Who Can Get Private Health Insurance in Germany? Income Threshold 2026

Whether you can join private health insurance in Germany depends on your employment type and, if you are an employee, on your gross salary. It does not depend on your nationality, how long you have lived here or whether you speak German. This guide gives the 2026 numbers, the rules for each group and what happens if your income changes.

Being eligible is only the first step. Private insurers then assess your health, and they can accept, surcharge, restrict or decline you. See eligible is not the same as accepted.

What is the income threshold for private health insurance?

The threshold, called the Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze (JAEG), is the gross annual pay above which an employee is no longer required to be in public health insurance (GKV). In 2026 it is €77,400 per year, or €6,450 per month. From 1 January 2027 it is planned to be €84,150 per year, or €7,012.50 per month. The 2027 figure still needs Bundesrat approval, expected in November 2026.

Do not confuse the JAEG with the contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze). The 2026 contribution ceiling for health insurance is €69,750 per year (€5,812.50 per month). Above that income, public health insurance contributions stop rising. It is lower than the JAEG, which is why you can earn more than the ceiling and still be required to stay in GKV.

A second, lower threshold of €69,750 per year applies only to people who were already privately insured on 31 December 2002. It is not relevant for most readers.

What counts as income for the private health insurance threshold?

The test looks at your regular gross annual pay, not what you actually received last year. Base salary, contractually agreed regular extras such as a fixed 13th salary, and guaranteed bonuses written into your contract usually count. Irregular or discretionary bonuses and one-off payments such as a signing bonus usually do not.

How a specific contract is treated can differ. Your health fund decides the question when you apply, so check your payslip and contract with an adviser before you rely on a bonus to cross the line.

When can an employee leave public health insurance?

An employee can leave GKV when regular annual gross pay is above the JAEG. A new hire above the threshold can be exempt from the start of the job. An existing employee becomes exempt at the end of the calendar year in which they exceed it, if pay is also expected to exceed the next year's threshold.

• New hire above the threshold: you can be exempt from the start of the job.
• Existing employee whose pay rises above the threshold: you become exempt at the end of the calendar year in which you exceed it, as long as you are also expected to exceed the next year's threshold.
• The test looks forward. It is about your expected regular pay, not a one-off peak.

Why many employees check: the employer subsidy

If you go private as an employee, your employer must contribute to your premium. In 2026 the maximum subsidy is €508.59 per month for health cover plus €104.63 per month for long-term care, a combined maximum of €613.22 per month. The subsidy is also capped at half of your actual premium.

For comparison, an employee in GKV at the contribution ceiling pays about €613.22 per month for health and care combined (€648.09 without children), at the average 2026 additional contribution of 2.9%. Your employer pays its own share on top. Your own fund's rate varies. See private health insurance cost in Germany and public vs private health insurance for the full comparison.

Can self-employed people and freelancers get private health insurance?

If you are self-employed, a freelancer (Freiberufler) or a sole trader (Gewerbetreibender), the law lets you choose between GKV and private health insurance whatever your income. You are not under compulsory employee insurance, so there is no threshold to meet. Insurers still set their own conditions.

In practice, insurers set their own conditions. Some ask for a minimum income, a minimum time living in Germany, or a track record of self-employment, and these rules differ by insurer and by age. A freelancer who is eligible by law can still be turned down by one insurer and accepted by another.

The ranges depend on whether you want sick pay (Krankengeld), whether you have children, and your fund's additional contribution. They are calculated using the average 2026 additional contribution of 2.9%. Private premiums do not depend on income at all. They depend on your age at entry, your health, your deductible and the plan you choose.

Civil servants (Beamte)

Civil servants receive Beihilfe, a state health subsidy that covers a large share of medical costs directly. Because GKV does not account for Beihilfe, civil servants almost always choose private health insurance.

Private cover for civil servants is designed to complement Beihilfe. You insure only the portion Beihilfe does not pay, so your premium is lower than for a regular employee. No income threshold applies.

Can students and new arrivals get private health insurance?

Students are usually in the cheap student tier of public insurance, at roughly €143 to €148 per month in 2026, but can apply within 3 months of enrolment to be exempt and go private. The decision is irrevocable for the whole course of study. New arrivals need cover equivalent to the public system for their visa.

Students

Students are usually in the cheap student tier of GKV. In 2026 that costs roughly €143 to €148 per month, depending on the fund. Compulsory student insurance generally ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30, with extensions for recognised reasons.

You can instead apply for an exemption and go private. You must apply within 3 months of enrolment, and the decision is irrevocable for your whole course of study. Afterwards you can only return to GKV under the normal rules. See private health insurance for students before you decide.

New arrivals and expats

Your visa needs adequate health insurance, meaning cover equivalent to the public system. Travel insurance is accepted only in limited cases, such as short-stay visas or the period before your job starts, and practice varies by immigration office.

• Employee earning below €77,400 (2026): you must join GKV from your first day of work.
• Employee earning above €77,400 (2026): you can choose private health insurance or voluntary GKV.
• Self-employed: you can choose, subject to insurer conditions.

If your income falls below the threshold

A drop in pay, a career break or a job loss can change which system you belong to. The rules below are general. Your own case depends on dates and contracts, so get advice before you change anything. See also how to return to public health insurance.

• Employee, pay falls below the JAEG: you generally become subject to compulsory GKV again. Exemptions and strict deadlines can apply.
• Unemployment benefit (ALG I): under 55, receiving ALG I generally makes you liable for compulsory GKV.
• Age 55 or over (the 55+ rule): if you become liable for compulsory insurance at 55 or older, you stay exempt if both apply: you had no GKV coverage in the previous 5 years, and for at least half of those 5 years you were exempt, not subject to compulsory insurance, or self-employed. In practice, returning to GKV after 55 is largely blocked.
• Self-employed: lower income does not end your eligibility. Your private premium does not shrink with your income, so make sure you can carry it.

Can a private insurer turn you down?

Yes. Being eligible is not the same as being accepted. Unlike GKV, private health insurance requires a health questionnaire before you join, which you must answer completely and truthfully. Based on your answers, the insurer can accept you, add a surcharge, exclude conditions or, in some cases, decline you. The options in detail are in our guide to pre-existing conditions:

• Accept you on standard terms
• Charge a risk surcharge (Risikozuschlag)
• Exclude specific conditions (Ausschluss)
• In some cases, decline you

Pre-existing conditions do not automatically rule you out. Many people with minor or past issues are accepted on normal or near-normal terms. Honest answers matter, because incorrect answers can put your cover at risk when you make a claim.

A fallback tariff (Basistarif) exists for people who are entitled to it. Insurers must accept applicants for it without risk surcharges, and the premium is capped at €1,017.19 per month in 2026. It is basic cover, not a plan to aim for.

Is there an age limit for private health insurance?

There is no legal upper age limit for private health insurance. Age is one of the main drivers of your premium, though, and it changes how strong the case for switching is. By law, insurers add a 10% surcharge on comprehensive plans from the calendar year after you turn 21 up to the year you turn 60, which later helps limit premium increases.

Already been in Germany for years?

Many expats qualified for years and simply never checked. If that sounds like you, the only way to know is to check your current numbers. See our guide on switching from public to private health insurance for the practical steps, and our GKV guide for what you would leave behind.

What you need to apply

The quickest way to find out whether you qualify, and whether it makes sense, is to talk to an adviser. MyHealthcareBroker's independent consultants work in English and can check your position. To get a firm answer, have these ready:

• Your latest payslips or, if self-employed, your recent income figures
• Your employment contract, showing any fixed extras such as a 13th salary
• Your employment type (employed, self-employed, civil servant, student)
• Your age and date of birth
• Your family situation: a non-working partner or children
• A short overview of your health history, including treatments in recent years
• Your current health fund details, if you are switching

From this, an adviser can tell you whether you qualify, what you would likely pay, and whether switching makes financial sense for your family.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Deutsche Rentenversicherung: Rechengrößen 2026 (threshold and contribution ceiling)
• § 6 SGB V: Versicherungsfreiheit (who is exempt from compulsory insurance, including the 55+ rule)
• Bundesrat Drucksache 576/26 (2027 values, Bundesrat approval pending)
• § 2 AufenthG (health insurance and residence permits)

Figures last checked on 14 October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.