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English-Speaking Health Insurance in Germany

English-speaking health insurance in Germany usually means English service, not an English contract. Ottonova and Allianz Care support customers in English, and the public funds TK and Barmer publish English information pages. Ottonova, for one, says its English contract translation is non-binding and the contract language is German. Health insurance is compulsory either way (§ 193 (3) VVG), and employees can only choose private cover above €77,400 a year (2026).

By the CheckAlle Editorial Team · Last updated:

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Key Takeaways

  • Health insurance is compulsory in Germany. Employees below the income threshold are compulsorily insured in the public system (GKV, § 5 SGB V); anyone not covered there must have private cover (§ 193 (3) VVG).
  • English service is not an English contract. Ottonova calls its English contract translation non-binding; the contract language is German.
  • Employees can choose private insurance (PKV) if their regular annual pay is above €77,400 (2026). In a new job above that, you are exempt from the start; if your pay rises above it in your current job, the switch comes at the end of the calendar year, provided your pay also clears next year's threshold (§ 6 SGB V).
  • You do not need proof of health insurance to register your address (Anmeldung, § 23 BMG). Your employer needs it, and so does the immigration office if you apply for a residence permit (§ 2 (3) AufenthG).
  • To find a doctor who speaks English, use the language filters in the 116117 doctor search, the TK-Ärzteführer, Doctolib or Jameda.

Moving to Germany and not sure which insurer will deal with you in English, or which doctor will? This guide covers both, with a source for every rule. If you already know you want private cover, you can request offers right here.

The form is in German; this page explains the rules in English.

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Request private health insurance (PKV) offers through our partner's form. The form is in German.

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Public (GKV) or private (PKV): who can choose what

Health insurance is compulsory in Germany. Employees below the income threshold are compulsorily insured in the public system; anyone not covered there needs private cover. Which one is open to you depends on your job and your income.

Public (GKV)

  • General contribution rate: 14.6% of gross pay (§ 241 SGB V). You and your employer each pay half, and you also split your fund's supplementary contribution.
  • The average supplementary contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) for 2026 is 2.9%, set by the Federal Ministry of Health. Each fund sets its own rate.
  • Your spouse and children can be insured free (family insurance) if they live in Germany, have no insurance of their own, are not self-employed as their main job and stay under an income limit. Children also have age limits, and they are not covered free if your spouse or partner, the child's other parent, is not a member of a public fund (for example privately insured) and earns more than you and more than one twelfth of the income threshold a month (§ 10 SGB V).
  • TK (tk.de/en (opens in a new tab)) and Barmer (barmer.de/en (opens in a new tab)) publish English information pages. TK also has a phone line with English-speaking consultants.

Often the simpler route for families, because spouses and children who meet these conditions pay nothing extra.

Private (PKV)

  • Employees can choose PKV if their regular annual pay is above €77,400 (2026). In a new job above that, you are exempt from the start. If your pay rises above it in your current job, compulsory insurance ends at the end of that calendar year, provided your pay is also above next year's threshold (§ 6 SGB V).
  • If self-employment is your main job, you can choose PKV regardless of income. Self-employed artists and publicists are the exception: they are usually compulsorily insured in the public system through the artists' social insurance (Künstlersozialkasse, KSK) and can opt out only in specific cases.
  • Civil servants entitled to Beihilfe are exempt from compulsory public insurance.
  • Your employer pays up to half your premium, capped at €508.59 a month in 2026, if the policy meets the legal requirements (§ 257 (2) and (2a) SGB V).
  • Ottonova offers English-speaking support; its English contract translation is non-binding.

Premiums depend on your age, your health and the tariff, so only a quote gives you a real figure.

Need more detail? See our GKV vs PKV comparison guide or our expat health insurance overview.

Which insurers actually support English speakers?

In short: Ottonova (private) and Allianz Care (international) support customers in English, while the public funds TK and Barmer publish English information and TK has English-speaking phone consultants. "English support" means different things at each company, so the insurer's own English page is the place to check.

English-language service at four health insurers in Germany, checked on 24 September 2026
InsurerTypeEnglish serviceWhat to know
Ottonova (opens in a new tab)
PKV
English-speaking supportEnglish website, an expat tariff, and support by phone and chat in English that also helps members find English-speaking doctors. The English contract translation is non-binding; the contract language is German.
Allianz Care (opens in a new tab)
International
Multilingual helpline, 24/7International health insurance within the Allianz group, with an English quote process. A separate offer from the German Allianz private health insurance (PKV), whose pages are in German. Check that an international policy meets the German duty to be insured: § 193 (3) VVG requires cover from an insurer licensed in Germany that reimburses outpatient and inpatient treatment, with deductibles capped at €5,000 a year.
Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) (opens in a new tab)
GKV
English information siteEnglish pages on membership and benefits, and a phone line with English-speaking consultants on weekdays.
Barmer (opens in a new tab)
GKV
English information pagesPublishes English-language information for members.

Comparing public funds? The English section of gesetzlichekrankenkassen.de (opens in a new tab) has a filter for funds with English-speaking customer service. Service levels change, so check the insurer's own page before you sign.

How to find an English-speaking doctor

To find an English-speaking doctor in Germany, use a doctor search that filters by language: the 116117 Arztsuche (foreign languages as a search criterion), Doctolib ("Gesprochene Sprachen") and Jameda ("Sprache"). The TK-Ärzteführer also has a search page in English. Getting insured is half the job; a doctor you can talk to is the other half.

  • 116117 doctor search

    The Arztsuche of the patient service 116117 lets you add criteria such as foreign languages or accessibility. 116117 is also the nationwide number for the out-of-hours medical service.

    Open 116117 doctor search (opens in a new tab)

  • TK-Ärzteführer (English search)

    Techniker Krankenkasse runs a doctor finder with its own English search page.

    Open TK-Ärzteführer (English search) (opens in a new tab)

  • Doctolib

    Online appointment booking. Its filter "Gesprochene Sprachen" (languages spoken) includes English.

    Open Doctolib (opens in a new tab)

  • Jameda

    Doctor listings with a "Sprache" filter that includes "Englisch (English)". Jameda describes itself as Germany's largest doctor-patient platform.

    Open Jameda (opens in a new tab)

  • GOV.UK list

    The UK government publishes a list of English-speaking medical facilities and practitioners in Germany, with its own disclaimer.

    Open GOV.UK list (opens in a new tab)

  • Your insurer

    Ottonova says its English-speaking support helps members find English-speaking doctors in their area. Ask your insurer whether it offers the same.

How to apply for health insurance in Germany

Five steps, from choosing a system to handing over your insurance certificate.

  1. 1

    Decide between GKV and PKV

    Use the overview above. As a rule, employees below the income threshold are compulsorily insured in the public system (§ 5 and § 6 SGB V).

  2. 2

    Ask which documents you need

    Each insurer tells you which documents it needs for the application. Ask before you start so nothing stalls halfway.

  3. 3

    Answer the health questions fully

    If you leave out a condition the insurer asked about, it can later withdraw from the contract, cancel it or change its terms, depending on how much you were at fault (§ 19 VVG).

  4. 4

    Wait for the decision

    A private insurer checks your answers before it accepts you. How long that takes depends on the insurer and on your case.

  5. 5

    Hand over your insurance certificate

    Your employer needs your insurance details. If you need a residence permit, the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) checks that you have adequate health insurance. The Anmeldung does not require it (§ 23 BMG, § 2 (3) AufenthG).

In a hurry? Our fast-approval PKV guide covers what shortens the process and what does not.

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English-speaking health insurance: frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

None of the insurers we checked runs everything in English. Ottonova has an English website, an expat tariff and English-speaking support by phone and chat, but it says its English contract translation is non-binding and the contract language is German. Allianz Care, part of the Allianz group, runs a multilingual helpline around the clock; it sells international health insurance, so check that such a policy meets the German duty to be insured before you rely on it. On the public side, Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and Barmer publish English information pages, and TK has a phone line with English-speaking consultants.

Not necessarily. Ottonova, for example, offers advice and support in English, but its English contract translation is non-binding. Ask each insurer which language the contract and its letters are in. For German letters, a translation tool or a bilingual friend helps.

The threshold (Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze, JAEG) is €77,400 gross a year in 2026. If you start a new job and your regular annual pay there is above it, you are exempt from compulsory public insurance from the start and can choose private cover. If your pay rises above the threshold in your current job, compulsory insurance ends at the end of that calendar year, provided your pay is also above the threshold for the following year (§ 6 SGB V). If self-employment is your main job, you can choose private cover regardless of income. The exception is self-employed artists and publicists: they are usually compulsorily insured in the public system through the artists' social insurance (Künstlersozialkasse, KSK) and can opt out only in specific cases. Civil servants entitled to Beihilfe are exempt from compulsory public insurance as well.

It depends on your age, your health and the tariff you choose, so only a quote gives you a real figure. If you are employed, your employer pays a subsidy of up to half your premium, capped at €508.59 a month in 2026, provided the policy meets the legal requirements (§ 257 (2) and (2a) SGB V).

Use a search with a language filter. The 116117 doctor search (Arztsuche) lets you add foreign languages as a criterion, TK has an English search page in its doctor finder, and Doctolib and Jameda let you filter by the languages a doctor speaks. The UK government also publishes a list of English-speaking medical facilities in Germany.

No. For the Anmeldung, the registration office asks for the registration form, your ID card or passport and your landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). Your employer needs your insurance details, and if you need a residence permit, the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) checks that you have adequate health insurance.

Answer every question the insurer asks. If you leave out a condition it asked about, the insurer can, depending on the circumstances and how much you were at fault, withdraw from the contract, cancel it or change its terms. For health insurance, these rights expire three years after the contract is concluded, but not for insured events that occurred within that time; the period is ten years if the omission was deliberate or fraudulent (§ 19, § 21 (3) and § 194 (1) VVG).

Sources

Every legal rule on this page links to the official statute text on gesetze-im-internet.de, checked on 24 September 2026. Provider details come from each provider's own website, linked above.

Want private health insurance offers?

Request them through our partner's form. The form is in German.

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Prices and service details can change. The insurer's own English page is the authoritative source.