Germany · visa health insurance
Health insurance for a Germany national visa
By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026
Which visa are you applying for?
Pick your path — we’ll show you the exact rule for your case.
Freelance / self-employment
The visa with the statutory-equivalence catch-22.
See the ruleComparing insurers for a visa
How to judge cover the officer’s way.
See the ruleNot sure which level?
Find your plan in one minute.
See the rulePublic vs private (GKV/PKV)
How the two systems fit, and why the visa uses GKV as the yardstick.
See the rulePublic vs private helper
Three questions map your system path — no premium guesses.
See the ruleReal prices by age
Published 2026 rates: what cover actually costs for a Germany move.
See the ruleFor US citizens
Why Medicare and US plans stop at the border.
See the ruleFor UK citizens
The NHS stops at the border. The post-Brexit route, explained.
See the ruleGermany: the published rule
The rule in writing
“For Germany’s national visa, health insurance must include the benefits statutory-insured persons are entitled to under §11(1–3) SGB V, and the contract must be open-ended — no expiry or cancellation clauses tied to age, employment, or residence status. Travel insurance is insufficient.”
Official source: German Federal Foreign Office — health insurance in the national visa procedure — Last verified:
Germany insurance guides
Health insurance for Germany’s EU Blue Card
Germany’s EU Blue Card tests equivalence with the statutory system, not a cover figure. The 2026 salary thresholds and why the contract clause matters.
Read the ruleHealth insurance for Germany’s freelance visa
Germany’s freelance visa needs statutory-equivalent cover (§11 SGB V) on an open-ended contract; small deductibles tolerated. The rule and how to meet it.
Read the ruleGermany public vs private health insurance: what your visa actually requires
GKV or PKV, which one your German national visa actually needs, why new arrivals hit a catch-22, and how a checked arrangement can bridge the gap.
Read the ruleHealth insurance cost in Germany
See real health insurance costs in Germany from $392/year, plus how our partner checks your case fits Germany's visa equivalence rule before you buy.
Read the ruleExpat health insurance in Germany for Americans
Moving to Germany from the US? See how Germany's visa-insurance rule works, why US plans don't qualify, and what we arrange for Americans.
Read the ruleHealth insurance in Germany for UK citizens
UK citizens moving to Germany: why NHS and GHIC don't count, what the visa file needs, and how we arrange cover that fits your case, not a forced fit.
Read the rulePrivate health insurance in Germany: what expats need to know
Germany's visa insurance rule is Europe's strictest. See what §11 equivalence requires for expat health insurance in Germany, and where prices and guides live.
Read the ruleGermany student visa health insurance: the bridge-cover guide
Applying for a German student visa? Here's what the insurance rule requires, why travel cover fails, and how bridge cover gets you through the GKV gap.
Read the ruleJob seeker visa Germany: the health insurance for your search window
No employer yet means no GKV through work. See the bridge cover for Germany's job seeker visa; fits our partner's arrangement for the search window.
Read the ruleHealth insurance for a German family reunion or spouse visa
If your German sponsor is privately insured, family co-insurance does not exist — every member is priced separately. The rule, the gap, and the timing trap.
Read the ruleHealthcare in Germany for foreigners: how the system works
Germany's public system is closed to most non-EU arrivals who are not employed. The statute says so plainly, and it is not the choice most sites describe.
Read the ruleHealth insurance for the Germany Opportunity Card
What health insurance the German Opportunity Card needs while you have no employer, what Section 20a requires, and when statutory cover finally starts.
Read the ruleWhere in Germany?
How healthcare actually works where you are going — the hospitals, where new arrivals settle, and what that means for the policy you buy.
Moving to Berlin: hospitals, areas and visa cover
Moving to Berlin: Charité and Vivantes hospitals, where new arrivals settle, and the open-ended contract clause your German visa cover has to meet.
Read the guideMoving to Munich: hospitals, areas and visa cover
Moving to Munich: LMU, TUM and München Klinik hospitals, where new arrivals settle, and the contract clause that fails German visa insurance files.
Read the guideMoving to Frankfurt: hospitals, areas and visa cover
Moving to Frankfurt: the hospitals serving the city, where internationals settle, and why an employer health plan often fails the German visa rule.
Read the guideLiving in Germany: care and costs
After the visa comes the practical part. These answer how care actually works once you are there, quoted from Germany’s own health service.
- Can I bring my medication to Germany?
- How much does it cost to give birth in Germany?
- Does German health insurance cover dental care?
- How much does a dentist cost in Germany?
- Emergency dentist in Germany: who to call when a tooth goes wrong
- English-speaking doctors in Berlin: how to search
- Health insurance for a German employment visa
- Health insurance for an academic moving to Germany
- Germany settlement permit: the health insurance requirement
- Giving birth in Germany as a foreigner
- How much does a crown cost in Germany, and what does your insurer pay?
- Out of hours doctor in Germany: how 116117 and the Bereitschaftsdienst work
- How much are prescriptions in Germany?
Underwritten by Regency Assurance · regulated by the FSRC (Nevis)
99% of claims paid 
Clients in more than 120 countries 
Same-day cover, no medical exam 
14-day cooling-off period Ratings, certifications and figures are Regency Assurance’s — our underwriter — quoted from public sources and verified July 2026. Independent scores update over time: see Regency on Trustpilot (4.4/5) and Reviews.io (3.92/5). Covered Abroad’s own reviews appear here once we have them.
Common questions
What insurance does a German national visa require?
Cover including the §11(1–3) SGB V statutory benefits, on an open-ended contract with no age, employment, or residence-status cancellation clauses. Travel insurance is insufficient.
Why is Germany harder than other countries?
The equivalence standard is benchmarked to Germany’s statutory system, and the open-ended-contract rule disqualifies most fixed-term policies. Freelancers face it most directly.
What happens after I arrive?
Once employed or settled, most residents enrol in statutory GKV or approved German PKV. Visa-stage cover carries you through the application and the bridge months.
Get a certificate that meets the published rule
Tell us your destination, visa, and who’s moving. Our team reviews it against the current requirement and calls you with a quote — no obligation.
Cover underwritten by Regency Assurance · every rule on this site cited and dated · a person calls back within one business day.
Before you request a quote: cover is worldwide but excludes treatment in the United States, and pre-existing conditions are not covered — including conditions you did not know about. We say this up front so a quote is worth your time.