You have to be insured while living in Germany. There are a few scenarios in which you might want to cancel your public health insurance membership: switching public insurance providers, leaving Germany permanently, and leaving on holiday.
I want to switch my provider
I am switching between public providers
You can switch between public providers without any limitations or waiting periods if:
You changed your employer or your employment contract
Your provider raises the health insurance fund's individual supplementary contribution rate. You can switch to another provider within the first month in which the higher contribution rate is applied.
Your insurance status changed: for example, you went from being employed to self-employed, or from being self-employed or dependent on someone's policy to being employed.
Keep in mind that this rule only applies if you sign up with a new provider within 14 days of the mentioned events.
If you missed the 14-day period, or the above-mentioned situations do not address you, you will have to follow the general cancellation periods when switching public providers: You have to be with your current provider for at least a full year in order to be allowed to switch, and when switching, the cancellation period of the current month plus 2 months will apply, so your new membership will start after that.
You do not have to cancel your current policy when switching between public providers, it is enough to apply with a new provider and inform your employer, and they will take care of the cancellation.
I am switching from public insurance to private insurance
You can switch between public and private providers without the cancellation period if:
You changed employers, and your new yearly gross earnings are above 69,300 EUR
You started self-employment
Keep in mind that this rule only applies if you sign up with a new provider within 14 days of the mentioned events.
If you missed the 14-day period, or the above-mentioned situations do not address you, the cancellation period of the current month plus 2 months will apply, so your new membership will start after that period. Meaning, if you cancel your public provider on the 15th of November, your private membership will start on the 1st of February.
If you receive a salary increase while with the same employer and your yearly gross salary goes above the private insurance threshold, your compulsory membership with public insurance will end at the end of the current year. This means that if your salary increases on March 1, 2024, you will have to stay on public insurance until December 31, 2024. On January 1, 2025, your compulsory membership ends, so if you cancel your public insurance within 14 days, the cancellation period will not apply. If you miss those 14 days, you will have the above-mentioned cancellation period. You can see our guide below on switching to private insurance.
I'm leaving Germany permanently
In this case, it is usually enough to inform your insurance provider directly. To do so, you can use our template. Most often, additional proof like an Abmeldung (de-registration from your city) or flight tickets might be required.
I'm leaving Germany for a while
If you are leaving Germany for a longer holiday, family, or work-related matter, you can actually pause your insurance. This term is called Anwartschaft, and by doing this, you will make sure you have the right to join the same public insurer after coming back. If this case relates to you, it is best to reach out to your public insurance provider directly.
See for more information about Anwartschaft insurance.