Expat health insurance in Germany We say hi to newcomers.

Book a free consultation. We walk you through the application, confirm your eligibility, and prepare every document you need. Most clients can finalise the paperwork in a single 30-minute call.

Same eligibility rules as long-term private health insurance in Germany, with one extra requirement: you live in Germany on a temporary residence permit and you come from outside the EU, the EEA, or Switzerland. Employees must earn above the income threshold (€77,400 gross per year in 2026, the Versicherungspflichtgrenze). Self-employed people on a §21 permit, researchers, civil servants, and students aged 30 and over qualify regardless of income.

The Hallesche expat tariff is age-based. On the Comfort tariff (Hi.Medical L), the monthly premium at age 30 is €77.87 with a €1,200 fixed deductible, or €231.78 with the 10% / €500 deductible. The Standard tariff (Hi.Medical S) is cheaper on a like-for-like basis: €77.87 at age 30 with the 10% / €500 deductible. Many employers also contribute toward private health insurance, though the statutory § 257 SGB V Arbeitgeberzuschuss applies to substitutive private health insurance only. We confirm what applies in your case during the consultation. Use the calculator on this page for your exact figure.

Long-term private health insurance builds aging reserves, an extra contribution that keeps your premium stable into retirement. On a temporary residence permit of up to five years, those reserves are not necessary, so your monthly premium is lower while the benefit scope stays comprehensive.

The Expat tariff is exclusively designed for international skilled workers and self-employed people coming to Germany from outside the EU, the EEA, or Switzerland, who hold a temporary residence permit. EU citizens who can live in Germany without a visa, and permanent residents, are placed in long-term private health insurance instead. We confirm the right tariff for your status during the free consultation.

Yes. The Expat tariff is full private health insurance designed to meet the formal health-insurance requirements for residence-permit and skilled-worker visa applications under § 5 (1) AufenthG. The tariff is accepted by the Ausländerbehörde and by employer HR departments. Confirmation documents are issued in English on signup, ready for your immigration appointment.

Confirmation of cover and the visa-compliant proof letter are issued in English shortly after your application is processed and forwarded to you by email, ready for the Ausländerbehörde or your employer. Timing depends on insurer turnaround during the application. Your broker will give you a realistic timeline during the consultation.

Yes. Your application can start from abroad and we forward the visa-compliant proof letter you need for your residence-permit appointment. The contract finalises shortly after you arrive in Germany.

No general or special waiting periods on the expat tariff. The full benefit scope applies from day one of cover. This is one of the main differences between the expat tariff and long-term comprehensive private health insurance, which underwrites health risks individually.

If you are employed, your employer pays approximately half of the premium (Arbeitgeberanteil), capped at the equivalent contribution they would pay for public health insurance. Self-employed clients pay the full premium themselves but can deduct the basic-care portion from their German income tax.

Premiums can be adjusted by the insurer when actual healthcare costs deviate by more than 5% from the original calculation, which usually means once every few years across the whole insured pool. The insurer cannot raise your individual premium because you fall ill, get older, or use the cover.

Provide a copy of your Abmeldungsbescheinigung (deregistration certificate from your local Bürgeramt) and we close your contract from your departure date. There is no long-term lock-in beyond the standard contract term.

The MediHealth Prime contract runs for a minimum of two and a maximum of five years. When your residency status changes, the right of option (Optionsrecht) lets you upgrade to a higher tier of long-term private cover with the same insurer, without any new health underwriting.

We prepare the cancellation letter for your current insurer and send it to you in English by email. You countersign and forward it. We coordinate the start date of your new cover so there is no gap.

The expat tariff is for residents of Germany on a temporary residence permit from outside the EU, the EEA, or Switzerland, who are not subject to public health insurance and not entitled to state subsidies or free medical care. Employees must earn above the 2026 income threshold of €77,400 gross per year (Versicherungspflichtgrenze). Self-employed and certain other groups qualify regardless of income. Working-holiday, youth-mobility, and Schengen tourist visas do not qualify, since holders are not tax residents in Germany.

Qualifying permits:

• Blue Card EU (§18b AufenthG)
• Skilled-worker permit (§18a, §18g AufenthG)
• Self-employed and freelance permit (§21 AufenthG)
• Researcher permit (§18d AufenthG)
• Job-search visa for skilled workers (§20 AufenthG)
• Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)
• Family-reunion permit for working spouses above the income threshold
• Civil servants and diplomatic staff with mandatory private cover

More guides for international residents: health insurance for newcomers, health insurance for your visa, health insurance for international freelancers, travel insurance in Germany, and temporary health insurance for the gap before your main policy starts.