Health Insurance for Visa & Residence Permit Applicants in Germany

As of 2009, everyone who lives and works in Germany must have health insurance.

Holders Of Visa And Residence Permits

Citizens from outside the EU who intend to stay in Germany for over 90 days must submit the required documentation for a residence permit or a visa.

Section 5 (1) (1) of the German Residence Act provides that when applying for a residence permit, the applicant must provide proof of self-sufficiency during his/ her stay in Germany. According to Section 2(3), health insurance coverage provides partial proof of self-sufficiency.

Anyone applying for a residence permit in Germany has the option to take out German private health insurance or worldwide health policy. But global health insurers don't always cover all the requirements provided by the law in Germany.

According to the legislation in Germany, foreigners who don't have insurance taken out in Germany must submit proof of a different health policy that meets the demands of the national health policy in Germany.

In detail, the policy must not:

• Include any top-level benefits' exclusion;
• Require increased additional payments from the insured individual;
• Limit the costs which can be reimbursed in case the insured individual becomes sick;
• Comprise any expiration or indemnity clauses linked to the age of the holder of the policy.

What's more, the policy must perform similar to life insurance. This means it shouldn't have an expiration date or should be automatically renewable or extendable.

According to the provisions of the German Federal Supervisory Authority for Financial Services ( Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht), headquartered in Bonn, any policy contracted by an individual with his/ her insurance company, must meet the national requirements for insurance as provided by Book 5 Sect. 257(2)(a) of the Social Security Code in Germany.

To find out if your worldwide health policy meets the German requirements, you can ask your insurer to confirm that they cover the German requirements provided by the national law. In case the insurer cannot offer this confirmation, they most probably don't meet the conditions.

Travel Insurance Policy For Foreign Travelers

(Proof Of Health Policy For Visa Applicants)

If you plan a short-stay in Germany or another country in the EU, choose a wide-ranging insurance policy including coverage for travel accident and travel liability.

Whether you're staying abroad short-term or long-term remember that health policy is obligatory for everyone in Germany. Travel insurance is the best way to make sure your visa is easily approved.

Read more about Private Health Insurance in Germany or contact a trusted health insurance broker.