Contents (11 sections)
- TK vs private health insurance in Germany: what you are really comparing
- What TK costs compared with private insurance
- Family: where TK has a structural advantage
- Benefits and everyday life: law versus contract
- Price development: TK and private over the years
- Sick pay at TK and in private insurance
- English service: TK and private insurers
- Leaving Germany: TK membership vs private policy
- The way back: why the order matters
- Switching from TK to private – and the order of steps
- TK or private: which fits whom
- TK is a public health insurance fund: its additional contribution is 2.69% in 2026, for a total rate of 17.29% (TK; GKV umbrella association list of 10 October 2026).
- An employee above the contribution ceiling pays about €641.99 a month at TK in 2026 (childless, own calculation); full-cover private tariffs cost €649–1,137 at age 35, half paid by the employer (Finanztest 3/2025).
- At TK, a spouse without income and children are family-insured free of charge; in private insurance every person pays.
- TK states that English-speaking assistants are available 24/7 and offers English-language apps; some private insurers and digital brokers also serve customers in English.
- Choosing TK keeps the way to private open later (if eligible); the way back from private to public is restricted and usually closed from 55.
TK vs private health insurance in Germany is a comparison of two systems: TK (Techniker Krankenkasse) is a public health insurance fund with a 2026 additional contribution of 2.69%, so an employee above the contribution ceiling pays about €641.99 a month (childless, own calculation). Full-cover private tariffs cost €649–1,137 at age 35, half paid by the employer (Finanztest 3/2025). TK insures a spouse without income and children for free; in private insurance every person pays (as of October 2026).
TK vs private health insurance in Germany: what you are really comparing
TK is not a private insurer. It is a public health insurance fund (Krankenkasse) within the statutory system (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV), open nationwide, and – according to its English website – trusted by around 12 million insured people. Choosing between TK and a private insurer such as ottonova, Allianz or another company therefore means choosing between two systems with different rules: contributions based on income versus premiums based on risk.
This page compares the two fairly, with figures from the sources named. It does not rank TK against other funds or private insurers against each other. Other public funds work under the same law and differ mainly in their additional contribution and services. The major private insurers, with published facts instead of a ranking, are listed in private health insurance companies in Germany.
| Question | TK (public) | Private insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Who can join? | Anyone compulsorily or voluntarily insured in public insurance | Employees above the income threshold, freelancers, civil servants |
| Price depends on | Your income, up to the contribution ceiling | Entry age, tariff, deductible, health questions |
| Rate / premium 2026 | 14.6% + 2.69% additional contribution = 17.29%, plus care | Full cover at age 35: €649–1,137 a month |
| Spouse without income, children | Family-insured free of charge | Each person pays a premium |
| Health questions | None | Yes – surcharge, exclusion or rejection possible |
| Bills | Insurance card, doctor bills the fund | You usually pay first and claim back |
| English service | English-speaking assistants 24/7, English apps (TK) | Depends on the insurer – some serve customers in English |
| Leaving Germany | Membership usually ends | Continues in the EU/EEA; elsewhere usually ends |
What TK costs compared with private insurance
At TK, as at every public fund, you pay the general rate of 14.6% plus the fund's own additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) on your income up to the contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze) – €5,812.50 a month in 2026. TK's additional contribution is 2.69% in 2026, below the official average of 2.9%. Employees pay half of the health contribution plus their care contribution.
| Option | Childless | With one child |
|---|---|---|
| TK (2.69%) | €641.99 | €607.12 |
| Public fund with the average additional contribution (2.9%) | €648.09 | €613.22 |
| Private full cover, age 35, your half | €324.50–568.50 | plus a child's premium |
How the TK figure comes about: €5,812.50 × 8.645% (half of 14.6% + half of 2.69%) = €502.49 for health insurance, plus €5,812.50 × 2.4% = €139.50 for care if you are childless – €641.99 in total. For 2027 the contribution ceiling rises to €6,375 (draft); TK has not yet announced its 2027 additional contribution, and the official average will be published by 1 November 2026. With the 2.9% average, an employee would pay €729.94 in 2027 (childless, scenario).
A published private example for comparison: ottonova states €692.44 a month in total for a 35-year-old employee in its “Business Class 100” tariff, including sick pay and long-term care, of which the employer pays €346.22 (insurer's own example, reviewed 15 June 2026). Your own private price depends on the health questions.
Family: where TK has a structural advantage
At TK – as at every public fund – your spouse or registered civil partner and your children can be family-insured (Familienversicherung) free of charge if they live in Germany and their own income is at most €565 a month (2026; § 10 SGB V). In private insurance every family member needs an own policy; children's tariffs typically cost €120 to €250 a month each (broker analysis, September 2026).
From 2028 public insurance adds a surcharge of 2.5 percentage points for family-insured spouses, with exceptions such as a child under 12 in the household. For most families on one income the public route still remains clearly cheaper. The full calculation is in private health insurance with a family.
Benefits and everyday life: law versus contract
TK fits well if you value …
- benefits set by law, with no health questions when you join
- an insurance card – doctors bill the fund directly
- contributions that follow your income, also in a weaker year or in retirement
Private fits well if you value …
- benefits defined in your contract, for example hospital comfort or higher dental cover
- a premium that doesn't rise with your income
- options such as a deductible or a no-claims bonus (Beitragsrückerstattung)
In private insurance you usually pay doctors' bills first and claim them back. A cheap private tariff can cover less than public insurance – Stiftung Warentest found that only 384 of 1,245 tariff combinations met its full-cover criteria. Compare benefits such as psychotherapy, dental treatment and the deductible, not just the price.
Price development: TK and private over the years
Comparing one year is not enough, because both sides change:
- TK: the general rate of 14.6% is set by law; TK's additional contribution can change every year – it is 2.69% in 2026. The contribution ceiling also rises, to €6,375 a month in 2027 (draft). Your contribution follows your income, also in retirement, when it is based on your pension.
- Private: premiums rise when medical costs in your tariff rise. On 1 January 2026 about 60% of privately insured people had an increase, by about 13% on average (PKV association). Over 2006–2026, contributions per insured person rose by 3.4% a year in private and 3.9% a year in public insurance (WIP/PKV association – an interested source; averages hide jumps).
- Old age: in private insurance your employer's contribution ends when you retire, and the premium doesn't follow your pension. A legal 10% surcharge, paid until the year you turn 60, helps to dampen later increases (§ 149 VAG).
Sick pay at TK and in private insurance
As an employee at TK you receive sick pay (Krankengeld) once your employer's continued pay ends – it is part of the public package. In private insurance, sick pay insurance (Krankentagegeld) is a separate contract you choose and pay for. Freelancers at TK only get sick pay if they opt in with a declaration of choice and pay the general rate of 14.6% instead of 14.0%; it starts from the seventh week of illness. When you compare TK with a private offer, make sure both include sick pay – otherwise the private price looks lower than it is. More for the self-employed in health insurance for freelancers.
English service: TK and private insurers
For many expats, language matters as much as price. TK states on its English website that English-speaking assistants are available 24/7 and that it offers English-language apps and online services (retrieved 10 October 2026). On the private side, some insurers and digital intermediaries – for example ottonova as an insurer and Feather as a digital intermediary – address expats in English.
Two things are worth checking on both sides: in which language binding documents such as policy terms, notices and applications are issued, and whether you can reach a person who speaks English when something goes wrong. More in private health insurance in English.
Leaving Germany: TK membership vs private policy
- TK: membership usually ends when you move your residence abroad. TK offers a dormant membership (Anwartschaft) only to certain groups, for example employees of international organisations and development workers; during it there are no benefits (TK, retrieved 10 October 2026). Within the EU/EEA, your German periods count in your new country.
- Private: a German private policy continues within the EU/EEA (§ 207 (3) VVG). If you move elsewhere, it usually ends unless you agree otherwise; a temporary move can be bridged with a dormant policy.
The complete exit plan is in leaving Germany with private health insurance.
The way back: why the order matters
Starting at TK keeps both doors open: if you are eligible later, you can still switch to private – for example at the turn of a year in which your salary exceeds both thresholds. The other way round is restricted. Under 55 you can usually only return to public insurance through a new compulsory insurance, such as a job below the threshold, or through family insurance; from 55 the way back is usually closed (§ 6 (3a) SGB V). Details: switching back to public health insurance.
Switching from TK to private – and the order of steps
If you are eligible and decide to go private, leaving TK works like leaving any public fund. First get the private insurer's written acceptance. If your compulsory insurance ends – for example at the turn of the year because your salary exceeds both thresholds – TK continues your insurance as a voluntary membership unless you declare your exit within two weeks of its notice and prove your private cover (§ 188 (4) SGB V). As a voluntary member you cancel to the end of the month after next (§ 175 (4) SGB V). The step-by-step guide: switching from public to private health insurance.
TK or private: which fits whom
| Your situation | Usually the better fit |
|---|---|
| Spouse without income and/or children | TK or another public fund |
| Planning to leave Germany within a few years | TK or another public fund |
| Salary close to the threshold or age around 50+ | TK or another public fund |
| Young, single, salary clearly above €84,150, long-term plans | Private can make sense – with an exit plan |
| Freelancer from outside the EU without prior public insurance | Often private – public may be closed |
For your own numbers, including family and ten years of increases, use the public vs private cost calculator – it works with the average additional contribution, so a TK member pays slightly less on the public side. The broader picture is in public vs private health insurance in Germany, and the 60-second decider gives you an honest answer without health questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is TK public or private health insurance?
TK (Techniker Krankenkasse) is a public health insurance fund (Krankenkasse) – part of the statutory system, open nationwide. It is not a private insurer. Its benefits follow the law (SGB V), plus extra services set out in its own statutes.
Is TK cheaper than private health insurance?
It depends on your profile. A single employee above the contribution ceiling pays about €641.99 a month at TK in 2026 (childless, own calculation). A full-cover private tariff at age 35 costs €649–1,137 in total, of which the employer pays half (Finanztest 3/2025). With a spouse without income and children, TK is usually cheaper because they are insured free of charge.
Does TK speak English?
According to its English website, TK has English-speaking assistants available 24/7 and English-language apps and online services (retrieved 10 October 2026). Some private insurers, such as ottonova, also offer English service. Official letters and contract documents may still be in German.
ottonova vs TK: what is the difference?
TK is a public health insurance fund; ottonova is a private health insurer. At TK your contribution follows your income and your family can be insured for free; at ottonova each insured person pays a premium based on entry age, tariff and health questions. Which fits depends on your income, family, age and how long you stay.
TK or AOK – does the public insurer matter?
Less than many expats think. TK and the AOKs are public funds with the same statutory benefits catalogue (SGB V). The AOK is not one fund but several regional funds, each with its own additional contribution: on 10 October 2026 between 2.47% (AOK Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland) and 3.50% (AOK Nordost), against 2.69% at TK (GKV-Spitzenverband list). For an employee above the contribution ceiling, each 0.1 percentage point makes about €2.91 a month in 2026 (own calculation). Funds may also offer extra benefits under their statutes, for example for dental treatment, non-prescription medicines or prevention (§ 11 (6) SGB V), and they differ in service and language. If your fund raises its additional contribution, you have a special right to cancel (§ 175 (4) SGB V).
Can I switch from TK to private health insurance?
Yes, if you are eligible: as an employee above the income threshold (€77,400 in 2026, €84,150 in 2027, draft) or as a freelancer. Get the private acceptance first, then leave TK within the legal deadlines (§ 188 (4) or § 175 (4) SGB V).
Sources
- TK: contribution rate and additional contribution 2026 – 17 February 2026
- GKV-Spitzenverband: list of health insurance funds with additional contributions – as of 10 October 2026
- Techniker Krankenkasse: English website – retrieved 10 October 2026
- TK: dormant membership during a stay abroad – retrieved 10 October 2026
- Stiftung Warentest: private health insurance compared (Finanztest 3/2025) – 19 February 2025
- ottonova Expat Guide: costs of private health insurance – insurer's own example, reviewed 15 June 2026
- § 10 SGB V – family insurance
- § 257 SGB V – employer contribution
- § 6 SGB V – income threshold, age 55
- PKV association: why premiums rise
- § 188 SGB V – exit within two weeks after compulsory insurance ends
- § 11 SGB V – types of benefits, extra benefits under the fund's statutes (para. 6) – retrieved 12 October 2026
- § 175 SGB V – choice of fund, special right to cancel (para. 4) – retrieved 12 October 2026
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.