The choice of private or statutory health insurance is ultimately entirely up to you. And yet it is striking to see that 90% of German citizens confide in the statutory health insurance companies. One reason lies in the fact that with the start of an employment agreement, your employer registers you with a health insurance company.
Still, you're free to switch to another statutory health insurance company – or even to a private one. Just inform your employer within 2 weeks of your employement.
However, private insurance is not open to everyone. To be eligible, you must meet one of the following criteria:
You are self-employed
You are a civil servant
You earn more than the required salary threshold
You're not eligible for statutory healthcare
You're a student with no access to your home country’s insurance