Contents (7 sections)
- Health insurance in Germany for UK citizens after Brexit: what still applies
- GHIC, EHIC and S1: which card or form for whom?
- Do UK insurance periods count in Germany?
- Working in Germany as a UK citizen: public or private?
- Long-term care: the one real gap
- Leaving Germany for the UK – and coming back
- Checklist for UK citizens in Germany
- Since 1 January 2021 the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement continues social security coordination that essentially corresponds to the EU regulations; long-term care benefits are the main exception (DVKA, BMG).
- UK citizens living and working in Germany are insured under German rules: employees publicly below €77,400 (2026) or €84,150 (2027, draft), with a choice above it.
- UK public cover is treated like EU public insurance for the “last insurance” rule, and insurance periods can still be aggregated.
- The UK GHIC or EHIC is for temporary stays such as visits, study or postings; UK State Pension recipients living in Germany may register a UK S1 with a German public fund (GOV.UK).
- A German private policy treats the UK as outside the EU/EEA: moving there usually ends it unless your insurer agrees otherwise.
Health insurance in Germany for UK citizens after Brexit: if you live here, German rules apply – employees are publicly insured below €77,400 (2026) or €84,150 (2027, draft) and may choose above it. The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement continues social security coordination that essentially corresponds to the EU rules, so UK public cover still counts and periods can be aggregated; long-term care is the main gap. A German private policy, however, treats the UK as outside the EU/EEA (as of October 2026).
Health insurance in Germany for UK citizens after Brexit: what still applies
Two agreements shape the rules. The Withdrawal Agreement protects people who were already in a cross-border situation before 31 December 2020 – for them the EU coordination rules continue. For everyone else, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, provisionally in force since 1 January 2021, contains a protocol on social security coordination whose provisions essentially correspond to Regulations (EC) 883/2004 and 987/2009 (DVKA, as of 7 February 2025). In practice:
| Your situation | How you are usually covered |
|---|---|
| Visit, study period, posted worker | UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for necessary state healthcare |
| Employee of a German employer | German health insurance through the job – public below the threshold |
| Self-employed or not covered through work | Register directly with a public or private insurer – depending on what is open to you |
| UK State Pension recipient living in Germany | UK S1, registered with a German public fund |
| Living in Germany since before 2021 | Withdrawal Agreement rights; residence document “Aufenthaltsdokument-GB” |
Not immigration advice.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: Federal Foreign Office, BAMF and Make it in Germany.
GHIC, EHIC and S1: which card or form for whom?
GOV.UK lists four ways for UK nationals to access German healthcare: joining a German public fund, joining a German private insurer, using a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays when studying or as a posted worker, or registering a UK-issued S1 form.
- GHIC/EHIC: for temporary stays – a holiday, a study period or a posting. It is not a substitute for German health insurance once you live and work here.
- S1: if you live in Germany and receive a UK State Pension or another exportable UK benefit, you may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. Once you have the S1, you register it with a German public fund (GOV.UK).
- German cards: German-issued EHICs remain valid for temporary stays in the UK (DVKA). If you are insured in Germany, take yours on trips home.
Do UK insurance periods count in Germany?
This is where UK citizens are better off than, for example, Americans. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, insurance periods can still be credited between Germany and the UK. And for the rule of the last insurance, the German funds treat cover in the UK's public system like public insurance in an EU country (GKV-Spitzenverband):
- Voluntary public insurance: it requires prior public insurance periods. Periods in the UK can count – which can open public insurance for British freelancers who would otherwise only have the private route. Your German fund decides and can request proof from the UK.
- Last insurance: if your last cover was the UK's public system, you are generally assigned to public insurance in Germany; if it was a full private policy with an insurer in the UK, you count as last privately insured.
- Non-EU status: British citizens who moved after 2020 are generally treated as non-EU nationals. For them, the public fall-back insurance applies only with certain residence permits (§ 5 (11) SGB V) – a job or voluntary insurance are the usual routes.
Working in Germany as a UK citizen: public or private?
As an employee you are publicly insured by law below the income threshold – €77,400 in 2026 and €84,150 in 2027 (draft). Above it you may choose private insurance. If it is your first job in Germany, public insurance stays open for three months after you start (§ 9 (1) no. 3 SGB V). Self-employed people may choose regardless of income; see health insurance for freelancers in Germany.
Above the contribution ceiling, an employee pays up to €729.94 a month for public health and long-term care insurance in 2027 (childless, scenario). Full-cover private tariffs cost €649 to €1,137 at age 35 (Finanztest 3/2025); the employer pays half within separate legal caps for health and long-term care (€672.56 at most in total in 2027, scenario). Unlike the NHS, German public insurance is contribution-based – but it also covers a spouse without income and children living in Germany free of charge. Your switch dates: income threshold checker.
Long-term care: the one real gap
The EU–UK agreement does not coordinate long-term care benefits. Since 1 January 2021, care benefits can no longer be exported between Germany and the UK for new cases (DVKA, Federal Ministry of Health). If you live in Germany, you pay into German long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung) – public or private – and receive benefits here. If you plan to retire to the UK later, German care benefits will generally not follow you. People covered by the Withdrawal Agreement keep their earlier rights.
Leaving Germany for the UK – and coming back
Moving to the UK
Public membership usually ends with your move. A German private policy continues only within the EU/EEA (§ 207 (3) VVG); for the UK, the model terms say it ends unless your insurer agrees otherwise – a temporary move can be bridged with a dormant policy (§ 15 (3) MB/KK 2009).
Coming back to Germany
If your last cover was the UK's public system, German public insurance is generally the system that takes you back. If you were privately insured in Germany before and kept a dormant policy, reactivate it promptly.
Before you deregister, read what happens to your health insurance when you leave Germany. Planning a return? The full logic is in health insurance when returning to Germany.
Checklist for UK citizens in Germany
- Living here: get German health insurance – the GHIC is for temporary stays.
- Employee: compare your salary with €77,400 (2026) and €84,150 (2027, draft).
- Freelancer: ask a public fund whether your UK periods open voluntary public insurance.
- UK pensioner: apply for an S1 and register it with a German public fund.
- Going private? Remember that a move to the UK usually ends a German private policy.
The free 60-second decider includes your planned stay and your exit plan – no health questions. For the full comparison read public vs private health insurance in Germany.
Frequently asked questions
Do UK citizens need health insurance in Germany after Brexit?
Yes. Everyone living in Germany needs health insurance. UK citizens usually join a public fund through their employer, register with a public or private insurer themselves, or – as UK State Pension recipients – register a UK S1 with a public fund (GOV.UK, 19 September 2024).
Can I use my GHIC in Germany?
The UK GHIC or EHIC covers medically necessary state healthcare during temporary stays, for example visits, study periods or as a posted worker (GOV.UK). If you live and work in Germany, you need German health insurance.
Do my UK National Insurance or NHS years count for German health insurance?
For coordination purposes, yes: the EU–UK agreement allows insurance periods to be aggregated, and the German funds treat UK public cover like EU public insurance for the “last insurance” rule. Your German fund decides in the individual case and can request proof from the UK.
What is the S1 form for UK pensioners in Germany?
If you live in Germany and draw a UK State Pension or another exportable UK benefit, you may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You apply for an S1 certificate in the UK and register it with a German public fund (GOV.UK).
What happens to my German private health insurance if I move to the UK?
Under the model terms, a German private policy continues only within the EU/EEA. A move to the UK usually ends it, unless your insurer agrees to continue it; for a temporary move you can ask for a dormant policy (§ 15 (3) MB/KK 2009).
Sources
- DVKA: Brexit – social security coordination with the United Kingdom – as of 7 February 2025
- Federal Ministry of Health: impact of Brexit on health care – as of 29 March 2021
- GOV.UK: Healthcare in Germany – last updated 19 September 2024
- GKV-Spitzenverband: principles on fall-back compulsory insurance (EU/EEA, Switzerland, UK) – 24 July 2023
- PKV association: model terms MB/KK 2009 (§§ 1 (5), 15 (3)) – as of June 2024
- § 207 VVG – continuation within the EU/EEA
- § 5 SGB V – compulsory insurance; foreigners (para. 11)
- § 9 SGB V – voluntary insurance
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.