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    Care Expatriate — per family member, recognisedfrom €58/month (up to 5 years)
    Family reunification: each member needs an independent insurance certificate — the German embassy and Ausländerbehörde check them one by one

    Family Reunification for Expats in Germany: Common Health Insurance Proofs 2026

    4.9/5· 10,000+ policies since 2009458 customer responses · our own survey
    Family reunification for expats in Germany — recognised health-insurance proofs for spouse, children and parents (§ 30 / § 32 / § 36 AufenthG)
    Spouse
    § 30 AufenthG
    Children
    § 32 AufenthG
    Parents
    § 36 AufenthG

    Three rules that pass the family-reunification visa:

    1. 1Match the family member to the lane: Statutory sponsor → DAK Familienversicherung free for spouse and children. Private / incoming sponsor → separate Care Expatriate from €58/month (up to 5 years) per family member.
    2. 2Lock in the embassy / pre-arrival bridge: Care Economy from €30 / 30 days (up to 2 years) per family member covers the joint visa appointment until the long-term cover is in place.
    3. 3Get the wording right per certificate: Full name, date of birth, validity covering the entire permit duration, geographical scope, insurer details. The Ausländerbehörde and German embassy check each certificate independently.

    Joint visa appointment soon? 30-second family-reunification tariff finder →

    Inside: the one § that makes Familienversicherung disappear on the private side · why a 6-month-old child still needs an independent certificate · the bridge tariff that covers the entire family for the joint visa appointment

    Sources: § 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 AufenthG (cover precondition) · § 27 ff. AufenthG (family reunification) · § 30 AufenthG (spouse) · § 32 AufenthG (children) · § 36 AufenthG (parents / hardship) · § 10 SGB V (Familienversicherung) · DAK-Gesundheit tariff sheet 2026 · HanseMerkur Care Expatriate / Care Economy AVB

    Long-Stay Coverage

    Care Expatriate by HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe / Advigon

    Residence Documents

    Proof for visa or immigration authority documents

    Fast Confirmation

    PDF confirmation available after successful application

    4.9/5458 customer responses · our own survey

    Over 10,000 policies issued · Since 2009

    Family reunification ahead? Lock in a recognised certificate per family member before the joint embassy or Ausländerbehörde appointment — Care Expatriate per family member on the private side, DAK Familienversicherung free for statutory employees, Care Economy as the bridge.

    🏛️ Authority-approved📄 Instant proof🔒 DAK / HanseMerkur🏷️ Transparent pricing
    4.9/5· Over 10,000 policies placed since 2009
    from 458 customer responses · our own survey, not independently verified · How this rating works

    Recognised insurance proofs by family-member category

    Quick answer: "Which health-insurance proofs are common for family reunification under § 27 ff. AufenthG?" — these six categories cover spouse (§ 30), children (§ 32), parents (§ 36) and the embassy / pre-arrival bridge. Each row shows the recognised certificate with the right wording.

    1

    Spouse joining a sponsor with PKV / incoming cover (§ 30 AufenthG)

    Each spouse needs a separate recognised incoming or PKV contract — Familienversicherung does not exist on the private side. Care Expatriate from €58/month (HanseMerkur, ages 18–74, up to 5 years) is accepted by the Ausländerbehörde and German embassies for § 30 AufenthG joint entry.

    Care Expatriate from €58/month →

    2

    Spouse joining a statutory employee (§ 30 AufenthG + § 10 SGB V)

    Spouse joins DAK Familienversicherung free of charge under § 10 SGB V — provided own income stays below the statutory limit. HR registers the spouse via the same Mitgliedsbescheinigung; DAK issues the joint certificate for the visa file. Once registered, no separate premium is due.

    DAK Angestellte ~17.8% of gross →

    3

    Children joining a parent (§ 32 AufenthG)

    Statutory parent: children join DAK Familienversicherung free of charge. Private / incoming parent: each child needs a separate Care Expatriate contract — children's premiums are typically the lowest age bracket and are locked at the start for up to 60 months.

    Care Expatriate (per child) →

    4

    Parents reunification to an adult sponsor (§ 36 Abs. 2 AufenthG)

    Parents reunification to an adult is a hardship case — the cover requirement is strict. Care Expatriate is the recognised long-term incoming product for older parents (entry age 61–74 from €246/month, locked at the start for up to 60 months). DAK is not available unless the parent becomes statutory in their own right.

    Care Expatriate from €246/month (61–74) →

    5

    Embassy / pre-arrival entry bridge (joint visa appointment)

    Care Economy from €30/30 days (Schengen-conform, entry until the 75th birthday, 1 day to 2 years) is the typical embassy / pre-arrival bridge for the family. Each family member needs a separate Care Economy contract until the long-term cover (Care Expatriate or DAK Familienversicherung) is in place.

    Care Economy from €30/30 days →

    6

    Joint validity & wording on the certificates

    Each family-member certificate must include: full name, date of birth, validity period (covering the entire requested permit duration), geographical scope (Germany / EU / worldwide), insurer details. Care Expatriate and Care Economy ship a German + English certificate per insured person — accepted by every Ausländerbehörde and German embassy.

    Foreigners hub — full proof flow →

    Avoid the mistakes that can delay your application

    Visitor insurance may be too short

    For multi-month or multi-year stays, Care Expatriate can be a better fit than short visitor coverage.

    Statutory or private?

    Freelancers, self-employed people and some incoming long-stay cases may need private incoming coverage instead of German statutory insurance.

    Residence proof requested?

    Care Expatriate can provide PDF confirmation after successful application for visa or immigration documents.

    Renewal stress later

    A longer coverage term can reduce repeated renewal pressure during projects, residence processes or long stays.

    What missing or wrong family-reunification proof can cost the joining family

    One wrong insurance choice can cost you money, time and your application deadline

    A medical incident can become expensive fast — but the wrong certificate can also delay your visa, enrollment, residence permit or work start.

    🏥

    €500–€1,500

    Emergency doctor visit

    One urgent doctor or emergency-room visit can already create a painful bill — before tests, medication or follow-up treatment are added.

    🏨

    €2,000–€10,000+

    Hospital treatment

    If observation, surgery, overnight stay or specialist treatment is needed, costs can quickly move from hundreds to thousands of euros.

    🧳

    Up to 5 years

    Short visitor cover may be too weak

    For long stays, freelance work or residence documents, short visitor insurance may be too short or not the right proof.

    • Wrong or incomplete proof can delay your visa, enrollment or authority process.
    • Cheap home-country policies may miss the exact coverage, dates or repatriation wording required.
    • The cheapest policy can become expensive if it is the wrong proof for your situation.

    Before you apply, check: coverage amount, validity dates, destination area and repatriation cover.

    Joint visa appointment booked? Lock in a recognised certificate per family member this week — older parents (entry age 61–74) save the most by booking early

    Why act before your residence documents are due

    Long-stay proof can become urgent during visa, residence permit, project or relocation steps. Short visitor cover may not be enough.

    🧳

    Long stay, different proof

    Care Expatriate can fit longer incoming stays up to 5 years, depending on age and selected plan.

    📄

    Residence documents need clarity

    Your proof should match destination, coverage period and long-stay purpose.

    ⚡

    Do not wait for renewal stress

    Preparing longer coverage early can reduce repeated extension pressure.

    ✅

    Private or statutory?

    Freelancers, self-employed people and employees on assignment without German statutory insurance may need a different route than employees.

    From decision to recognised proof per family member — in 3 steps

    10 minutes online for Care Expatriate (per family member) or Care Economy (joint embassy bridge), one policy document per insured person is issued by email in German + English and is accepted by every German embassy and Ausländerbehörde. For statutory sponsors, DAK issues the joint Familienversicherung certificate via the employee's Mitgliedsbescheinigung.

    Long-term stay covered in 3 steps

    Care Expatriate can cover longer incoming stays up to 5 years, depending on age and selected plan.

    1. Choose your plan

      Care Expatriate for expats, freelancers, self-employed people, employees on assignment without German statutory insurance, or seniors up to entry age 74.

    2. Complete the application

      Enter passport, destination, stay details and requested coverage period online. Additional questions may apply depending on the plan.

    3. Submit your proof

      Receive PDF confirmation after successful application and submit it to the embassy, consulate or immigration authority if requested.

    What expats say about Care Expatriate for family reunification visas in Germany

    4.9/5458 customer responses · our own survey
    5/5
    “My biggest worry was that the embassy wouldn't accept the insurance.
    The proof was accepted immediately — no questions asked.
    That saved me a lot of stress.”
    Georges from Cameroon

    Georges

    Cameroon

    5/5
    “I needed proof of insurance urgently for my visa appointment.
    The confirmation arrived within minutes by email.
    Everything worked first time at the embassy.”
    Olga from Russia

    Olga

    Russia

    5/5
    “Found the best solution and best service for health insurance for foreign visitors and guests in Germany.
    Fast, simple and affordable.
    Highly recommended!”
    Michael from Germany

    Michael

    Germany

    5/5
    “The online sign-up was done in just a few minutes.
    When I actually had to see a doctor, the billing went smoothly.
    I was really covered — not just on paper.”
    Yunhee from Australia

    Yunhee

    Australia

    Now choose your plan

    4.9/5458 customer responses · our own survey

    Full price tables — Care Expatriate · DAK-Gesundheit · Care Economy

    Quick answer: Three recognised products cover the full family-reunification proof flow: Care Expatriate from €58/month per family member (children at the lowest age bracket, parents 61–74 from €246/month), DAK Familienversicherung free for spouse and children of statutory employees under § 10 SGB V, and Care Economy from €30/30 days as the embassy / pre-arrival bridge.

    Per family member (private side) — Care Expatriate

    HanseMerkur incoming, ages 0–74, up to 5 years, accepted by the German embassy and Ausländerbehörde for § 30 / § 32 / § 36 AufenthG, certificate issued in German + English (3 tiers — Basic / Comfort / Premium):

    Care Expatriateworldwide without USA, Canada and Mexico
    Basic
    BestsellerComfort
    Premium
    Deductible / yr
    150,–
    Deductible / yr
    150,–
    Deductible / yr
    500,–
    Deductible / yr
    0,–
    Deductible / yr
    500,–
    Deductible / yr
    1.000,–
    Entry age:0–12 (€ / month) 64,– 104,– 81,– 191,– 149,– 117,–
    Entry age:13–40 (€ / month) 58,– 84,– 63,– 181,– 141,– 109,–
    Entry age:41–60 (€ / month) 68,– 103,– 77,– 256,– 201,– 156,–
    Entry age:61–74 (€ / month) 246,– 322,– 248,– 432,– 336,– 263,–

    All prices per month/person in euros. Deductible applies per insurance year. As of 2026.

    Statutory employee sponsor — DAK Familienversicherung

    Sponsor pays ~17.8% of gross salary (employer pays half), spouse and children join Familienversicherung free of charge under § 10 SGB V (DAK button price: 17.8% of gross (open-ended)):

    DAK-Gesundheit for employees (statutory)
    General contribution rate
    14.6 % of gross
    + 3.2 % DAK supplement = 17.8 %
    Employer / employee share
    8.9 % each
    Paid 50/50
    Compulsory long-term care
    approx. 3.6 % standard
    4.2 % childless from age 23 · reductions depending on number of children
    Total (incl. care, childless)
    ≈ 22.0 % of gross
    Depending on long-term care variant
    Family co-insurance
    possible
    Spouse & children covered under statutory conditions
    Sickness pay (Krankengeld)
    from day 43
    70 % of gross, max 78 weeks
    Compulsory insurance limit (JAEG)
    €77,400 / year
    = €6,450 / month (as of 2026)
    Income-based
    No flat rate — contribution scales with gross salary
    Family covered free
    Spouse without income + children co-insured
    Mandatory under JAEG
    Gross < €77,400 / year → statutory insurance required

    2026 contribution rates: 14.6 % general + 3.2 % DAK supplement = 17.8 %; split 50/50 between employer and employee (8.9 % each). Compulsory long-term care approx. 3.6 % standard, 4.2 % childless from age 23, reductions depending on number of children. Family co-insurance possible under statutory conditions. As of 2026.

    Embassy & pre-arrival bridge — Care Economy

    Schengen-conform incoming, ages 0–74, 1 day to 2 years, one contract per family member, cancellable when the long-term cover is in place:

    Care Economy
    Duration
    Bestsellerup to 64
    up to 64
    Bestseller65+
    65+
    no deductible with deductible no deductible with deductible
    up to 90 days €1.18/day €1.00/day €3.48/day €2.95/day
    91–180 days €1.59/day €1.35/day €4.37/day €3.70/day
    181–365 days €2.30/day €1.95/day €5.84/day €4.95/day
    366–730 days €2.83/day €2.40/day €9.32/day €7.90/day

    All prices per day/person in euros. Minimum premium €10 per person and term. Deductible is the share you pay yourself. Entry age 0–74. As of 2026.

    How long should the health insurance run?

    Quick answer: Usually for as long as the stay is planned to last — and not shorter. The premium is set by the entry age at the start of the contract and stays in that age band for the whole term. Anyone who extends later typically signs a new contract at the age they are by then.

    Term comparison over five years — example values, Basic, age band 13–40 (€58/month)
    Term Premium/month Total Renewals needed Pre-existing-condition gap
    12 months €58 €696 4 possible (2×)
    24 months €58 €1,392 2 possible (1×)
    60 months €58 €3,480 0 none

    Is a 41st birthday coming up?

    In the 13–40 age band the Basic premium is €58/month; in the 41–60 band it is €68/month (example values). The difference is around €10 a month — roughly €600 over 60 months. What counts is the age at the start of the contract, not the age during the term. Concretely: someone who chooses a 60-month term at 40 pays the 13–40 band for five years, rather than the 41–60 band from their 41st birthday onwards.

    When the renewal falls due

    A policy with a twelve-month term typically expires at close to the point the residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) also needs extending. Both then fall in the same weeks: new contract, new proof of cover, new appointment at the foreigners' authority (Ausländerbehörde) — often under time pressure. A longer term decouples the two dates. There is also the practical effort: every renewal means passport details, proof of address and personal information again — usually gathered by relatives in Germany while the insured person is still abroad.

    What is different at renewal

    Conditions that first arise during a running contract are, as a rule, covered within that contract. In a contract taken out later they typically count as a pre-existing condition — and pre-existing conditions are usually excluded in incoming tariffs. The older the insured person, the more likely it is that a diagnosis falls between two contracts, and that diagnosis then usually counts as pre-existing in the follow-up contract. A continuous term avoids that gap.

    A gap can also open up between two contracts — days without cover, which may become visible when the residence permit is next extended. A continuous term avoids that.

    A fixed term also means planning certainty for the family: the premium is set for the whole duration, with no annual recalculation.

    For context: Care Expatriate can be taken out up to the age of 74.

    Monthly or a single payment?

    Quick answer: Both are possible, and the price is the same — there is no discount for paying in one go. The difference lies in the risk: if a direct debit goes unpaid, that can affect the insurance cover — and the residence permit rests on that cover. With a single payment the cover no longer depends on an ongoing bank debit. That matters above all where the premiums are paid by relatives in Germany: a job change, a change of bank or one tight month then has no bearing on the insured person's residence status.

    Where the premium is transferred from abroad, one payment replaces up to sixty individual transfers — each with its own bank charges and exchange rate.

    What happens on an early return?

    If the stay ends earlier than planned, the contract can be cancelled in writing. The overpaid premium is, as a rule, refunded minus a €5 processing fee (source: Care Concept FAQ). So someone who pays 60 months in advance and returns after two years gets the premium for the unused months back — the financial risk of paying in one go is therefore €5, not the remaining balance.

    And if the visa is not granted?

    If the entry visa is not granted, or entry does not take place for other reasons, the application can be cancelled in writing before the insurance cover begins. Premiums already paid are, as a rule, refunded minus a €5 processing fee (source: Care Concept FAQ).

    FAQ — Family reunification & insurance proof for expats in Germany

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which insurance proof is required for family reunification (§ 27–36 AufenthG)?

    Care Expatriate from €58/month (ages 13–40), €40/month for children, or DAK Familienversicherung (free under § 10 SGB V if the sponsor is GKV-insured). A German-language certificate for every joining family member, valid from the arrival date.

    Can the DAK Familienversicherung cover a spouse joining from abroad?

    Free under § 10 SGB V as long as monthly income stays below €556 (2026 mini-job threshold). Yes, once the spouse enters Germany and is registered. Care Expatriate bridges the pre-arrival period from €58/month.

    What if the sponsor has Care Expatriate — can family members join the same contract?

    No, each family member needs their own Care Expatriate contract: €58/month (ages 13–40), €68/month (13–40), €118/month (41–60), €40/month for children under 18. All accepted under § 5 AufenthG.

    How long must the insurance be valid for the family-reunification visa?

    The full requested residence-permit duration — typically 12 months minimum. Care Expatriate covers 1–60 months from €58/month with a same-day PDF. Travel insurance (Schengen 90-day) is not accepted for § 27–36 AufenthG.

    Does the embassy require the insurance certificate in German?

    Yes — care Expatriate PDF is bilingual DE/EN from €58/month — no separate translation cost. All German embassies (Auswärtiges Amt guidance) require the certificate in German or with a certified translation.

    Do family members need their own health insurance for family reunification in Germany?

    Yes – each family member typically needs a separate proof of health insurance for the visa application and the residence permit. Care Expatriate provides individual policies accepted for residence permits.

    What is the cheapest health insurance option for family reunification?

    The GKV family insurance (Familienversicherung) is free for spouses and children if income conditions are met. For transition periods, Care Economy starts at €30/30 days.

    How long does it take to get health insurance proof for family reunification?

    With Care Expatriate or Care Economy, you receive your insurance certificate as a PDF within minutes after completing the online application – no appointment or waiting period needed.