Why You Can’t Stay Insured with Your Current Non-German Health Insurance

You may currently hold travel insurance, tourist insurance, or another non-German plan and wonder why you can’t simply extend it.

The reason lies in German law: employment in Germany automatically triggers mandatory social security contributions.

 

Mandatory Social Security Contributions in Germany

Every German employer must contribute to the following statutory systems:

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• Health insurance

• Nursing care insurance

• Statutory pension scheme

• Unemployment insurance

• Statutory accident insurance

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These contributions are not optional.
They are shared between employer and employee:

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• The employee’s share is deducted directly from the salary.

• The employer adds their share.

• Both parts are transferred to a collecting office, which then distributes them to the relevant social security institutions.

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The Role of German Health Insurance Providers

German health insurers – such as TK (Techniker Krankenkasse) or BARMER – act as these collecting offices.
They are responsible not only for health coverage but also for coordinating the collection and distribution of all social security contributions.

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Because of this central role, non-German or travel insurance plans cannot meet these legal requirements.
Your German employer is therefore legally obligated to register you with a German health insurance provider.

 

 

Your Choice (and Why Timing Matters)

You are free to choose your preferred German provider.
However, this decision must be made promptly.

If you do not inform your employer in time, they are legally allowed to register you with any provider of their choice – without prior consultation.

That’s why Wilde Relocation may appear insistent about your health insurance choice:
we want to ensure you select the most suitable provider, especially since the German system can be unfamiliar.

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