Healthcare

Yes. GKV coverage begins on your first day of employment. However, your physical Gesundheitskarte (insurance card) takes 2–3 weeks to arrive by post. In the meantime, ask your Krankenkasse for a paper Mitgliedsbescheinigung (membership certificate) - pharmacies and doctors accept this as proof of insurance while you wait for the card.

Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) is almost universally recommended for expats. TK offers an excellent English-language app for submitting claims, downloading documents, and contacting support, a comprehensive English website, and English-speaking phone agents. Barmer and DAK also have improving English-language services. AOK is regionally managed and quality varies - it can be excellent in Bavaria but inconsistent elsewhere.

Yes, under GKV family insurance (Familienversicherung). A spouse or civil partner who earns less than €505/month (2025) and children under 23 are covered for free under your GKV policy - no additional premium. However, if your spouse earns over €505/month, they must take out their own GKV policy. Under PKV, each family member requires a separate policy, which significantly increases costs for families.

If you become unemployed and register with the Arbeitsagentur (employment agency), you automatically receive continued GKV coverage funded by the unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung). If you are self-employed or not registered as unemployed, you must either continue voluntary GKV membership (minimum contribution ~€226/month in 2025) or arrange private coverage. You cannot be uninsured - the Krankenkasse will retroactively charge premiums for any gap period.

Basic dental care is covered by GKV: check-ups twice a year, basic fillings, simple extractions, and dentures at 60% (rising to 80–90% if you have maintained your Bonusheft for 5+ consecutive years). However, high-quality restorations (ceramic inlays, implants, premium dentures) require significant out-of-pocket payments. Many expats add supplementary dental insurance (Zahnzusatzversicherung) for €8–€20/month to cover these extras.