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You must have health insurance cover to live in Germany. You may still have to pay for some services or to use some parts of the healthcare system.

German residents join a health insurer called a 鈥楰rankenkasse鈥� and pay monthly insurance contributions. Around 90% of residents join a 鈥榮tatutory鈥� health insurer ().

Around 10% of residents join a private health insurer (private Krankenkasse).

UK nationals usually access the German healthcare system in one of these ways:

• joining a statutory German health insurer
• joining a private German health insurer
• using a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays when studying, or as a 鈥榩osted鈥� (detached) worker
• registering a UK-issued S1 form with a statutory health insurer (see 鈥楿K-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Germany鈥� below)

Healthcare if you live and work in Germany

If you are planning on moving to Germany, see the guidance on Living in Germany for more information about visa and residency requirements.

You must show proof of healthcare cover:

• before you can register as a resident
• when you apply for a visa

For details about the healthcare cover required for residency applications, contact local authorities in Germany or the appropriate German embassy or consulate in the UK.

You must have health insurance if you live in Germany.

You can add your dependants to your statutory insurance plan for free.

If you鈥檙e employed with a German employer you can join a health insurance scheme through them.

If you鈥檙e self-employed or not covered through work you need to register directly with your chosen health insurer.

You may be entitled to a German EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.

You may also have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK State Pension (see 鈥楿K-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Germany鈥� below).

How to register for healthcare

First you need to register as a resident with the German authorities.

If you moved to Germany before 1 January 2021, you need the new residence document (Aufenthaltsdokument-GB).

Once you鈥檝e registered as a resident, you can join a health insurer. (in German).

Your health insurer will send you an ID card. Your German EHIC is on the back (if you join a statutory health insurer).

You can go to any GP practice in Germany. You do not need to register with the practice.

You do not always need to be referred by a GP for further treatment. When you need a referral, you鈥檒l be given a piece of paper called an 鈥樏渂erweisungsschein鈥�.

If you鈥檙e registered with a statutory health insurer rather than a private insurer, you need to make sure you go to a doctor or dentist who treats statutory-insured patients. These doctors and dentists are usually identified as:

• 鈥楰assenarzt鈥� (statutory health insurance physician)
• 鈥榁ertragsarzt鈥� (registered contract physician)
• 鈥楢lle Kassen鈥� (all health insurance funds accepted)

Take your health insurance card with you whenever you visit a doctor, dentist or healthcare provider.

How to access healthcare services

on the Germany Hospital Directory website (German language website, translates into English).

How much you鈥檒l pay

You鈥檒l pay monthly insurance contributions to your insurance provider. If you鈥檙e employed and have joined a statutory insurer, your contributions will be taken from your salary before you鈥檙e paid.

You may still need to pay part of the cost of medical services you use. For example:

• hospital stays cost 10 euros per day
• prescription medicines cost up to 10 euros

If your UK employer has sent you to Germany temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)

A posted worker, also known as a 鈥榙etached worker鈥�, is someone who is employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

UK posted workers can access healthcare in Germany using a GHIC, EHIC or S1 form.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Germany

There鈥檚 different guidance if you have an S1 as a 鈥榩osted worker鈥� (see 鈥業f your UK employer has sent you to Germany temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)鈥� above).

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you鈥檙e a resident in Germany and receive a UK State Pension or an exportable benefit. See on the NHS website for more information about eligibility.

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you鈥檙e a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you鈥檙e eligible.

Once you have an S1 form, you must register it with a statutory German health insurer.

This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare in Germany on the same basis as German citizens who have a statutory health insurer.

You鈥檒l also get:

• a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel
• planned treatments in other EU countries

You can find out more about and the rules on on the NHS website.

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Germany than the UK.

Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.

If you鈥檙e entitled to an S1 form as a dependant of a State Pensioner, your health cover will be cancelled once you begin claiming your UK State Pension.

You will be sent a new S1 form to your registered address from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You must register this form to ensure continuation of healthcare cover.

You are responsible for informing NHS Overseas Healthcare Services if you change your address or your circumstances change.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (see contact details above).

How to use an S1 form in Germany

You must register your S1 form with your chosen statutory health insurer in Germany. (in German). Contact them to find out what documents you need to provide. It usually includes:

• your passport
• proof that you鈥檙e registered as a resident in Germany
• proof of income or that you鈥檙e a pensioner

Once you鈥檝e registered your S1, you鈥檒l get a health insurance ID card. This shows that you鈥檙e entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a German citizen.

Studying in Germany

You should apply for a Student GHIC to get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in Germany, whether this is for part or all of your course. This means that you鈥檒l get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as an German citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.

If you already hold a valid Student EHIC you can use this until the card expires.

on the NHS website.

If you have a job while studying, you need to join a German health insurer (statutory or private). This includes if you鈥檙e doing a paid placement or internship. For students, this costs around 100 euros a month.

Getting treatment in the UK

Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.

If you are a UK national and move to the EU, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live, or another exemption applies.

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes:

• UK war pensioners
• UK government employees
• UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, once they have a registered, UK-issued S1

Read more about using the NHS when you no longer live in the UK (see 鈥楿K nationals who no longer live in the UK鈥� in Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU).

If you return to live in the UK you鈥檒l be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.