Health Insurance for Your Stay in Germany | Fintiba (2024)

FAQs

Health Insurance for Your Stay in Germany | Fintiba? ›

What coverage do I need for my travel health insurance for Germany? Your travel health insurance should have coverage of at least €30,000. At best, you need to have unlimited coverage offered by your health insurance provider. Additionally, the insurance should also cover all Schengen countries.

To get medically necessary state healthcare in Germany, you need a Global Health Insurance Card ( GHIC ) or a European Health Insurance Card ( EHIC ). The NHS's getting healthcare abroad webpage has details about: how to apply for a GHIC. how to get temporary cover if you lose your card or it does not arrive in time.

If your gross salary is less than 69,300 euro a year (as of 2024), you must be insured by a statutory health insurance company. The general statutory health insurance rate is set at a standardised 14.6% of the gross salary. Both the employer and employee pay 7.3% of the insurance rate.

Costs of Public Health Insurance in Germany

Social security contributions for Public Health Insurance (GKV, Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) are set at 14.6% of an employee's gross salary. This is made up of a 7.3% contribution from the employer, plus a 7.3% contribution from the employee.

If you are unemployed, you can choose public or private health insurance. If you get ALG I or Bürgergeld, you must get public health insurance. If you are self-employed, you can choose public or private health insurance. If you have a low income, private health insurers might reject you.

Since 2009 every person that has a residence in Germany is obliged to have health insurance. This also includes internationals in Germany. Whether someone is studying, working, or simply visiting Germany, they are required by law to be covered by health insurance.

The costs of doctors and specialists

Generally, health insurance also covers all urgent medical care. However, typically, an uninsured visitor to Germany would need to pay upfront for treatments, but there may be exceptions on a case-to-case basis. These costs also vary depending on the required treatment.

There is no “free healthcare”. One pays through insurance premiums set by the private or public option one belongs to as a resident of Germany. Non-residents will have to pay out of pocket and hopefully have a good travel insurance to reimburse them.

There were 143,000 people lacking health insurance in 2019 as opposed to 79,000 four years previously, according to the statistics gleaned from a so-called microcensus carried out every four years. Of the 143,000, 89,000 were men and 55,000 women.

Public insurance offers no additional coverage or payments toward glasses, contacts or visual aids, while private insurance providers have various levels of coverage, depending on the company and their available plans. Most dental treatments are also not included in public insurance and other exceptions apply as well.

What happens if you don't have insurance in Germany? ›

What happens if you don't have insurance in Germany? Without any form of health insurance in Germany, you'll either be denied non-emergency medical treatment, such as a check-up with your general practitioner, or you will be required to personally cover the costs, such as a hospital stay.

Everyone living in Germany must have health insurance. Becoming a member of a statutory health insurance fund is not a problem when you start studying or working.

TK public health insurance in Germany

One of the most consistently dependable is our partner the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), which is also one of the largest and most popular (as well as award-winning) public healthcare funds in Germany¹. Techniker Krankenkasse has 8.8 million registered insurees across Germany.

German public health insurance generally covers visits to doctors as well as basic dental care, surgery, outpatient appointments, and essential or non-cosmetic in-hospital treatments.

You have three options for health insurance while living in Germany: the government-regulated public health insurance scheme (GKV – Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung), private health insurance from a German or international insurance company (PKV – Private Krankenversicherung) or a combination of GKV and supplemental PKV ...

German public health insurance covers basic dental services like routine check-ups (every six months), fillings, and teeth cleaning (once a year). However, public health insurance typically covers up to 60% of the costs for more complex dental procedures.

While non-residents require private insurance coverage to receive medical care. Visitors to Germany usually have to pay for treatment and then claim reimbursem*nt at a later stage. EHIC Holders: Temporary visitors from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland can use their EHIC card to access emergency medical treatment in Germany.

To apply for a National Visa, you need public, private or expat health insurance. When you start working in Germany, you must switch to public or private health insurance. If you have a minijob, you can usually stay on expat insurance.

Travel insurance isn't required to visit Europe if you're an American citizen. However, some travelers are required to obtain a Schengen visa and medical travel insurance if they plan to visit any countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement, or stay in the area for more than 90 days.