How to Switch from Public to Private Health Insurance in Germany (2026)
How to switch from public to private health insurance in Germany: 2026 eligibility, notice periods with dates, step-by-step process and mistakes to avoid.
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Switching from public to private health insurance in Germany is allowed only for certain groups: employees above an income limit, the self-employed, civil servants and exempt students. If you are in one of those groups, the switch itself is a short paper process. The hard part is deciding whether it is right for you, and getting the timing and the order of steps correct.
This guide covers who can switch in 2026, how the notice period works with real dates, what the process looks like, and when staying public is the better choice.
Quick answer: can you switch in 2026?
| Your situation | Can you go private in 2026? |
|---|---|
| Employee | Yes, if regular gross pay is above €77,400 a year (€6,450 a month, 2026) and you are expected to exceed next year's limit too. Exit is at the end of the calendar year, usually January 1. New hires above the limit are exempt from day one. |
| Self-employed or freelancer | Yes, at any income. |
| Civil servant (Beamter) | Yes. Beihilfe covers part of the costs and a private policy covers the rest. |
| Student | Only if you apply for an exemption within 3 months of enrolling. It cannot be reversed during your studies. |
| GKV cancellation | 2 full months' notice (§175 SGB V). Cancel only after the private policy is confirmed in writing. |
Not sure which row you are in? A quick check with an independent consultant settles it. See the process or use the button at the end of this page.
Can you switch to private health insurance?
Yes, if you are self-employed, a civil servant, or an employee earning above the income limit, called the Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze (JAEG). The limit is €77,400 a year in 2026 (planned €84,150 from 2027). Students can apply for an exemption within 3 months of enrolling. Employees below the limit stay in public insurance.
- Your regular gross annual pay is above €84,150 (€7,012.50 a month), the 2027 JAEG (€77,400 in 2026). The 2027 figure was approved by the federal cabinet and still needs Bundesrat approval, expected in November 2026.
- You are also expected to be above the JAEG next year. You then become exempt at the end of the calendar year in which you crossed it
- If you start a new job above the JAEG, you are exempt immediately
- There is no income threshold for freelancers and the self-employed
- You can choose private cover from the start of self-employment
- You pay 100% of your own premium, with no employer subsidy
- Voluntary GKV is not cheap at the top end: the 2026 maximum is about €1,192 a month, and the minimum is about €270 a month
Other groups
- Civil servants: Beihilfe pays a share of your medical costs, and a private policy covers the rest. Most civil servants go private.
- Students: you can apply for an exemption from compulsory student insurance within 3 months of enrolling. It is irrevocable for the whole course of study, so think carefully. Student GKV costs about €143 to €148 a month in 2026, depending on the fund. See private health insurance for students.
- Apprentices and employees below the JAEG: you stay in GKV. There is no way to opt out below the limit. See who qualifies for private health insurance for the full picture.
Watch the 2027 limit. The 2027 JAEG is €84,150 a year (€7,012.50 a month), up from €77,400 in 2026. If you earn between €77,400 and €84,150, you are above the limit in 2026 but not in 2027, so you cannot leave public insurance on 1 January 2027. If you are already privately insured, a separate, lower limit (about €80,550 in 2027, planned) is meant to stop you being moved back into public insurance. Details in our 2027 threshold guide.
Should you switch from public to private health insurance?
Being allowed to switch does not mean you should. Private premiums follow your age and health at entry, not your income. That helps young, healthy singles with stable pay well above the limit. It hurts people near the limit, those with a non-earning partner and children, and those with serious health conditions. A checklist follows.
- You are young and healthy, so your entry premium is lower and the health questions are simple
- You are single, or your partner earns their own income and does not need to be covered through you
- Your job and income are stable and well above the limit
- You want faster specialist access and a wider choice of treatment and hospital cover
- You see Germany as a long-term home, not a short stay
- Your income sits close to the limit and may drop
- You have a partner with no or very low income and children who would each need their own private premium (GKV family cover is free when its conditions are met)
- You have serious health conditions that may bring large surcharges or exclusions
- You plan to leave Germany soon
- You are not comfortable with premiums that can rise over time
The alternative: stay in GKV and add top-ups. You can stay public and buy supplementary cover, for example a dental top-up or a hospital upgrade. GKV pays a fixed subsidy (Festzuschuss) of 60% of the standard treatment cost for dentures. With a complete Bonusheft it rises to 70% after 5 years and 75% after 10 years. Many current dental top-up tariffs have no waiting period but cap benefits in the first years. For a full comparison, read public vs private health insurance in Germany.
How do you switch from public to private health insurance?
Confirm you are above the income limit, compare plans, complete the health questionnaire honestly and wait for your written policy confirmation. Then cancel public insurance in writing with 2 full months' notice and tell your employer. Never cancel before the private policy is confirmed, and never leave a gap in cover.
Check your regular gross annual pay against the 2026 JAEG of €77,400 (planned €84,150 for 2027). If you are an employee, ask HR for a written confirmation of your salary. If you are self-employed, you are eligible whatever your income, just make sure you are registered as selbstständig.
There are many private insurers in Germany, each with several plan versions. Going to one insurer means you only see its products. MyHealthcareBroker works as independent consultants, compares providers for your profile and explains the options in English. The service is free to you.
Every application includes a medical history questionnaire. Answer fully and truthfully, because a material misrepresentation can void your contract later. A consultant can help you read each question correctly.
Once the insurer accepts you, it issues a Versicherungsschein (policy confirmation) with your start date, premium and coverage. Review it carefully. Only continue to the next step once you have it in writing.
Send a written cancellation to your Krankenkasse with your membership number and the proof of your new private cover. GKV notice is 2 full months, to the end of the second calendar month after you give it (see the date table below). Never leave a gap.
Give HR your insurer's details. Your employer then stops the GKV contribution and pays an Arbeitgeberzuschuss (employer subsidy) toward your private premium. See "What it costs over time" for how the subsidy is capped.
Documents checklist
- Employer certificate or payslips showing your regular gross pay (employees)
- Your employment contract, or proof of self-employment (freelancers)
- Passport or residence permit, and your tax ID
- Your GKV membership number
- Details of your medical history for the last 5 to 10 years (doctors, dates, diagnoses, medication)
- Your bank details (IBAN) for premium payments
When can you switch, and how much notice do you need?
For most employees the switch happens on January 1, because the exemption starts at the end of the year in which you crossed the limit. Mid-year switches exist too, but only when something else changes, such as a new job above the limit or the start of self-employment.
The standard path for employees who cross the limit. Your pay is checked against the limit for the year, and the exit takes effect at the end of that calendar year.
Possible for new hires above the limit, or when you start freelancing. The private start date must fit the end of your GKV notice period.
Notice runs to the end of the second calendar month after you give it. Give notice in October and GKV ends on December 31.
Notice calendar: from cancellation to private start
| Cancellation given in | GKV ends | Private cover can start |
|---|---|---|
| By October 31 | December 31 | January 1 |
| By November 30 | January 31 | February 1 |
| By January 31 | March 31 | April 1 |
Send the cancellation well before the last day of the month. If you are due to become exempt on January 1, plan to cancel in October and have your private policy confirmed before that.
The 12-month commitment period and the special termination right
When you change from one Krankenkasse to another, you are normally bound to the new fund for 12 months. If you recently joined or changed your fund, ask it how this applies to your cancellation. One exception is useful to know: if your fund raises its Zusatzbeitrag (additional contribution), you have a special termination right (Sonderkündigungsrecht) and can leave without waiting out the 12 months, up to the end of the month in which the increase takes effect.
The best time to switch is as soon as you qualify and have decided. Every year you wait, your entry age rises and your health history grows, and both feed into your private premium.
What does the private health insurance questionnaire ask?
The questionnaire asks about hospital stays and treatments in the past 5 years, ongoing medication, chronic conditions, mental health treatment and surgeries in the past 5 to 10 years. A pre-existing condition does not automatically rule you out, but you must answer fully and truthfully, because concealing a condition can end your policy or void a claim. See pre-existing conditions and private insurance for how risk surcharges and exclusions work.
What is typically asked
- Hospital stays and inpatient treatments in the past 5 years
- Ongoing medications or treatments
- Chronic conditions (diabetes, heart conditions, autoimmune disorders, etc.)
- Mental health treatment (therapy, psychiatric medication)
- Surgeries in the past 5 to 10 years
- Known diagnoses that are being monitored
What happens with pre-existing conditions
A pre-existing condition does not automatically rule you out. Depending on the condition and the insurer, you may get:
- Standard acceptance: minor or resolved conditions often have no impact
- A premium surcharge (Risikozuschlag): for higher-risk conditions
- An exclusion clause (Ausschluss): that specific condition is not covered
- Refusal: possible with very serious ongoing conditions
If you are refused or offered poor terms, the Basistarif can be a fallback, if you are eligible for it. It must accept eligible applicants without risk surcharges. See "What it costs over time" for its price cap.
The golden rule: disclose fully and honestly. You have a legal duty to disclose health information before the contract starts (§19 VVG). If you conceal a condition and later claim for it, the insurer can end your policy or refuse the claim. A consultant can help you phrase answers accurately, within the truth.
What does private health insurance cost compared with GKV?
Private premiums depend on your entry age, health, deductible and plan, not on your income, so a quote for your profile is the only reliable number. In 2026 an employee in public insurance pays at most about €613.22 a month with a child or €648.09 childless. See the private health insurance cost guide for ranges.
Compare with the GKV maximum
In 2026, the GKV contribution is calculated up to €5,812.50 a month of income. At the top, the numbers look like this:
| 2026, at the contribution ceiling | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Employee: health and care insurance (with child) | about €613.22 |
| Employee: health and care insurance (childless) | about €648.09 |
| Self-employed: health and care insurance, reduced rate (with child / childless) | €1,191.56 / €1,226.44 |
| Self-employed: with sickness allowance (Krankengeld) (with child / childless) | €1,226.44 / €1,261.31 |
| Self-employed or voluntary member: minimum (with child / childless) | about €270.26 / €278.17 |
Employee figures use the 14.6% general rate and the 2.9% average Zusatzbeitrag, with the care rate of 3.6% (childless employees pay a 0.6 percentage point surcharge). Your own fund's rate differs.
The employer subsidy, with a worked example
If you are an employee, your employer pays half of your private health insurance premium, up to a legal maximum.
- Health insurance: half of (14.6% + 2.9%) of €5,812.50, which is a maximum of €508.59 a month.
- Care insurance: 1.8% of €5,812.50, which is a maximum of €104.63 a month (Saxony: 1.3%, or €75.56).
- Combined maximum: €613.22 a month.
The subsidy can never be more than half of your actual premium. For example, if your private premium for health and care insurance together is €500 a month, the subsidy is €250 and you pay €250. The €613.22 maximum only applies if your premium is at least double that.
Premium growth and ageing reserves
Private premiums can rise over the years, because of medical cost inflation and a longer life expectancy. Be honest with yourself about this before you switch. Two things soften it:
- Ageing reserves (Altersrückstellungen): the insurer sets aside part of your premium while you are young to limit increases later.
- A statutory 10% surcharge: it applies from the calendar year after you turn 21 until the year you turn 60. From age 65 it cushions premium increases, and from age 80 it reduces premiums.
The industry has not published a single confirmed 2026 increase figure that we can quote, so ask any insurer for its premium history over the last 10 years. Our premium increases report shows what the major insurers have done, and the insurer financials comparison shows how financially solid they are.
Changing private insurers later
If you want to switch insurers later, your ageing reserves can be partly transferred in some cases (transfer value, Übertragungswert), but only in part, and a new insurer will ask health questions again. Choose a plan you can live with for a long time.
The safety net: the Basistarif
The Basistarif offers GKV-level cover and must accept eligible applicants without risk surcharges. Not everyone qualifies, so ask a consultant whether you do. Its premium is capped at the GKV maximum, €1,017.19 a month in 2026. If you need social assistance, it is halved to about €508.59.
Tax
Premiums for basic cover are fully deductible as Sonderausgaben. Optional extras such as a single room or dental top-ups are only partly deductible, within legal caps. A deductible itself is not a Sonderausgabe.
Can you switch back to GKV?
Often yes, if you are under 55. You return to GKV when you become liable for compulsory insurance again, for example when your salary drops below the limit, you receive unemployment benefit (ALG I) or you take an employee job below the limit. From 55 it is largely blocked. The full rules are in our guide on returning to public health insurance.
Moving back is a rare exit, not a routine option. Think of private insurance as a long-term choice and ask about the Basistarif as a possible fallback if your situation changes. For how the two systems compare in later life, see public vs private health insurance in Germany.
Common mistakes to avoid
Never cancel GKV before you have your private policy in writing. Health cover is required for residence in Germany, and a gap is risky for your health and your finances. The order must be: private policy confirmed, then GKV cancelled.
An insurer will only show you its own plans. The best fit for your profile may be with a company you have never heard of. Compare across the market with independent consultants.
Miss the end-of-month cut-off and everything moves back a month. For a January 1 start, GKV cancellation has to be given in October. Plan the dates backwards from the day you want cover to begin.
Withholding or understating conditions can lead to your insurer ending the contract or refusing claims. Always disclose fully.
The cheapest plan is often cheap for a reason: a high deductible, exclusions or limited hospital cover. Compare coverage terms, not just the monthly premium.
Spouses and children who meet the conditions for GKV family cover pay nothing extra, while in private insurance each person needs their own policy. Also think about what happens if your income falls below the limit.
Frequently asked questions
Rules checked against 2026 values in October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. Premiums, thresholds and rules change, so confirm your own case before you act.
Sources
Primary sources checked on 19 October 2026. Figures are the official 2026 values; 2027 values are a Bundesrat draft until approved.
- §6 SGB V: exemption from compulsory insurance, 55+ rule (§6(3a))
- §175 SGB V: change of fund, notice period
- §19 VVG: pre-contractual disclosure duty
- §152 VAG: Basistarif
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung: Sozialversicherungs-Rechengrößen 2026 (2026 threshold €77,400)
- Bundesrat-Drs. 576/26: 2027 threshold (draft)
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