What insurance do I need in Germany
Learn about all the different types of insurance in Germany, and decide exactly which policies make sense for you.
There’s nothing more German than voluntarily filling out more paperwork, so getting insurance is a must when you live in Germany. Luckily, the answer to how to get insurance is becoming easier every year with online services for expats that are entirely in English. If you live here already, you’re probably familiar with compulsory health insurance, but there are many more options beyond that. In this article, you’ll learn about all the different kinds of insurance you could get, starting with health insurance and dental, extending all the way to household, liability, and legal insurance.
Health insurance
First, a quick recap of how health insurance works in Germany. Health insurance is compulsory, and there are two types — public (Gesetzliche Krankenkasse) and private (Private Krankenversicherung). If you make less than €64.350 per year, or €5.362,50 per month, you must get public insurance, and you do this by choosing a provider. The most popular and arguably the best insurance in Germany amongst expats is TK (Techniker Krankenkasse) because they provide most of their services in English. Click on this link to apply for insurance with TK, and they’ll get back to you within a day with further instructions. If you want to get private insurance because you’re interested in more extensive coverage like private clinics, subsidized glasses and contact lenses, and shorter wait times for the doctor, you can book a free English language appointment to weigh your options by clicking on this link. Private insurance is a great option if you’re not in a high risk category or you won’t be living in Germany long term.
Expat insurance
If you’ve just arrived in Germany and you’re unable to sign up for public health insurance for whatever reason, expat insurance may be best for you. It’s essentially a long term travel insurance policy that covers your basic healthcare needs and still lets you enroll in a public insurance scheme later. You can also use it to fulfill the insurance requirement of your residence permit so you can get legally insured ASAP. The only thing to remember is that you can’t stay on it for more than two years. Click on this link to apply and get covered within a day or a few days at most.
Dental insurance
Public health insurance covers the basics of dental care like check-ups, but everything beyond that will cost extra. You typically have to pay for operations from routine cleanings to serious dental surgeries out of pocket. Having a standalone dental insurance policy is a must if you plan on visiting the dentist more than once a year, or you anticipate getting any dental work done. Click on this link to choose between a basic policy that covers cleanings and other necessary treatments, or an advanced policy that will also cover more cosmetic procedures like tooth replacements and teeth whitening.
Household insurance
Now that we’ve covered all the various types of health insurance, we can expand on less common, but equally valuable types of insurance in Germany. The first one is probably the most necessary — household insurance or Hausratversicherung. As the name implies, this insurance covers all the contents of your home. In the event of a fire, or water damage, or burglary, household insurance will cover the cost of all your valuables. You typically provide a cost estimate of your household valuables, and the price of the policy reflects your estimate. Having all your stuff covered, especially if you own many valuables, provides priceless peace of mind. Click on this link to get a quote in just a few minutes.
Private liability insurance
Like household insurance, private liability insurance is another policy that guards against the unexpected. Also known as Privathaftpflichtversicherung in Germany, this type of insurance covers up to €30 million in costs related to property damage, personal injury, and asset loss. For example, if you’re renting a flat and accidentally damage the property, this policy will pay for the repairs so you don’t have to worry about your landlord. If you get into an accident and cause injury to another person, this policy will pay for that person’s medical expenses. If you accidentally break someone’s laptop and cause that person to lose income, this policy will cover his or her lost wages. Click on this link to get covered immediately.
Legal insurance
We’ve arrived at the last key insurance policy you should consider, and it’s one of the most effective German insurance policies. Dealing with legal matters is difficult in any language, but it’s especially difficult in German, and even more so if you’re not fluent. Fortunately, legal insurance will cover the cost of lawyers, court, assessors, and mediation. If you’re interested in pursuing legal action, you can meet a qualified specialist from an exclusive network of lawyers. Even if you just have some legal-ish questions, you can get free advice from a lawyer over the phone. Examples of legal matters that could affect you include tax charges from the Finanzamt, work contract disputes, wrongful termination, traffic tickets, and home damages. Click on this link to get a quote in just a few minutes and get legal coverage.
The world of insurance can be tedious, and as I joked in the beginning, it historically involves a lot of paperwork. However, there are simple solutions for each of the policies covered in this article in cooperation with many of Germany’s top insurance companies. Just because you’re an expat in Germany, doesn’t mean you should be left vulnerable to life’s emergencies. Pick and choose whichever policies make most sense for you, and get covered like a local.
If you enjoyed this article, check out other articles for expats including guides on how to write a resume in Germany, how to rent a flat in Germany, and how to register your address.
