How to switch from public to private health insurance
Six steps from confirming eligibility to your first private bill. Plan two to three months end to end.
Six-step switch process
1. Confirm eligibility
Three routes: employee above €77,400, self-employed, or civil servant.
2. Compare offers from 3 to 5 providers
Use the calculator for typical premiums; ask an advisor for binding offers.
3. Pick tariff and deductible
Coverage tier, deductible, and any add-ons (dental, vision, hospital category).
4. Sign the application + health questionnaire
Underwriting takes 1 to 4 weeks. Disclose everything, omissions can void the contract years later.
5. Cancel public cover (with 2 months' notice)
Send the new private certificate as proof. Don't cancel before private accepts.
6. Notify your employer
Give HR the new insurer's details so payroll splits the contribution correctly.
The realistic timeline
Weeks 0 to 1: eligibility and pre-check
- Confirm you clear €77,400 as an employee (no threshold for the self-employed, we usually recommend around €40,000)
- Anonymous risk pre-check with shortlisted insurers, nothing goes on record
- Compare binding offers on 30-year cost, not day-one price
Weeks 1 to 4: application and underwriting
- Health questionnaire, disclosed completely and honestly
- Insurer confirms acceptance and final conditions in writing
- Only now does anything get signed
Months 1 to 3: notice period runs
- Cancel your public fund with two full calendar months of notice
- Send the new private certificate as proof of follow-up cover
- Payroll gets the new insurer details so the employer share flows correctly
Day 1: seamless start
- Private cover starts the day public cover ends, no gap allowed by law
- First reimbursements usually within days of your first invoice
- We stay your contact for claims, upgrades and tariff checks, free of charge
Five mistakes that cost switchers real money
Most switching problems are avoidable and happen in the same five places. The good news: every one of them is fixed by doing things in the right order. Our public vs private comparison helps you sanity-check the decision itself before you commit, and employees can see the real cost after the employer share in our guide to private health insurance for employees.
- 1.Cancelling public cover too early
Cancel only after the private insurer has confirmed acceptance in writing. Done the other way round, a rejection leaves you scrambling.
- 2.Applying blind instead of pre-checking
A formal rejection is recorded and other insurers ask about it. An anonymous risk pre-check gets you the same certainty with none of the risk.
- 3.Choosing on the day-one premium
The cheapest entry tariff is not automatically the cheapest over 30 years. Repricing discipline and aging reserves decide the real cost.
- 4.Glossing over the health questionnaire
Omissions can void the contract years later, exactly when you need it. Disclose everything; loadings are negotiable, voided contracts are not.
- 5.Forgetting the family math
Children are covered free in public but need own contracts in private. Single earners with two or more children should calculate both routes first.
Switching back, and your safety nets
Private health insurance is designed as a long-term decision, so understand the exits before you enter. Returning to public cover is only possible in defined scenarios and rarely after age 55. Inside the private system you are better protected than most people think: Bestandsschutz grandfathers your existing contract conditions, and a tariff change under section 204 VVG lets you reduce cost without losing your reserves.
- Routes back into public
As an employee, falling below the €77,400 threshold makes you publicly insured again by law. Giving up self-employment for employment below the threshold works the same way.
- The age-55 line
From 55, returning to public cover is almost impossible even if your income drops. This is the single most important number in the whole decision.
- What Bestandsschutz protects
Once accepted, your insurer cannot re-examine your health or cancel your contract because you get sick. Signed conditions stay yours for life.
- Downshifting instead of leaving
If money gets tight, a higher deductible or an internal tariff change cuts the premium while keeping your reserves and acceptance status intact.
Common questions
Related guides
The pages that come up most often when people are preparing the switch.
Confirm eligibility
Three routes, make sure you can actually switch.
Learn moreCost over time
What private really costs over a 30-year horizon.
Learn morePublic vs private compared
The full comparison: cost, family cover, retirement and who each system suits.
Learn moreCheck if you qualify
Employees need €77,400+ per year, the self-employed have no fixed threshold. Two minutes to check.
Learn more