cover first

Jonas MarxFounder, licensed insurance broker

Thirty minutes on Zoom, in English, at no cost. If public cover fits your move better, we tell you.

  • Which system fits your job and family
  • Your premium against public cover
  • The right start date for your move
  • Your own questions
Book a Zoom call in English

Prefer to write first? Email us at info@thegoodbroker.de.