In most cases, yes. If you move your residence outside the EU, German statutory cover usually ends, and statutory benefits are suspended while you are abroad. Inside the EU you normally join the new country's system or must show your own cover. Travel insurance is designed for trips, so long-term movers usually need international health insurance.
It depends on
Inside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, coordination rules decide which country covers you; outside, German cover usually ends with the move.
Local employees are normally insured where they work, posted workers may keep German cover, and retirees or people not working often need private cover.
Statutory and private policies react differently to a move, especially outside the EU/EEA.
Who needs it
Anyone leaving Germany for longer than a typical holiday should check this before booking flights. It matters most for people moving outside the EU, retirees and early retirees, freelancers and digital nomads, families relocating with children, and anyone whose destination asks for proof of health insurance for a visa or residence registration. Employees posted by a German employer and people taking a local job in another EU country may stay covered through a social insurance system, but they should confirm the details in writing, because gaps often appear around the start date, for family members, or for repatriation costs.
How it works
- 1
Check what happens to your German cover
Statutory benefits are generally suspended while you are abroad, and outside the EU membership usually ends with the move. Private policies continue in the EU/EEA but usually end on a move elsewhere.
- 2
Clarify your EU position
If you take a job in another EU country you are normally insured there. Pensioners request an S1 form before moving; people not working need comprehensive health insurance to reside for more than 3 months.
- 3
Read the visa or residence conditions
Many residence permits and long-stay visas require proof of health insurance meeting specific conditions. Check the consulate's list before choosing a policy.
- 4
Compare international policies
Look at the area of cover, deductibles, treatment of pre-existing conditions, evacuation and repatriation, and whether the insurer can issue the certificate the authorities accept.
- 5
Decide whether to keep a door open in Germany
If you may return, ask your German insurer whether suspending your contract with an Anwartschaft makes sense in your case.
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| International health insurance premium | [amount] | Depends on age, area of cover, deductible and health history; request several quotes. |
| Optional statutory Anwartschaft (example fund) | €84.56 or €86.93 per month11 | Amounts differ between funds. |
Key facts
| Fact | Value | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statutory health benefits while abroad (§ 16(1) no. 1 SGB V) | Suspended (ruhen) unless the law provides otherwise | 12 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Statutory health insurance after moving residence outside the EU | Usually ends with the move of residence | 2 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| German private health insurance on a move to another EU/EEA state (§ 207(3) VVG) | Contract continues; insurer owes the benefits it would owe for residence in Germany | 34 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| German private health insurance on a move outside the EU/EEA | Usually ends; insurer may agree to continue, possibly with a surcharge, but is not obliged | 42 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scope | Necessary care that cannot wait during temporary stays; excludes private healthcare, repatriation and planned treatment | 52 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Travel health insurance and your country of residence | Policies may exclude the country of habitual or permanent residence | 6 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| EU residence of more than 3 months for people not working (e.g. retirees) | Comprehensive health insurance in the host country and sufficient income required | 7 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Pensioners moving within the EU | Request an S1 form from the current insurer before moving; covered by the pension-paying country's system | 7 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| A1 certificate for postings within the EU/EEA/Switzerland | Confirms German social security applies; employer applies electronically, also for short trips; postings beyond 24 months need an exception agreement | 812 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Statutory health insurance earnings threshold (Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze) | €77,400 per year (€6,450 per month) | 910 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Statutory Anwartschaft contribution (example: Bosch BKK) | €84.56 or €86.93 per month | 11 | checked 15 October 2026 |
Common mistakes
- Relying on the EHIC after moving, although it is meant for temporary stays and excludes private care and repatriation.
- Buying travel insurance for a permanent move, even though many policies exclude the country where you have your habitual residence.
- Cancelling German cover before the new policy starts, which leaves a gap in protection.
- Assuming a German private policy automatically continues after a move outside the EU/EEA.
- Choosing a policy before checking whether it meets the destination's visa conditions.
FAQ
Does German statutory insurance cover me if I move to another EU country?
It depends on your situation. If you work in the new country, you are normally insured there. If you live on a German pension, you usually remain attached to the German system through an S1 form. If you neither work nor draw a pension, you generally need comprehensive health insurance of your own to live there for more than 3 months.
Is travel insurance enough for my first year abroad?
Usually not once you have moved. Travel health policies are built for trips from a home country, and many exclude the country where you have your habitual or permanent residence. They can bridge a short exploratory stay, but once you register as a resident you generally need a policy designed for people living abroad.
My employer is sending me abroad. Do I still need my own policy?
Within the EU/EEA and Switzerland, a posted employee can keep German social security with an A1 certificate; postings beyond 24 months need an exception agreement. Outside these countries, it depends on whether a social security agreement applies. Many employers add group international cover, so check what is included for you and your family.
Can I return to German statutory insurance later?
Often, yes. If you take up employment in Germany with earnings below the threshold (€77,400 per year in 2026), you usually become compulsorily insured again. Self-employed returnees, people without a job and older returnees can face restrictions, so get advice before you leave and consider whether an Anwartschaft is useful.
Sources
- Sozialgesetzbuch V (federal law text, reproduced by lxgesetze.de), § 16 SGB V – Ruhen des Anspruchs (opens in a new tab)Law · checked 15 October 2026
- Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centres), Krankenversicherung im Ausland: Wie lange bin ich geschützt? (opens in a new tab)Official guidance · checked 15 October 2026
- Versicherungsvertragsgesetz (federal law text, reproduced by lxgesetze.de), § 207 VVG – Fortsetzung des Versicherungsverhältnisses (opens in a new tab)Law · checked 15 October 2026
- Verband der Privaten Krankenversicherung e.V., Lexikon: Auslandsaufenthalt (dauerhaft) (opens in a new tab)Official guidance · checked 15 October 2026
- European Union – Your Europe, FAQs – Health cover for temporary stays (opens in a new tab)Authority · checked 15 October 2026
- Verband der Privaten Krankenversicherung e.V., Die Auslandsreisekrankenversicherung (Stand September 2018) (opens in a new tab)Official guidance · checked 15 October 2026
- Publications Office of the European Union, Retiring in the EU – what happens with your pension, healthcare and residence (opens in a new tab)Authority · checked 15 October 2026
- AOK (statutory health insurer), A1-Bescheinigung zur Entsendung (opens in a new tab)Authority · checked 15 October 2026
- Techniker Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer), Die Sozialversicherungs-Rechengrößen 2026 (opens in a new tab)Authority · checked 15 October 2026
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung, Bundeskabinett beschließt Sozialversicherungsrechengrößen 2026 (opens in a new tab)Authority · checked 15 October 2026
- Bosch BKK (statutory health insurer), Merkblatt: Hinweise zur Anwartschaftsversicherung (2026 values) (opens in a new tab)Authority · checked 15 October 2026
- Techniker Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer), FAQ Homeoffice im Ausland (16.09.2025) (opens in a new tab)Authority · checked 15 October 2026
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