Germany has 3 types of health insurance: expat, public, and private.
Expat health insurance or incoming health insurance is a temporary health insurance. It covers healthcare costs during your first months in Germany. After you arrive in Germany, you must usually switch to public or private health insurance.
You can use expat health insurance to…
- Apply for a Schengen visa
- Apply for a German National Visa
- Apply for your first freelance visa or student visa
- Cover health emergencies before you get public or private health insurance
Usually, you can’t use expat health insurance to…
- Live in Germany for more than 5 years
- Renew a residence permit
- Apply for German citizenship
- Apply for permanent residence
- Work as an employee in Germany