Key takeaways

• Publicly insured people can insure their dependents for free in public health insurance if they meet specific criteria.
• Privately insured people can’t get free family insurance for their dependents. They must get a separate private health insurance policy for each family member.
• You can insure your spouse, life partners, children, step-children, and grandchildren for free in family insurance.

This is how you do it

• Check if you and your family member meet free family health insurance requirements.
•  If you meet the conditions, contact your public health insurance provider to insure your dependents.
• You can also take supplementary private health insurance on top of free family insurance. This way, you can access health services not part of public health insurance.
• Some public health insurers have increased their monthly premium in 2024. You can change your health insurance provider if the insurer has raised the costs. Some insurers that haven’t raised costs are TK, AOK, Barrmer, and DAK. You can make the change via Feather*. Feather offers free services in English. 

Table of Contents

What is family insurance (Fami­li­en­ver­si­che­rung)?

Having health insurance in Germany is mandatory by law. Thus, you must get health insurance for your spouse and children.

There are two types of health insurance in Germany: public (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) and private health insurance (Privat Krankenversicherung).

You can insure your family members under your public health insurance for free. In this case, your family members’ health insurance is called family health insurance (Fami­li­en­ver­si­che­rung in German).

You must meet certain requirements to get free family health insurance. You’ll learn about them later in this guide.

If you have private health insurance, you cannot insure your dependents for free. You must get a separate private health insurance policy for your children and spouse.

What are the requirements for family insurance?

Public health insurance is cheaper than private insurance if you have one or more children. It’s because you can insure your children and spouse for free in statutory health insurance.

Moreover, every family member insured for free receives the same insurance benefits as you, except for sick pay. Here are the requirements your family members must meet to get free health insurance in Germany.

• The family member to be insured must live in Germany.
• They do not work full-time as self-employed.
• The family member must not be exempt from public insurance. For example, they are a high-earning employee or civil servant.
• People from certain professional groups, such as civil servants, judges, soldiers, or clergy, cannot be included in family insurance.
• Their monthly income doesn’t exceed the minimum income limit. The income limit is 505 € per month as of 2024.
• The income shouldn’t exceed the mini-job income limit for family members working part-time. It’s 538 € per month as of 2024.

TIP: You can exceed the income limits up to twice a year.

For example, suppose you earned 550 € in August and September each. And for other months, your income was below the income limit.

In this case, you remain insured for free in family health insurance. But if you exceed the income limit by more than twice a year, you must pay for health insurance.

NOTE: Only people part of the public health insurance system can insure their families for free in family insurance. People with private health insurance must get a private insurance policy for their relatives.

Who can be insured under family health insurance for free in Germany?

The following people can have a free statutory health insurance plan if they meet the requirements. 

• Spouses or life partners
• Both spouses or life partners can remain insured in family insurance until the divorce is finalized, even if they live separately.
• Children can be insured for free in public insurance up to 18. It also applies to foster and stepchildren. You can also insure your grandchildren if you primarily support them. You can even insure your child up to 23 for free if they are not employed. And up to 25 if they are in training or studying.
• If the training is interrupted by military service, voluntary service, or work as a development worker, an extension of twelve months is possible.
• Children who cannot look after themselves due to a disability remain insured for free in family insurance for an unlimited period.

NOTE: Suppose you earn more than the income limit as a student. In this case, you cannot be insured in free family insurance. Always contact your public insurer before getting a part-time job during your studies.

How do you apply for health insurance for families?

Insuring your spouse and children with your public health insurer is as follows. 

• Fill out the form “Fragenbogen die Aufnahme in die Familienversicherung.”
• Submit the form and the requested documents to your public health insurance provider. 

Your public insurer will validate the form and the documents. If everything is fine, your insurance company will send a confirmation letter and a health insurance card (only if your family member doesn’t have one).

Nowadays, you can do the whole process online on your public insurer’s website. You must log in to the insurer’s portal and search for the form.

What are the income limits to get free family health insurance in Germany?

Children and partners who want free family insurance must have a low income. If your family member’s earnings exceed the applicable limit, they cannot be insured for free in family insurance.

The income limit depends on the type of employment. Here are the income limits for the common professions.

Regular employees

A regular Employee is one who works on a full-time or part-time basis on regularly scheduled shifts of a continuing nature.

The income limit is 505 € per month if your family member is a regular employee. However, the family member can deduct income-related expenses or the flat rate amount from their gross income.

Hence, the income limit increases from 505 € to 607.5 € per month. The amount is calculated by adding the income limit of 505 € and the flat rate for income-related expenses of 1,230 € per year (102.50 € per month). 

Suppose your relative has higher income-related expenses than the flat rate. In this case, the income limit can be higher (income limit plus income-related expenses).

Self-employed

The income limit for self-employed family members is 505 € per month. However, they should be self-employed part-time to qualify for free family health insurance.

The income considered for health insurance is the profit from self-employment.

Mini job

Your family members can be insured free of charge if they earn up to 538 € a month in a mini job. 

What do German health insurance companies consider as income for family insurance?

Public health insurance providers consider the income from the following sources for family insurance.

• Income from wages and salaries.
• Profits from business.
• Income from renting and leasing.
• Pension payments
• Interest and dividend income from investments.
• Capital gains from selling the investments.

NOTE: You can deduct the saver allowance of 1000 € from income from investments. Thus, up to 1000 € of investment income doesn’t impact the health insurance income limit. 

What to do if your income exceeds the income limit later?

You must inform your public health insurance provider once your total income exceeds the income limit.

If you keep the change in income secret, the health insurance company will terminate your family insurance retroactively. Moreover, they may demand additional contributions.

When can children not be insured?

In the following cases, children cannot be insured for free in family health insurance.

• Both parents have private health insurance.
• One parent has private health insurance, and the other has public. In this case, the child cannot be insured with free family insurance if the parents meet all the conditions below.
  • The parents are married or life partners under the Civil Partnership Act.
  • The privately insured parent earns more than the publicly insured parent.
  • The total monthly income of the privately insured parent exceeds the annual salary limit (5,775 euros per month gross as of  2024).

Read our guide on health insurance for children to learn more.

What happens when family insurance ends?

Once your child is older than 25, they must get their own health insurance. Children older than 25 have the following options.

• If your child is a student, they can take discounted student health insurance. However, discounted student health insurance is for children who are below 30.
• Students who are 30 or above should get a regular health insurance policy.
• Children who have full-time jobs must get a regular health insurance policy. They can choose between private or public health insurance depending on their income.

Student health insurance via public insurer costs around 115 € per month, plus the additional contribution. As of 2024, the additional contribution is 1.7%. Hence, students pay around 129 € per month in health insurance premiums.

References

• https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/gesundheit-pflege/krankenversicherung/familienversicherung-in-der-krankenkasse-wer-kostenlos-mit-rein-kommt-28982
• https://www.tk.de/techniker/leistungen-und-mitgliedschaft/informationen-versicherte/leistungen/entlastung-fuer-familien/versichert-als-familie-in-der-familienversicherung-2000760
• https://www.finanztip.de/gkv/familienversicherung/
• https://www.finanztip.de/krankenversicherung/krankenversicherung-student/
• https://germanpedia.com/german-health-insurance-international-students/