Contents (8 sections)
- Private health insurance for IT professionals: who may choose?
- Salary, bonus, stock options: what counts towards the threshold
- Blue Card for IT specialists: why most developers start in public insurance
- Typical tech profiles: public or private?
- What public and private cost an IT professional above the threshold
- Apps, English and paperwork: what daily life looks like
- Job changes, startups and layoffs
- Checklist before you decide
- IT employees may choose private health insurance only if their regular gross salary exceeds €77,400 (2026) or €84,150 (2027, draft); freelancers may choose regardless of income.
- Fixed salary and contractual extras such as a 13th salary count; one-off bonuses usually don't, and stock options or RSUs are unclear cases that payroll and the fund decide.
- The Blue Card minimum for ICT professionals is €45,934.20 (2026) – far below the threshold, so many developers are publicly insured by law.
- Above the threshold a single 35-year-old pays up to €729.94 a month for public insurance in 2027 (scenario); full-cover private tariffs cost €649–€1,137 in total; the employer pays half within legal caps.
- Startup pay cuts, part-time and moving on can bring you back into public insurance – or end a private policy abroad.
Private health insurance in Germany is open to IT professionals who are employed with a regular gross salary above €77,400 (2026) or €84,150 (2027, draft), and to IT freelancers regardless of income. Only regular pay counts – fixed salary and contractual extras; one-off bonuses usually don't, and stock options are unclear cases for payroll and the fund. Below the threshold, developers are publicly insured by law (as of October 2026).
Private health insurance for IT professionals: who may choose?
Your job title doesn't matter – your status and your regular salary do. For people working in tech in Germany, four situations are typical:
Employee up to the threshold
Public insurance by law. Your employer registers you with the fund you choose and pays about half of the contribution.
Employee above the threshold
Free choice between public and private. In your first job in Germany, public insurance stays open for three months (§ 9 (1) no. 3 SGB V).
Freelancer or contractor
Free choice regardless of income – but newcomers from outside the EU often have no route into public insurance. See health insurance for freelancers.
Remote for a foreign employer
Living in Germany while employed by a company abroad raises special social security questions. Ask the health insurance fund before you start.
Salary, bonus, stock options: what counts towards the threshold
The threshold refers to your regular gross annual pay (regelmäßiges Jahresarbeitsentgelt), estimated in advance. Tech compensation packages make this tricky, because a large part can be variable. As a rule of thumb:
| Pay component | Counts towards the threshold? |
|---|---|
| Fixed monthly salary × 12 | Yes |
| Contractual 13th salary, holiday pay | Yes, if you are entitled to it every year |
| Variable bonus with a contractual target | Unclear – depends on how regular and certain it is |
| One-off bonus, sign-on bonus without entitlement | Usually no |
| Stock options, RSUs, virtual shares | Unclear – usually not regular pay; payroll and fund decide |
| Irregular overtime, expenses, relocation support | No |
If your offer is “€80,000 base plus equity”, plan with €80,000: above €77,400 in 2026, but below €84,150 in 2027. In a new job starting in late 2026 you could go private for a few weeks and then fall back into public insurance on 1 January 2027 – rarely a good idea. The income threshold checker shows your dates.
Blue Card for IT specialists: why most developers start in public insurance
ICT professionals (ISCO-08 group 25) are among the shortage occupations with the lower Blue Card minimum of €45,934.20 in 2026 (§ 18g (1) AufenthG). IT specialists without a degree can also get a Blue Card with at least three years of relevant experience within the last seven years (§ 18g (2) AufenthG). Both are far below the health insurance threshold – so a typical junior or mid-level developer on a Blue Card is publicly insured by law. That is not a disadvantage: public insurance covers a spouse without income and children free of charge. More in health insurance with a Blue Card.
Not immigration advice: whether you qualify for a residence permit and which insurance proof you need is decided by the German mission or the immigration office.
Typical tech profiles: public or private?
Being allowed to choose is not the same as being better off in private insurance. These model profiles show the typical patterns for tech jobs; your own result depends on your age, family and plans.
| Profile | May choose private? | Usually the better fit |
|---|---|---|
| Junior developer, Blue Card, €55,000 | No | Public by law |
| Senior engineer, €95,000, single, plans to stay | Yes | Private can make sense – with an exit plan |
| Engineering manager, €115,000, spouse without income, two children | Yes | Public – family insured free of charge |
| Data scientist, €90,000, likely to move to the USA in two years | Yes | Public – a German private policy usually ends outside the EU/EEA |
| IT contractor from outside the EU, new in Germany | Yes – often the only option | Private, unless prior public periods open the door |
What public and private cost an IT professional above the threshold
Above the threshold you are also above the contribution ceiling, so in public insurance you pay the maximum: up to €729.94 a month in 2027 (childless, scenario with 2.9% additional contribution). In private insurance the employer pays half the premium, with separate caps for the health part (about €557.81) and the long-term care part (about €114.75) – together €672.56 at most (2027, scenario).
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.
The private range is Stiftung Warentest's benchmark for full-cover tariffs at age 35 (Finanztest 3/2025). Older entrants pay more, and health questions in the application can lead to a surcharge or exclusion. Run your own numbers – including partner, children and ten years of price increases – in the public vs private cost calculator.
Apps, English and paperwork: what daily life looks like
Many people in tech choose by user experience. Both systems have moved a long way, but the differences are real:
Public insurance in daily life
- Insurance card at the doctor's – no bills to pay upfront
- Some funds offer English apps and service; TK, for example, advertises English-speaking assistants around the clock
- Family members added without extra contributions, if they qualify
Private insurance in daily life
- You usually receive the bills and claim them back, often by app
- Contract terms and the application may be binding only in German – check before you sign
- Deductibles, no-claims bonuses and sick pay are separate decisions you have to make
Which insurers and funds serve customers in English – and what still comes in German – is covered in private health insurance in English. A fair comparison of the most popular public fund among expats with private insurance: TK vs private health insurance.
Job changes, startups and layoffs
- Job hopping: a new job with a regular salary above the threshold makes you exempt from day one. A pay rise in your current job only counts at the turn of the year (§ 6 (4) SGB V).
- Startup with a lower salary: if your new base salary is below the threshold, you are compulsorily insured in public insurance again – under 55. Equity doesn't help here.
- Layoff: unemployment benefit usually brings you back into public insurance unless an exemption applies – see private health insurance in Germany when unemployed.
- Moving on: many tech careers are international. A German private policy continues within the EU/EEA, but usually ends if you move to the USA, the UK or India. Read leaving Germany with private health insurance.
Checklist before you decide
- Separate your base salary from variable pay and equity – only regular pay counts.
- Check both €77,400 (2026) and €84,150 (2027, draft).
- Count the people who need cover now and in five years.
- Be honest about how long you will stay and where you might go next.
- Read public vs private health insurance in Germany before you request quotes.
The free 60-second decider turns these questions into an honest recommendation – including “stay public” – without health questions.
Frequently asked questions
Can software engineers get private health insurance in Germany?
Yes, if they are employed with a regular gross salary above the income threshold – €77,400 in 2026, €84,150 in 2027 (draft) – or work as freelancers. Below the threshold, developers are publicly insured by law like any other employee.
Do stock options or RSUs count towards the income threshold?
Usually not as regular pay, because their value and timing are not fixed. The threshold looks at your regular annual pay: fixed salary plus extras you are entitled to every year. For equity, variable bonuses and sign-on payments ask your employer's payroll and your health insurance fund for a written assessment.
Is private health insurance worth it for IT professionals in Germany?
It can be for young, single high earners who plan to stay long term. With a spouse without own income, children, a short stay or a likely move outside the EU, public insurance is often the better deal. Compare your own numbers with the cost calculator before you decide.
What happens if I join a startup with a lower salary?
If your new regular salary is below the threshold, you are compulsorily insured in public insurance again – under 55. Equity doesn't count towards the threshold as regular pay. A private policy can then usually be cancelled because of the new compulsory insurance.
Does the Blue Card for IT specialists allow private health insurance?
The Blue Card doesn't decide. Its minimum salary for ICT professionals (€45,934.20 in 2026) is far below the threshold, so many Blue Card developers are publicly insured. Above the threshold, you may choose like any employee.
Sources
- § 6 SGB V – income threshold, change at the turn of the year
- § 9 SGB V – voluntary insurance, first job in Germany
- § 18g AufenthG – EU Blue Card incl. IT specialists (ISCO-08 groups 133 and 25)
- Federal Ministry of the Interior: minimum salaries for the EU Blue Card 2026 (BAnz AT 18.12.2025 B3)
- Federal Government: contribution ceilings 2027 (Cabinet decision) – 7 October 2026, Bundesrat pending
- Stiftung Warentest: private health insurance compared (Finanztest 3/2025) – 19 February 2025
- § 257 SGB V – employer contribution
This article provides general information on health insurance in Germany (as of 12 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.