Private health insurance Germany Public or private? Decide in 60 seconds – with an exit plan.
Private may be cheaper for you today – but what happens in 2027 (threshold €84,150*), when your partner moves in, or when you leave Germany? Find out before you sign.
Talk it through personally – if you likeA specialised expert from our partner network will usually call you within 24 hours (working days) – in English, free of charge and without obligation.
- Three honest answers: stay public, go private with an exit plan, or the date you cross the threshold
- Your public cost for 2027 next to real private price ranges – with your employer's share
- Free, in English, no sign-up and no health questions
*Income threshold for employees: €77,400 in 2026, €84,150 in 2027 (draft: Federal Cabinet decision of 7 October 2026, Bundesrat approval pending); €80,550 for people already privately insured on 31 December 2026. German-PKV.de is a free information and calculator portal, not an insurance broker. Not immigration or legal advice.
Four numbers every newcomer should know
Official values and published prices, each with its source – as of October 2026.
What an employee pays per month in 2027 – own share in €
Single, no children, salary above €84,150 · public: scenario with 2.9% additional contribution · private: Stiftung Warentest full-cover range for age 35, employer pays half
Own calculation, as of 10 October 2026: contribution ceiling €6,375 a month (Federal Cabinet decision of 7 October 2026, Bundesrat approval pending), long-term care per draft reform (childless 4.5%). Private: Finanztest 3/2025 (€649–1,137 total premium). Guide values, not an offer.
Five mistakes that cost newcomers money
Private premiums depend on your entry age, not your income – also in retirement. Public contributions follow your income.
In private insurance every person pays. In public insurance a spouse without income and your children are insured free of charge.
The threshold rises to €84,150 (draft). A salary just above today's limit may not be enough next year.
Outside the EU/EEA a German private policy usually ends when you move – and your ageing reserves stay behind.
From 55 the way back to public insurance is usually closed (§ 6 (3a) SGB V).
Your real cost in one minute
Salary, family, employer contribution and ten years of price increases – public vs private, with every assumption shown.
Open the cost calculatorPublic or private: who is better off where?
No sales brochure – an honest first orientation. The decider applies it to your situation.
Private can make sense if …
- you earn above the threshold or are self-employed
- you plan to stay in Germany for many years
- you are single or both partners earn – and you are under about 45
- you want specific benefits, e.g. a single room or chief physician
Stay public if …
- your partner has little or no income and children are planned
- you will probably leave Germany within two years
- you are over about 50, or your income may drop
- you don't want to pay medical bills first and claim them back
The full public vs private comparison → · Leaving Germany: what happens to your insurance →
Your status decides whether private is an option
Employees
Only with a regular salary above €77,400 (2026) or €84,150 (2027, draft). Below it, public insurance applies by law – also for most Blue Card holders.
Check the threshold →Freelancers & self-employed
Free choice, whatever you earn. But newcomers from outside the EU often can't join public insurance at all – private may be the only route.
For freelancers →Job seekers & Opportunity Card
German missions usually ask for incoming insurance for the whole stay. Your first job then usually brings public insurance.
Opportunity Card →Three steps to an honest answer
60-second decider
Eight quick questions about your job, salary band, age, family and how long you plan to stay – no health questions.
1 minuteYour honest result
See straight away whether to stay public, go private with an exit plan, or when you will cross the threshold – with your 2027 numbers.
instantlyTalk to an expert in English
If you like, a specialised expert from our partner network compares suitable public and private options with you, including what happens if you leave Germany.
free & no obligationNewcomer Health Insurance Starter Kit
With your result you get our PDF guide – the essentials on ten pages, in plain English.
- Thresholds and contributions 2026/2027 on one page, with sources
- Public vs private in one table – including family and employer share
- Document checklist for your first weeks in Germany
- Leaving-Germany rules and a glossary of German insurance terms
Three calculators, three questions answered
No sign-up, no health questions – they run in your browser.
Public vs private cost
Your 2027 cost and ten years compared – with family and employer share.
Compare now CalculatorIncome threshold 2027
Are you above €84,150 – and from which date may you switch?
Check now CalculatorLeaving-Germany planner
Cancel, pause or keep? With the cost of a dormant policy.
Plan nowPrivate health insurance in Germany: frequently asked questions
How much does private health insurance cost in Germany?
It depends on your entry age, the tariff and the health questions in the application. Stiftung Warentest found full-cover tariffs for 35-year-old employees and self-employed people costing €649 to €1,137 a month (Finanztest 3/2025). Employers pay half, up to €613.22 a month in 2026. For comparison: an employee above the contribution ceiling pays up to €729.94 a month for public insurance in 2027 (childless, scenario).
What is the minimum salary for private health insurance in Germany in 2027?
Employees may choose private insurance only if their regular gross annual salary exceeds the income threshold: €77,400 in 2026 and €84,150 in 2027 (draft: Federal Cabinet decision of 7 October 2026, Bundesrat approval pending). If you are already privately insured on 31 December 2026, a lower limit of €80,550 applies in 2027. Freelancers and civil servants can choose regardless of income.
Is private health insurance worth it in Germany?
For young, single high earners who plan to stay long term, private insurance is often cheaper at first and can offer more. For families with one income, short stays or people over about 50, public insurance is often the better deal – partly because a spouse without income and children are insured free of charge. That is why our decider can also answer: stay public.
Can I switch back from private to public health insurance?
Only in limited cases – for example through a job with a salary below the threshold, or through family insurance. From age 55 the way back is usually closed if you were not publicly insured in the previous five years (§ 6 (3a) SGB V). Plan it before you switch.
What happens to my private health insurance if I leave Germany?
If you move to another EU/EEA country, a German policy continues, with benefits up to German levels (§ 207 (3) VVG). If you move elsewhere, it usually ends unless you agree otherwise; for a temporary move you can ask for a dormant policy (Anwartschaft). Your ageing reserves can't be transferred abroad.
Can my spouse and children be insured for free?
In public insurance, yes: a spouse whose own income is at most €565 a month (2026) and children living in Germany are family-insured free of charge (§ 10 SGB V); from 2028 a surcharge applies for spouses unless, for example, a child under 12 lives with you. In private insurance every person pays a separate premium.
Do I need private insurance for a Blue Card or an Opportunity Card?
No. You need adequate health insurance, but it can be public: most Blue Card holders are publicly insured through their job, because the Blue Card minimum salary (€50,700 in 2026) is far below the health insurance threshold. Whether your cover is sufficient for a visa is decided by the German mission or the immigration office – we don't give immigration advice.
What does your decider cost?
The decider and the calculators are free and without obligation. If you would like personal advice, we put you in touch with a specialised expert from our partner network (insurance brokers licensed under § 34d GewO); German-PKV.de itself is not an insurance broker. The service is free of charge for you.
Guides for newcomers to Germany
Each topic in depth – with official values, worked examples and honest downsides.
Health insurance for freelancers
Public, private or no choice at all? Access rules, 2027 contributions, sick pay and the special case of artists.
Read more GuideBlue Card: which health insurance?
The Blue Card salary is far below the health insurance threshold – so most holders are publicly insured. Here is when private is an option.
Read more GuideOpportunity Card: which health insurance?
From incoming cover for the visa to public insurance with your first job – the three phases of the Chancenkarte.
Read more GuideWhat private health insurance really costs
Published price benchmarks, your share after the employer contribution and the 2027 comparison with public insurance.
Read more GuideStaying only a few years?
Why private health insurance rarely pays off if you leave Germany within a few years – and when it still can.
Read more GuidePrivate health insurance for employees
Who may switch, from which date, and what your employer pays – with the 2026 and 2027 thresholds.
Read moreDon't choose on today's price alone.
Check the 2027 threshold, your family and your exit plan first – free, in English, in 60 seconds.