In Germany you are not given the choice but the obligation to have health insurance. Each person must be insured in some form – no matter whether you are an expat, student or child. In fact, once you earn more than 56,250 euros (2020) per year, you’ll have to make contributions to a health insurance scheme. There are three options: statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung; short: GVK), private health insurance (Private Krankenversicherung, short: PVK) or a combination of the two.