TK health insurance in Germany: the honest 2026 review

17.29% of gross salary (14.6% base plus 2.69% Zusatzbeitrag), split equally with your employer, up to a ceiling of €5,812.50 gross a month. Your share is 8.645%: about €288 on €40,000 a year, €432 on €60,000 and €502.50 from €69,750 upwards. Long-term care insurance adds 1.8% (2.4% if you are childless and over 23). Self-employed members pay the full 17.29% themselves, students a flat €146.29 a month.

Long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung) is compulsory and runs through TK, but it is a separate contribution on top of the 17.29% health rate. In 2026 it is 3.6% of gross income, split equally, and 4.2% if you are 23 or older without children, where the extra 0.6 points are yours alone. From the second child the employee rate falls by 0.25 points per child under 25. At the 2026 ceiling of €5,812.50 a month a childless employee pays €139.50 for it, on top of €502.50 for health cover. Most cost comparisons leave it out, which is why the real figure surprises people on their first payslip.

No. Company insurers open to everyone such as BKK firmus (2.18%) and TUI BKK (2.50%) are cheaper, and hkk and Audi BKK sit just below TK. TK is the cheapest of the large nationwide Krankenkassen and the only one with full English service, which makes it the best value for most English speakers. Switching to firmus saves about €13 a month on a €5,000 salary. See the 2026 Krankenkassen ranking.

Yes. English application, English website and app, and an English-speaking hotline available around the clock. Two limits: letters and the Meine TK member portal are German only, and doctors are independent of TK. Our sign-up service handles the German paperwork for you.

Yes. After 12 months of membership you can switch with two months' notice; if TK raises its Zusatzbeitrag you can leave immediately with the same notice. The new Krankenkasse handles the cancellation and cover continues without a gap.

If you are an employee earning above €77,400 gross a year, self-employed or a civil servant, yes. Give TK two months' notice once your private contract is confirmed; the private insurer needs your health history and a few weeks to underwrite. The step is hard to reverse after age 55, so we run the long-term comparison first. How the switch works.

Yes. A spouse or registered partner with little or no own income and children up to 23 (25 while in education) are covered at no extra cost under family insurance, as with every public Krankenkasse. This is the main reason single-earner families often do better in TK than in private insurance, where every person needs a policy.

Professional dental cleaning is not part of the statutory catalogue; TK refunds it through the bonus programme once you have collected points. Glasses are only covered for children and severe visual impairment. A private tariff or a dental top-up policy closes these gaps.

It is the most common choice for international students because the whole process runs in English and the student rate is regulated and nearly identical across Krankenkassen. Newcomers on an EU Blue Card or work visa can join TK if their salary is under €77,400; above that, a private expat tariff is usually cheaper and satisfies the visa requirement too.

Usually a few working days after a complete application. Through our sign-up service you get the confirmation employers accept typically within 48 hours, and we chase TK if anything is missing.

Nothing automatically. You become voluntarily insured in TK and keep paying the maximum contribution. You may then leave for private insurance with two months' notice. Most people are never told this by their Krankenkasse; the rules are in our guide to the private health insurance salary threshold.