Health insurance for family reunification
In 2025, over 100,000 visas were issued in Germany for the purpose of family reunification. In order to obtain a visa, the family member joining their relatives must provide proof of health insurance. We would like to explain what you need to know about health insurance for family reunification, especially for those who are not very familiar with the German health insurance system.
The reference person
The reference person is the person who already lives in Germany and wants to bring their family to join them. In order for the reference person to be allowed to stay in Germany permanently, they must meet certain conditions. This includes proving that they can support themselves and their family financially without relying on social support. In practice, this means that the person must have a permanent job. This in turn means that they are usually a member of a statutory health insurance scheme (GKV).
For the sake of linguistic simplicity, we will use the following example: The reference person is a husband who wants to bring his wife to Germany.
Health insurance for the transitional period
The German statutory health insurance system offers family insurance. This also covers the spouse and children of the insured person—free of charge. When the wife comes to Germany, the husband must apply for family insurance for his wife with his statutory health insurance provider. It can take several weeks or months for the wife to be covered by statutory health insurance, as there are a few things that need to be taken care of first:
- Waiting times at the citizens' office (bottleneck): Without a registration certificate, many health insurance companies refuse to process applications for family insurance. In large cities, it can take weeks to even get an appointment to register.
- Missing documents from abroad: The health insurance company requires proof of family relationship (e.g., marriage certificate or birth certificate). These often need to be certified internationally (apostille) and translated by a translator certified in Germany. If the apostille is missing, it must be obtained in the country of origin.
- Income check for the primary beneficiary: The statutory health insurance checks whether the primary beneficiary is compulsorily insured. In the case of self-employed persons or voluntarily insured persons, the current proof of income (tax assessment notice/BWA) must first be checked before family members can be co-insured.
- Income of the person joining their spouse: If the person joining their spouse already has their own income (e.g., rental income abroad or remote work), this may not exceed the limit of €505 (as of 2024/25). Clarification of such income may delay the review process.
- Missing tax number (IdNr): The tax identification number is often required for final registration with the GKV. This is sent by post by the Federal Central Tax Office only after registration at the citizens' office, which can take another 1–2 weeks.
- Questions about previous insurance: Health insurance companies sometimes check whether you had insurance in your country of origin in order to clarify any entitlements or obligations, which can be time-consuming for countries outside the EU.
Weeks or months may pass between the date of the wife's arrival and the date on which she becomes insured under the statutory health insurance system. During this period, the wife would have no health insurance. German law does not permit this. Therefore, when applying for a visa, the wife must provide proof of private health insurance for this transitional period.
Not every incoming insurance policy is suitable
One of the most common mistakes our customers make when taking out their incoming insurance is choosing the wrong one. This is an understandable mistake, as it takes a little specialist knowledge to select the right health insurance. However, the mistake is not a big deal, as customers can usually switch to the right insurance with us without any problems.
To avoid this mistake from the outset, you need to consider the purpose of the incoming insurance. On the one hand, we offer the Provisit Visum tariff, which is ideal for guests and visitors. This means that Provisit Visum is for temporary stays (up to 180 days) for people who will return to their home country after their stay.
When it comes to insuring a stay like the one in our example, where the person wants to remain in Germany, “transitional insurance” is required. And that is what Provisit Germany provides.
Why is Provisit Germany ideal for family reunification?
Visa officials look for certain things in an insurance confirmation. What these things are depends on the nature of the stay and the type of visa. If it is a temporary visit (visa type C), the visa official will want to know whether the insurance covers emergencies and whether repatriation costs of up to €30,000 are covered.
However, when it comes to insurance for family reunification (visa type D), the official pays attention to other things. They want to see whether the insurance meets certain legal requirements. Put simply, emergency insurance is not sufficient here. It must be insurance that “essentially” corresponds to statutory health insurance, which means that it must include more benefits than the insurance for visa type C.
Another reason why Provisit Germany is ideal for family reunification is that it also covers physical labor, which conventional travel health insurance does not. In addition, Provisit Germany can be taken out for up to 24 months, which, from the embassies' point of view, is more than enough time to become a member of the family insurance of the primary beneficiary.
We recommend: Provisit Germany incoming insurance
For family reunification, you need insurance that is precisely tailored to the visa requirements of the immigration authorities. Provisit Germany meets these conditions. From the day of entry to inclusion in the health insurance of the primary beneficiary, Provisit Germany is the ideal insurance cover.
