Willkommen auf den Seiten des Auswärtigen Amts
Health insurance coverage for applications for national visas
Illustration: Ikone der Krankenversicherung, des Gesundheitswesens und des medizinischen Dienstes © imageBROKER.com
In Germany, everyone is required by law to have health insurance. Anyone residing in Germany must have health insurance coverage with a health insurer licensed to operate in Germany.
Proof of adequate health insurance must generally also be provided as part of the visa application process. Travel health insurance covering the Schengen Area alone is generally insufficient for longer stays exceeding 90 days within any 180-day period. Please note that the absence of adequate health insurance may have serious consequences, as obtaining appropriate medical treatment under such circumstances may result in substantial financial burdens and corresponding civil law claims.
Statutory or private health insurance?
In Germany, there are two different health insurance systems:
What do I need for my visa application?
The required level of health insurance coverage for your intended purpose of travel is outlined below. This list is not exhaustive. Exceptions may be possible in individual cases.
Visa Categories
Trainees undertaking in-company vocational training are covered by the German statutory health insurance system. Please submit a provisional confirmation of coverage from your chosen statutory health insurance provider. As part of the visa application process, you must also provide proof of health insurance covering the period until your statutory health insurance coverage begins. An incoming or travel health insurance policy valid in Germany for the first three months is sufficient for this purpose.
If you are not employed as part of your vocational training or further training programme, you will generally not be covered by the German statutory health insurance system. Please check in advance whether you will be covered by statutory health insurance. If you will not be covered, you will need private health insurance that is valid for at least the entire duration of your visa. Proof of insurance must be submitted as part of the visa application process. The policy must cover at least the costs of outpatient and inpatient medical treatment and must not be limited to emergencies. Travel health insurance is therefore generally insufficient.
If you are employed as an employee as part of a qualification programme, you will generally be covered by the German statutory health insurance system. Please submit a provisional confirmation of coverage from your chosen statutory health insurance provider. As part of the visa application process, you must also provide proof of health insurance covering the period until your statutory health insurance coverage begins. An incoming or travel health insurance policy valid in Germany for the first three months is sufficient for this purpose.
If you will not be covered by the German statutory health insurance system, you will need private health insurance that is valid for at least the entire duration of your visa. Proof of insurance must be submitted as part of the visa application process. The policy must cover at least the costs of outpatient and inpatient medical treatment and must not be limited to emergencies. Travel health insurance is therefore generally insufficient.
Students aged 30 or younger who are enrolled at a state-run or state-recognised university are generally covered by the German statutory health insurance system from the date of enrolment. As part of the visa application process, proof of health insurance covering the period until statutory health insurance coverage begins must be submitted. An incoming or travel health insurance policy valid in Germany for the first three months is sufficient for this purpose.
Please check in advance whether you will be covered by the German statutory health insurance system. This is generally no longer the case for students aged 30 or older. Younger students also have the option of choosing adequate private health insurance instead. Proof of insurance must be submitted as part of the visa application process, and the policy must be valid for at least the entire duration of the visa. The policy must cover at least the costs of outpatient and inpatient medical treatment and must not be limited to emergencies. Travel health insurance is therefore generally insufficient.
Please note that statutory health insurance does not yet apply if you are attending a Studienkolleg (preparatory college) or a language course in preparation for university studies. Please refer to „Studienkolleg“ or „Language Course“ (Nos. 4 and 5) for further information.
Statutory health insurance does not yet apply while you are attending a preparatory college (Studienkolleg). As part of the visa application process, you must submit proof of private health insurance suitable for this purpose of stay (often referred to as „incoming insurance“), valid for the entire duration of your visa or until your university studies begin.
The policy must cover at least the costs of outpatient and inpatient medical treatment and must not be limited to emergencies. Travel health insurance is therefore generally insufficient.
If you are attending a language course, you will need private health insurance (often referred to as „incoming insurance“) that is valid for the entire duration of your visa. You must submit proof of this insurance as part of the visa application process.
The policy must cover at least the costs of outpatient and inpatient medical treatment and must not be limited to emergencies. Travel health insurance is therefore generally insufficient.
ChatGPT ist KI und kann Fehler machen.
For school students, health insurance that provides at least the coverage required under Article 15 of the Visa Code is generally sufficient. Group insurance policies are often taken out for student exchange programmes. Proof of insurance valid for the entire duration of the visa must be submitted as part of the visa application process.
As part of the visa application process, you must provide proof of private health insurance (often referred to as „incoming insurance“) that is valid for the entire duration of your visa.
The policy must cover at least the costs of outpatient and inpatient medical treatment and must not be limited to emergencies. Travel health insurance is therefore generally insufficient.
People working in Germany are required to be members of the German statutory health insurance system in many cases. You are free to choose your statutory health insurance provider. As a rule, the provider can issue a certificate confirming that you will be insured from the date you take up employment. In addition, as part of the visa application process, you must provide proof of insurance covering the period until your statutory health insurance coverage begins. An incoming or travel health insurance policy valid in Germany for the first three months is sufficient for this purpose.
Exceptions to the compulsory insurance requirement apply, among other circumstances, above a certain income threshold. If you will not be covered by the German statutory health insurance system, you must provide proof that you will have private health insurance and specify the terms of that coverage. A non-binding quotation from an insurance provider is generally insufficient.
Self-employed persons are generally required to take out private health insurance.
Proof of insurance must be submitted as part of the visa application process, and the policy must be valid for at least the entire duration of the visa. The policy must cover at least the costs of outpatient and inpatient medical treatment and must not be limited to emergencies. Travel health insurance is therefore generally insufficient.
As an au pair, you need private health insurance that also covers pregnancy and childbirth. Any claims arising from your activities as an au pair must also be covered by the insurance policy.
As part of the visa application process, proof of incoming or travel health insurance providing at least the level of coverage required under Article 15 of the Visa Code is generally sufficient. The insurance policy must be valid for the entire duration of your stay.
Please note that, depending on the nature of your employment, you may also become subject to compulsory membership in the German statutory health insurance system.
Researchers who have an employment contract are generally subject to compulsory membership in the German statutory health insurance system. Please refer to „Taking up Employment“ (No. 8).
Researchers coming to Germany on a scholarship or at their own expense generally require private health insurance, proof of which must be provided for at least the duration of the visa’s validity. Alternatively, they may opt for voluntary membership in the German statutory health insurance system.
As part of the visa application process, you must provide proof of private health insurance (often referred to as „incoming insurance“) that is valid for the entire duration of your visa.
The policy must cover at least the costs of outpatient and inpatient medical treatment and must not be limited to emergencies. Travel health insurance is therefore generally insufficient.
If you are staying in Germany to participate in the Federal Volunteer Service (Bundesfreiwilligendienst), a Voluntary Social Year (Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr), a Voluntary Ecological Year (Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr), or the weltwärts programme, you will be covered by the German statutory health insurance system. Statutory health insurance coverage generally does not begin immediately upon entry into Germany. To ensure that you are insured from your very first day, you will therefore also need travel or incoming health insurance providing at least the level of coverage required under Article 15 of the Visa Code. You must submit proof of this insurance as part of the visa application process.
Participants in voluntary service under the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) are covered by group insurance and do not need to provide additional proof of insurance.
If the internship is a mandatory requirement under the relevant study or examination regulations, you are generally exempt from compulsory membership in the German statutory health insurance system. You will therefore need private health insurance (usually incoming or expat insurance), proof of which must be submitted as part of the visa application process and which must be valid for the entire duration of your visa. The policy must cover at least the costs of outpatient and inpatient medical treatment and must not be limited to emergencies. Risks associated with your internship activities must not be excluded from coverage. Travel health insurance is generally insufficient.
For voluntary internships, you will generally be covered by the German statutory health insurance system as an employee. Please refer to Section 8 for information on the required proof of insurance.
Persons joining a spouse or parent (in the case of minors only) who is covered by the German statutory health insurance system may also be eligible for coverage under that insurance policy. However, they should take out travel or incoming health insurance to ensure coverage during the journey and the initial period in Germany, until statutory health insurance coverage takes effect. Proof of this insurance should be submitted as part of the visa application process.
If the family member you are joining in Germany has private health insurance, you will generally also need private health insurance. Please submit proof of insurance as part of the visa application process.
When joining a German citizen through family reunification, proof of health insurance coverage is generally not required. Nevertheless, please ensure that you have adequate health insurance coverage.
Germany has concluded social security agreements with the following countries that also cover health insurance: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye, and Tunisia.
If you remain insured in your home country, you can obtain a certificate confirming your entitlement to health insurance benefits. This certificate must be submitted as part of the visa application process. It specifies the extent of coverage and the period during which your health insurance in your home country will cover the costs. As a general rule, the certificate must be valid for the entire duration of your visa.