Family insurance in the statutory health insurance scheme
Your way to the application
Many statutory health insurance companies offer you the option of submitting your application for family insurance online. Please visit the website of your health insurance fund.
If your statutory health insurance company does not offer an online procedure, you can submit the application for family insurance by post or hand it in in person at the office.
Contact your statutory health insurance fund directly if you would like further information or advice.
- A copy of your partner’s most recent pay stub or income tax assessment if your partner is not covered by statutory health insurance
- For children aged 23 and older: proof of enrollment in school or college
In some cases, additional documents such as pension notices or proof of investment income may be required. Please check with your statutory health insurance provider for more information.
You do not have to pay anything for the application.
Simply explained
As a member of a statutory health insurance plan, you can include family members in your coverage at no additional cost under certain conditions. You can apply for family coverage for your dependents through your statutory health insurance provider.
You can include the following family members on your policy:
- Your spouse or registered partner, provided they have no income or only a small amount of income of their own
- Your children up to certain age limits,
- grandchildren and stepchildren who live in your household or for whom you provide financial support, as well as foster children
If you and your spouse are insured under different statutory health insurance plans, you can choose where to enroll your child or children in family coverage.
What requirements must be met?
You can apply for family health insurance if
- you have statutory health insurance
- your family members live in Germany
Your spouse or partner:
- is not primarily self-employed or covered by statutory health insurance, for example as an employee or a retiree;
- is not covered by private health insurance, for example as an employee, a civil servant, or a retired civil servant;
- is not exempt from the obligation to have health insurance; and
- has no income or only a small amount of income. The exact income threshold is set anew by the legislature each year.
Your children are
- under 18 years of age or
- under 23 years of age and not yet employed, or
- under 25 years of age and are still attending school, studying, or completing an unpaid vocational training program
Children with a disability can remain on family insurance permanently if they are unable to support themselves even as adults.
You can include your grandchildren and stepchildren under family insurance within the specified age limits, provided they
- live in your household or
- you are primarily responsible for their support.
- Foster children who live permanently in your household are also included in the group of children who can be covered under family insurance.
If your spouse or partner is not covered by statutory health insurance—but is, for example, privately insured—you may only include your children in your coverage at no cost if
- your partner’s income is below the statutory annual income limit, or
- your partner earns less than you do.
Frequently asked questions and answers
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