Public Health Insurance with TK in Germany: Enrollment, Contributions, and Switching in 2026

Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) is one of Germany’s public health insurance funds. You can use it to take out statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) for work in Germany, obtain family insurance for relatives if the conditions are met, or switch from another public fund. For a national visa and entry, it is important to check separately when German insurance begins and whether temporary Incoming-Versicherung is needed before work or study starts.

When public health insurance is needed

Public health insurance is required for most employees in Germany whose income falls within compulsory insurance thresholds. The employer uses the Krankenkasse details to calculate pay and social security contributions.

Employers usually need:

• Krankenversichertennummer — the health insurance number;
• Rentenversicherungsnummer — the pension insurance number;
• Steuer-ID — the German tax identification number, which is issued after registering an address in Germany.

Tourist or visitor insurance does not replace full German health insurance for employment. It can cover the period before GKV takes effect, but employment and long-term residence require proof of suitable coverage.

Insurance for a national visa and entry

For a national visa, health-insurance requirements depend on the purpose of entry and the information sheet issued by the relevant German consulate. The general principle is that an applicant must show adequate health coverage for the period before German public or private insurance begins.

If a person is coming to work under an employment contract, GKV usually starts on the first day of employment and actual insurance in Germany. If entry occurs earlier, a separate Incoming-Versicherung policy is often required for the period between the date of entry and the first working day.

Before submitting documents, check the information sheet of the specific Auslandsvertretung where the application is filed. The wording differs by country: some accept confirmation of future membership in a German Krankenkasse, while others additionally require incoming insurance until work begins.

Incoming-Versicherung is generally used as temporary cover for the first days or weeks. It is particularly important when the entry date is earlier than the start of work, study, or activation of German insurance.

More information on arranging health insurance for a national visa and work in Germany

What is usually prepared for a national-visa application

Use the consulate’s information sheet for the exact list of documents. A standard national-visa package often includes:

• a passport;
• an application form and biometric photographs;
• proof of the purpose of entry: an employment contract, invitation, study documents, or family-reunification documents;
• proof of financial means, if required for your category;
• proof of health insurance or future insurance coverage;
• additional documents for the specific purpose of entry.

If TK insurance is arranged before moving, it is helpful to request confirmation of membership or acceptance for insurance in advance. However, this does not replace checking consular requirements for the period before GKV begins.

How to enroll with TK before starting work

The usual process looks like this:

1. Choose TK as your Krankenkasse and apply for membership.
2. Provide your future employer and your employment start date.
3. TK confirms membership or requests missing information.
4. The employer receives the details of the chosen Krankenkasse and begins paying contributions from the employment start date.
5. After address registration and data exchange, you receive TK letters, the eGK card, and requests for a photo or further information.

If the application is submitted early but work has not started, insurance generally does not become active as employee membership until the basis for insurance arises. Therefore, the dates in the application, contract, and visa documents should match or at least not conflict.

Family insurance with TK

GKV offers beitragsfreie Familienversicherung — free family insurance for a spouse and children through the primary insured person. However, it does not apply automatically and only applies if the conditions are met.

Key conditions to check:

• the family member generally must live in Germany or have an appropriate connection to the German insurance system;
• they must not have their own compulsory insurance;
• their income must not exceed the family-insurance limit;
• age and education limits apply to children;
• documents proving marriage and birth may be required for spouses and children.

For 2026, TK states a regular-income limit of EUR 565 per month for family insurance and EUR 603 for a Minijob. If a family member earns more, family insurance may not be available.

For a family visa, future GKV confirmation for the main applicant alone may not be enough: the consulate may request Incoming-Versicherung or separate proof of coverage for each family member until family insurance begins. It is therefore best to cover the period from entry to registration and inclusion in TK with separate temporary insurance if the consular information sheet requires it.

Incoming insurance policy can sometimes be presented closer to visa issuance, once entry and work-start dates are known, but this depends on the procedure of the particular consulate.

How much TK costs in 2026

The public health-insurance contribution consists of the general GKV contribution and the supplementary contribution charged by the specific Krankenkasse.

In 2026, the following parameters apply to TK:

Indicator	Amount
General GKV contribution	14.6%
TK supplementary contribution	2.69%
Total TK health-insurance contribution	17.29%
Employee share under the standard split	8.645%
Beitragsbemessungsgrenze for Kranken- und Pflegeversicherung	EUR 69,750 per year / EUR 5,812.50 per month
Allgemeine Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze	EUR 77,400 per year

Employees and employers usually split health-insurance contributions equally. Pflegeversicherung — long-term care insurance — is charged separately; its rate and distribution depend on family status, children, and the federal state.

If income exceeds the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze, health-insurance contributions are calculated only up to that ceiling. If regular income exceeds the Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze, an employee may become voluntarily insured in GKV or consider private Krankenversicherung, but this decision requires a separate assessment of the consequences.

How to switch from another public Krankenkasse to TK

You can switch to TK if you are already insured with another public fund and are entitled to choose your Krankenkasse. Since 2021, a separate paper Kündigung is generally unnecessary for an ordinary move within GKV: the new fund notifies the previous one.

Main rules:

• the standard Mindestbindungsfrist with a chosen Krankenkasse is 12 months;
• an increase in the Zusatzbeitrag gives rise to a Sonderkündigungsrecht, even if the 12 months have not yet passed;
• changing employers or beginning a new insurance status often creates a new Wahlrecht;
• with continuous employment, the notice period remains two months to the end of the month;
• selecting a Wahltarif may entail additional commitment periods.

More information on changing public health insurance in Germany

What happens to the family when you switch

If a spouse or children are included in family insurance, they usually switch with the primary insured person. A family member cannot change funds separately because their insurance is tied to the main contributor’s membership.

After the switch, the new fund sends documents and eGK cards. To confirm Familienversicherung, it may request a questionnaire, a marriage certificate (Heiratsurkunde), children’s birth certificates (Geburtsurkunde), income details, and German translations of documents.

Can TK refuse coverage?

Public Krankenkassen accept people who fall under GKV and are entitled to choose a fund. They do not select clients based on health and cannot refuse coverage solely because of age, chronic illness, or pregnancy.

However, the fund may request additional documents or decline to confirm a particular type of insurance if the person does not meet the conditions for GKV, family insurance, or the chosen status. In disputed cases, clarify your status directly with the Krankenkasse, employer, or an independent social-insurance adviser.

Practical checklist before moving

• Check the consulate’s information sheet for your national-visa category.
• Compare the date of entry, employment start date, and GKV start date.
• Cover the temporary period with Incoming-Versicherung if GKV starts after entry.
• Apply to TK early if the employer needs Krankenkasse details before the first working day.
• Prepare family-insurance documents: marriage certificate, children’s birth certificates, income documents, and translations.
• After Anmeldung, wait for the Steuer-ID and check that your name is displayed correctly on the mailbox.
• Before changing funds, check the 12-month Bindungsfrist, Sonderkündigungsrecht, and any Wahltarife.

Common mistakes

Taking out only tourist insurance

For long-term residence and employment, a tourist policy is generally insufficient. It may be suitable as temporary cover, but not as a replacement for GKV.

Not covering the period before the first working day

If a person enters two weeks before employment begins, GKV may not yet be in force. This gap must be covered separately with insurance accepted by the consulate.

Assuming family insurance is automatic

Familienversicherung is free only when the conditions are met. Income, children’s age, residence, and documents all matter.

Relying on outdated rates

Krankenkasse rates change. For TK, the Zusatzbeitrag is 2.69% in 2026, making the total health-insurance contribution 17.29%.

Forgetting to notify your employer about changing funds

When switching to TK, the employer must know from which date to pay contributions to the new Krankenkasse.