Temporary travel health insurance for the move
Before your German statutory or private health insurance kicks in, there is usually a gap, often the days or weeks between leaving home and starting your job or completing registration, when you have no German cover at all. Temporary travel/incoming health insurance closes that gap and protects you against the high cost of medical care. It is also a hard requirement for a Schengen short-stay visa and a sensible safeguard for national visa applicants. Getting it is quick and cheap, and it should be in place before you board your flight.
Why you need it and the coverage gap
German healthcare is excellent but expensive if you are uninsured. When you move, your home-country insurance may stop at the border, while your German coverage (statutory, via your employer, or private) typically only begins once your job starts or your registration and contracts are finalised. That in-between period can leave you exposed for days or weeks. Temporary travel or 'incoming' health insurance bridges exactly this gap so that an accident or sudden illness on arrival does not turn into a five-figure bill.
It is also commonly required as evidence for visa applications, demonstrating to the embassy and to the Auslaenderbehoerde that you will not be a burden on the German system during the transition before substantive German cover begins.
Schengen visa requirements
If your route involves a Schengen short-stay (C) visa, travel medical insurance is mandatory and the rules are precise: minimum coverage of 30,000 EUR, valid throughout the entire Schengen Area, and covering the full duration of your stay, including repatriation and emergency medical treatment. A visa will not be issued without it.
Even for a national (D) visa, where the long-term solution is German health insurance, embassies generally want proof of adequate cover for the initial period until your German policy takes effect. Check the specific document list of the German mission handling your case.
Providers, cost, and how to buy
Several established providers specialise in cover for people moving to or visiting Germany, including incoming/expat policies designed to be accepted for visa and registration purposes. Buying is fast and fully online: you choose the start and end dates, pay, and receive a certificate by email, often within minutes.
Cost is modest, frequently in the range of roughly 1 to 2 EUR per day for basic Schengen-compliant travel cover, so a few weeks of protection typically costs a small fraction of a single doctor's visit. Make sure the policy explicitly meets the 30,000 EUR Schengen minimum if you need it for a visa, covers your actual travel dates, and is issued by a company recognised by the German authorities.
- 1Map out the exact gap between leaving your home cover and your German insurance starting.
- 2If applying for a Schengen visa, confirm you need 30,000 EUR minimum coverage valid across the Schengen Area.
- 3Choose a recognised travel/incoming health insurer offering visa-compliant cover for Germany.
- 4Set the policy dates to span your full travel and settling-in period.
- 5Buy online and download the insurance certificate to include with your visa application.
- 6Carry proof of cover when you travel and switch to German health insurance as soon as it begins.
Temporary cover only bridges the gap; the bigger decision is your long-term German health insurance, where statutory versus private has lasting consequences. tecis advisors review your situation in plain English and help you choose the right permanent cover once you arrive.
- How to Germany - Schengen visa insurance (min. 30,000 EUR)
- Federal Foreign Office - Visa service
- Make it in Germany - Health insurance
- Handbook Germany - Health insurance
General information for expats in Germany, not individual advice. Rules and figures change; verify against the official sources above and your own situation.