Please note that this is only a simplified help to understand the necessary proofs and serve for a better understanding. Detailed information on the required health insurance coverage (including the exceptions mentioned below) can be found in the „Merkblatt zum erforderlichen Krankenversicherungsschutz für die Erteilung von Aufenthaltstiteln im Inland“ of the Department of the Interior and Sports.
In Germany, all people must have health insurance. There is a statutory and a private health insurance. On the Hamburg Welcome Portal you can find more information about the health insurance system.
If you want to apply for a residence permit, you must prove that you are sufficiently covered by health insurance.
Statutory health insurance
If you are in the statutory health insurance and are
- compulsorily insured,
- voluntarily insured or
- are co-insured as a family member,
you normally have sufficient health insurance coverage. To prove this, you can present your insurance card or a membership certificate from your health insurance company.
However, if you are not a member of the statutory health insurance, you must prove your health insurance coverage through a private health insurance.
Private health insurance
To ensure that your private health insurance is considered sufficient to apply for a residence permit, certain requirements must be met (according to Section 193 (3) of the Insurance Contract Act):
- The benefits of private health insurance must at least correspond to those of statutory health insurance. This means that the usual risks are covered and the so-called basic tariff is also possible.
- There must be an agreement on the coverage of costs for outpatient and inpatient treatment.
- The agreed deductibles, both absolute amounts and percentage shares, may not exceed EUR 5,000 per year
- The contract must be concluded for an indefinite period if the residence permit is to be issued for more than twelve months.
- In some cases, long-term care insurance must also be in place (e.g. for permanent residence-EU).
These conditions ensure that your private health insurance is considered sufficient to apply for the residence permit.
Requirements for the health insurance provider
Only insurers that are subject to supervision by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) can be considered as providers of sufficient private health insurance. All insurers supervised by BaFin can be found in the company database. Important information on how to use them can be found here.
Insurers from other European countries are also accepted if they are recognized there as so-called EEA service providers.
Proof for privately insured persons
You will need a confirmation from your health insurance company to prove that you are sufficiently insured. For a stay of more than 12 months, have your insurer fill out the so-called Annex 1.
For a stay of less than twelve months, there is partial facilitation. Here, Annex 2 can be submitted, in which the limitation of health insurance for the duration of the planned stay is accepted even without long-term care insurance. Also the proof of the deductible is not necessary.
Annex 2 can, for example, be used to apply for a residence permit for the purpose of job seeking with a recognized foreign qualification, for studying, for adjustment qualification and for language studies if your planned stay does not extend over the period of one year. For persons applying for an ICT transfer residence permit, Annex 2 must also be submitted.
Certificates from insurers are also accepted if they reflect the same contents as in the Annex. You must submit the proof together with your application for a residence permit.
Students may submit their matriculation certificate as an alternative to the annexes. This is also accepted as proof of sufficient health insurance coverage.
Please observe the directions in the corresponding checklists, which attachments you can use.
Please note: When renewing residence permits, all privately insured persons must submit a certificate from their health insurance company confirming that their insurance coverage has been continuous and has not been terminated in the meantime.
Exceptions
In certain cases, the rules for adequate health insurance coverage are different.
This applies to
- Insured with Tricare or through the European Commission, as well as DAAD scholarship holders,
- under circumstances nuns and monks,
- Persons with a Werkvertrag ,
- Artists and publicists,
- Persons staying for a working holiday,
- Internship (intermediate internship as part of foreign studies),
- Au-Pairs,
- Students,
- and holders of the EHIC
