Contents (9 sections)
- Can employees get private health insurance in Germany?
- New job or existing job: when employees may switch
- Your first job in Germany: the three-month window
- What counts as “regular” salary for employees
- Employee health insurance in Germany: private or public – what you pay
- What your employer pays towards private health insurance
- When your salary falls or you get older
- Private or public as an employee? A quick orientation
- How employees switch: the order of steps
- Employees may choose private health 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).
- A new job with a salary above the threshold makes you exempt from day one; in an existing job you can only leave at the end of a calendar year in which you also exceed the next year's threshold (§ 6 (4) SGB V).
- In your first job in Germany you can still join public insurance voluntarily within three months, even above the threshold (§ 9 (1) no. 3 SGB V).
- Your employer pays half of your private premium, up to €613.22 a month in 2026 and about €672.56 in 2027 (scenario) – also for dependants, within the same maximum.
Employees in Germany may take out private health insurance only if their regular gross annual salary exceeds the income threshold: €77,400 in 2026 and €84,150 in 2027 (Federal Cabinet decision of 7 October 2026, Bundesrat approval pending). Below it, public insurance is compulsory. Above it, your employer pays half of the private premium, up to €613.22 a month in 2026 (as of October 2026).
Can employees get private health insurance in Germany?
Yes – but not every employee. German law makes employees compulsorily insured in public health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) unless their regular gross annual salary exceeds the income threshold (Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze, JAEG; § 6 (1) SGB V). Only above that line are you exempt and free to choose private health insurance (private Krankenversicherung, PKV). Your nationality, visa or employer's preferences play no role.
| Threshold for employees | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| General income threshold per year | €77,400 | €84,150 |
| … per month | €6,450 | €7,012.50 |
| Limit if privately insured and exempt on 31 December 2026 | – | €80,550 |
| For comparison: EU Blue Card minimum salary | €50,700 | about €53,100* |
*Own calculation from the draft 2027 pension insurance ceiling; the official figure is published by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. In shortage occupations the 2026 Blue Card minimum is €45,934.20.
The comparison in the last row matters for many newcomers: the Blue Card salary is far below the health insurance threshold. Most Blue Card holders are therefore publicly insured by law – see health insurance for Blue Card holders.
New job or existing job: when employees may switch
The threshold is not a simple “earn more, switch tomorrow” rule. The date depends on whether you start a new job or are already employed.
New job
If the regular salary agreed for your new job is above the threshold of the current year, you are exempt from the first day. You can start with private insurance – or stay public as a voluntary member.
Existing job
If your salary rises above the threshold, compulsory insurance only ends at the end of that calendar year – and only if your salary also exceeds the next year's threshold (§ 6 (4) SGB V).
The 2027 jump makes the second rule important. The threshold rises by 8.7% to €84,150, partly because of a one-off increase of €300 a month. If you earn €82,000 in 2026, you are above this year's threshold but below next year's – so you can't switch on 1 January 2027. With €90,000 you can.
| Situation | Salary | What usually applies |
|---|---|---|
| Already employed, publicly insured | €82,000 | Above €77,400, below €84,150 → no switch on 1 January 2027 |
| Already employed, publicly insured | €90,000 | Above both thresholds → compulsory insurance ends on 31 December 2026; private possible from 1 January 2027 |
| New job from November 2026, chooses private | €79,000 | Exempt in 2026, but below €80,550 → compulsorily insured again from 1 January 2027 |
| New job from 2027 | €85,000 | Above €84,150 → exempt from day one |
Your exact earliest date: the income threshold checker runs these rules with your salary.
Your first job in Germany: the three-month window
New arrivals have one option many guides miss. If you take up your first job in Germany and are exempt because your salary is above the threshold, you can still join public insurance voluntarily – without the prior insurance periods normally required. You have to notify a health insurance fund (Krankenkasse) within three months of starting (§ 9 (1) no. 3 and (2) SGB V).
Unsure? Public keeps more doors open.If you don't yet know how long you will stay, or whether a family will follow, starting in public insurance is the more flexible choice. Once the three months have passed, the way into public insurance usually closes – especially for newcomers from outside the EU without prior public insurance.
Whether a job counts as your “first” employment in Germany is decided by the fund. If you have worked in Germany before, ask before you rely on this window.
Before your first working day
Compulsory public insurance as an employee only starts once you live in Germany and your job begins. German missions point out that anyone who arrives earlier needs private cover until the employment starts – for example the Blue Card information sheet of the German embassy in San José (December 2025). Travel and incoming policies can exclude long stays, so read the conditions. This is not immigration or legal advice: whether your health insurance is sufficient for a visa or residence permit is decided by the German mission abroad or your local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). Official information: the Federal Foreign Office and Make it in Germany.
What counts as “regular” salary for employees
The threshold refers to your regular gross annual pay (regelmäßiges Jahresarbeitsentgelt), estimated in advance. In short:
- Counts: your fixed salary and extras you can expect with reasonable certainty, such as a contractual 13th salary or holiday pay.
- Usually doesn't count: one-off bonuses without an entitlement, irregular overtime, reimbursed expenses.
- Grey areas: variable bonuses, stock options, part-year contracts. Your employer's payroll and the fund decide – ask them in writing before you sign a private contract.
Employee health insurance in Germany: private or public – what you pay
Anyone allowed to go private as an employee earns above the contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze) of €6,375 a month in 2027 (draft). In public insurance you therefore pay the maximum own share: €729.94 a month if you are childless and €672.56 with a child (own calculation; additional contribution assumed at 2.9%, care per draft reform).
| Option | Total per month | Employer pays | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public, childless | €1,402.50 | €672.56 | €729.94 |
| Public, with one child | €1,345.13 | €672.56 | €672.56 |
| Private full cover, age 35 | €649–1,137 | €324.50–568.50 | €324.50–568.50 |
In public insurance a spouse without income and your children are covered free of charge. In private insurance each person pays – which is why the picture often turns for families. Details: what private health insurance costs and private health insurance with a family.
What your employer pays towards private health insurance
As a privately insured employee you receive an employer contribution with your salary (§ 257 SGB V, § 61 SGB XI): half of your health and long-term care premium, up to €613.22 a month in 2026 and about €672.56 in 2027 (scenario). Three points are worth knowing:
- Dependants: the contribution also covers family members who would be family-insured in public insurance – but only up to the same overall maximum.
- Deductible: your employer pays nothing towards a deductible (Selbstbehalt), only towards the premium.
- Conditions: the insurer must meet legal requirements, for example calculating like a life insurance and offering the basic tariff (§ 257 (2a) SGB V). You give your employer a certificate from your insurer confirming this – and renew it every three years.
Worked examples and the 2027 calculation: employer contribution to private health insurance.
When your salary falls or you get older
Private insurance as an employee is tied to your salary staying above the threshold. If it falls below – through a new job, part-time work or a sharp rise in the threshold – you usually become compulsorily insured in public insurance again, as long as you are under 55. If the cause is only the rise of the threshold, you may be able to apply for an exemption within three months (§ 8 SGB V); it binds you to private insurance.
From 55 the picture changes. If you were not publicly insured in the previous five years and were exempt from compulsory insurance or self-employed for at least half of that time, you usually stay outside public insurance even with a lower salary (§ 6 (3a) SGB V). Read switching back to public health insurance before you decide in your forties.
Private or public as an employee? A quick orientation
Private can suit employees who …
- earn clearly above €84,150, so a pay cut won't push them back
- are young, single and plan to stay in Germany for many years
- value contract benefits such as hospital comfort or higher dental cover
Public usually suits employees who …
- have a spouse without income or children, or plan them soon
- may leave Germany within a few years or don't know yet
- are close to the threshold or around 50 and older
Both systems give you good care. The question is which fits your life over the next decades – the full comparison is in public vs private health insurance in Germany. A German-language source with the same logic for employees: PKV oder GKV als Angestellter (source in German).
How employees switch: the order of steps
1. Confirm eligibility and date
New job above the threshold: from day one. Existing job: at the turn of the year at the earliest, if you also exceed next year's threshold.
2. Compare full-cover tariffs
Include long-term care and sick pay. Ask what happens if you leave Germany – before you sign.
3. Get the private acceptance first
The insurer prices your health in the application. Only when you have the acceptance do you leave public insurance.
4. Leave public insurance in time
When compulsory insurance ends, your fund continues it as a voluntary membership unless you declare your exit within two weeks of its notice and prove your private cover (§ 188 (4) SGB V). Give your employer the insurer's certificate for the contribution.
All deadlines and pitfalls step by step: switching from public to private health insurance. Not sure yet whether you should switch at all? The 60-second decider takes your salary band, family and planned stay into account – without health questions.
Frequently asked questions
Can employees get private health insurance in Germany?
Yes, but only if their regular gross annual salary is above the income threshold – €77,400 in 2026 and €84,150 in 2027 (draft, Bundesrat approval pending). Below the threshold, employees are compulsorily insured in public health insurance. Nationality plays no role.
How much do I need to earn as an employee to go private in Germany?
More than €77,400 gross a year in 2026 or €84,150 in 2027 (draft), including regular extras such as a 13th salary or holiday pay. If you are already privately insured and exempt on 31 December 2026, a lower 2027 limit of €80,550 applies.
When can I switch to private health insurance after a pay rise?
Compulsory public insurance ends at the end of the calendar year in which your regular salary exceeds the threshold – but only if it also exceeds the threshold of the following year (§ 6 (4) SGB V). With €90,000 in 2026 you could switch on 1 January 2027; with €82,000 you could not, because that is below €84,150.
Does my employer pay for private health insurance in Germany?
Yes. Your employer pays half of your private health and long-term care premium, up to €613.22 a month in 2026 and about €672.56 in 2027 (scenario). The contribution is paid with your salary. There is nothing towards a deductible.
Can I stay in public health insurance if I earn above the threshold?
Yes. If you are already publicly insured, your membership continues as a voluntary one unless you actively leave. If you start your first job in Germany above the threshold, you can join public insurance voluntarily within three months (§ 9 (1) no. 3 SGB V).
What happens if my salary drops below the threshold later?
As an employee under 55 you usually become compulsorily insured in public insurance again. If the drop is caused by a rise in the threshold, you may be able to apply for an exemption within three months (§ 8 SGB V) – it binds you to private insurance. From 55 the way back is usually closed (§ 6 (3a) SGB V).
Sources
- § 6 SGB V – exemption from compulsory insurance (income threshold, turn of the year, age 55)
- § 8 SGB V – exemption from compulsory insurance
- § 9 SGB V – voluntary insurance (first job in Germany)
- § 257 SGB V – employer contribution
- § 188 SGB V – start of voluntary membership, leaving after compulsory insurance ends
- Federal Government: contribution ceilings 2027 (Cabinet decision) – 7 October 2026, Bundesrat pending
- BGBl. 2026 I No. 228 – GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz (§ 6 (8) SGB V)
- German Embassy San José: information sheet national visa EU Blue Card (health insurance) – December 2025
- Stiftung Warentest: private health insurance compared (Finanztest 3/2025) – 19 February 2025
- Federal Ministry of the Interior: minimum salaries for the EU Blue Card 2026 (BAnz AT 18.12.2025 B3)
This article provides general information on health insurance in Germany (as of 10 October 2026). It does not replace individual advice. Which solution suits you depends on your personal situation, e.g. age, health, income, family and length of stay. Despite careful review we cannot guarantee completeness and accuracy; laws and tariffs change. It is not immigration advice: whether your insurance is sufficient for a visa or residence permit is decided by the German mission abroad or your immigration office. Publisher: German-PKV.de. German-PKV.de is not an insurance broker and does not provide insurance, legal or tax advice; individual advice is provided exclusively by specialised cooperation partners licensed under § 34d GewO.