- Where and for how long?
- Who is moving with you?
- What happens to your German policy?
- How do you keep the way back open?
Types of cover
Travel, international or local cover
| Type | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Travel health insurance | Temporary trips. It is not built for a new home abroad. |
| International health insurance | A longer stay or residence abroad, usually with a chosen area of cover (region, worldwide, with or without the USA) and often cover during visits to Germany. |
| Local cover | The public system or a policy under the rules of your new country. In some countries it is mandatory for your residence permit; an international policy does not replace it there. |
Within the EU and EEA, coordination rules decide which country is responsible; a form S1 can matter for pensioners and posted workers Quellen: [4].
Your German policy
What happens to your insurance in Germany
Ask your German health fund or insurer in writing what happens when you move. As long as you keep a residence in Germany, you must hold health insurance with an insurer licensed in Germany, unless you are covered by statutory insurance Quellen: [1]. In that situation, cancelling a private policy only takes effect if you prove uninterrupted follow-up cover that meets this obligation Quellen: [2]. Ask whether your German private policy offers an Anwartschaft (a German option to keep certain rights in private insurance while abroad); whether and on what terms you could return is decided by your insurer, not promised in advance.
The order
Eight steps in the right order
- Sort out your situation: destination, period, who comes, current cover.
- Ask your German fund or insurer in writing what happens when you leave.
- Choose the type of cover and check the rules of your new country.
- Compare offers on the same basis: area of cover, benefits, deductible, limits.
- Answer the health questions in the application honestly.
- Include every family member individually.
- Cancel only after written confirmation of the new cover.
- Plan the way back before you leave.
The full roadmap with checklists is available as a free PDF (in German) on our roadmap page.
Your destination
Country guides
We have guides for 20 countries with official sources, currently in German: all country guides. In English: Dubai, retiring abroad, self-employed abroad, family abroad.
Related topics
Frequently asked questions
What health insurance do I need when moving abroad from Germany?
That depends on your destination, how long you stay, your status there and how you are insured in Germany today. For a move, travel insurance is usually not enough.
Check first what your new country requires for your residence permit, then decide between local and international cover.
Can I keep my German health insurance when I move abroad?
Within the EU and EEA, statutory and private cover can continue in some situations; outside, a private policy usually ends unless your terms say otherwise.
Ask your fund or insurer in writing. Ask about an Anwartschaft (a German option to keep certain rights in private insurance while abroad) and what it would and would not cover on a return.
Quellen: [4]
Sources
- § 193 VVG – Versicherte Person; Versicherungspflicht (gesetze-im-internet.de) amtlich · Gesetzestext · abgerufen 01.11.2026
- § 205 VVG – Kündigung des Versicherungsnehmers (gesetze-im-internet.de) amtlich · Gesetzestext · abgerufen 01.11.2026
- Verbraucherzentrale: Krankenversicherung im Ausland – Wie lange bin ich geschützt? Verbraucherzentrale · abgerufen 01.11.2026
- Your Europe (European Commission): Health insurance cover when living abroad official · EU · abgerufen 01.11.2026
This page provides orientation and does not replace individual advice. The law, your contract terms and the competent authorities are binding.
