An Anwartschaft (Anwartschaftsversicherung) puts a German health insurance contract on hold: you pay a reduced contribution, receive no benefits, and keep the right to return to your insurer or tariff later. It mainly matters for privately insured people and for those who will not automatically become compulsorily insured when they come back.
It depends on
Private insurers offer small and large versions with different long-term effects, while statutory funds offer a single, fund-specific option.
If you will take a job below the earnings threshold, statutory insurance usually starts again automatically and an Anwartschaft may be unnecessary.
Duration and destination affect whether an Anwartschaft is available and whether it is worth the cost.
Who needs it
An Anwartschaft is worth considering if you have German private health insurance and may return, because it lets you come back without a new health check. It can also help statutory members who are self-employed, voluntarily insured or unlikely to take up employee work after returning, since they may otherwise struggle to rejoin. Older movers should look at it especially carefully. It is not cover: during the Anwartschaft you receive no benefits, so you still need health insurance in your new country. People posted abroad who stay in German social insurance usually do not need one.
How it works
- 1
Assess your return scenario
If you expect to return as an employee earning below €77,400 a year, statutory insurance usually resumes on its own. Otherwise, rejoining can be harder.
- 2
Private insurance: choose small or large
A small Anwartschaft secures your return without a new health check. A large one also keeps building ageing reserves and your original entry age, which helps keep later premiums lower.
- 3
Statutory insurance: ask your fund
Funds usually calculate the contribution from 10% of the monthly reference value (€3,955 in 2026). Conditions and availability differ, so ask before you leave.
- 4
Arrange it before you leave
Apply while your contract is still active and get written confirmation of the terms, including long-term care insurance.
- 5
Insure yourself abroad separately
Take out international or local health insurance for your time abroad, then reactivate your German contract when you return.
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory Anwartschaft (example fund) | €84.56 or €86.93 per month4 | Other funds charge different amounts. |
| Private small Anwartschaft | [amount] | Usually the cheaper private option; ask your insurer for the exact amount. |
| Private large Anwartschaft | [amount] | Noticeably more expensive because ageing reserves continue to build. |
Key facts
| Fact | Value | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benefits during an Anwartschaft | None; it does not replace health insurance abroad | 13 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Private Anwartschaft types | Small: return to the tariff without a new health check; large: additionally keeps building ageing reserves and the original entry age | 12 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Statutory Anwartschaft contribution (example: Bosch BKK) | €84.56 or €86.93 per month | 4 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Monthly reference value (Bezugsgröße) in social insurance | €3,955 per month | 56 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Statutory health insurance earnings threshold (Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze) | €77,400 per year (€6,450 per month) | 56 | 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 | 78 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Statutory Anwartschaft for stays in the EU or social security agreement countries | [to verify] | 1 | checked 15 October 2026 |
| Return to statutory insurance for people over 55 after years abroad | [to verify] | 2 | checked 15 October 2026 |
Common mistakes
- Assuming an Anwartschaft provides any medical cover while you are abroad.
- Cancelling a private policy outright and later facing a new health check and a higher entry age.
- Choosing a small Anwartschaft for a long absence without comparing the effect on future premiums.
- Waiting until after departure to ask, when the original contract may already have ended.
- Paying for a statutory Anwartschaft although employment on return would make you compulsorily insured anyway.
FAQ
Does an Anwartschaft cover me while I live abroad?
No. During an Anwartschaft the contract is suspended and you receive no benefits. It only secures your right to return to your insurer or tariff later. You still need health insurance that covers you in your new country, such as an international policy or the local system.
What is the difference between a small and a large private Anwartschaft?
A small Anwartschaft keeps your right to return to your tariff without a new health check. A large one also continues building ageing reserves and keeps your original entry age, so premiums after your return are usually lower and more stable. The large version costs more while you are away.
Do I need one if I move within the EU?
Often not for statutory members, because EU coordination rules link national systems and statutory funds may not offer it in these cases. Private policies continue in other EU/EEA states anyway, although the insurer owes only the benefits it would pay in Germany. Ask your insurer which option fits your plans.
Is there an age issue?
Yes. Returning to statutory insurance becomes harder with age, and special restrictions apply to older people who have not been statutorily insured for some years. If you are no longer young and may not return as an employee, get individual advice from your fund or an adviser before deciding.
Sources
- Deutsche im Ausland e.V. (information network for Germans abroad), Anwartschaft – was ist das und was bringt es? (opens in a new tab)Official guidance · checked 15 October 2026
- Deutsche im Ausland e.V. (information network for Germans abroad), Rückkehr in die deutsche Krankenversicherung nach Auslandsaufenthalt (opens in a new tab)Official guidance · checked 15 October 2026
- Techniker Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer), Anwartschaft bei Beschäftigungen im Ausland (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), 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
- 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
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