Are you wondering why you got rejected from public health care coverage even though you have European citizenship?
If you got a job in a German company and are earning over €556 per month, you are mandatorily insured in the public system, and you can easily submit your application here. If, however, this does not apply to you and you are self-employed or a mini-jobber (earnings under €556), you are a so-called voluntary member, which means there are further requirements you need to meet in order to be accepted.
Voluntary public insurance is technically only the continuation of already existing EU/EEA state insurance, which means that you can only get into the German voluntary public insurance system if your EU/EEA state insurance ended less than 3 months ago and prior to that it was active either for at least 12 full consecutive months or for at least 24 months within the last 5 years, with possible interruptions. So voluntary public health insurance does not have anything to do with your citizenship but rather with your insurance history. If you meet those requirements, you can submit your application here.
So, am I really not eligible for public health insurance if I do not meet the requirements?
There is a way for German citizens, or people with a residency permit valid over a year into the future to get into public health system. German citizens can qualify even without income, and the EU citizens or holders of a German residency permit will need to present certain income. This is a very marginal branch of public health insurance called SGB 5 1 13 and only a public health provider can assess eligibility or process these applications directly. We cannot assist legally.
So if you do not meet the above mentioned requirements for voluntary membership, best to talk to one of the public health providers about the SGB 5 1 13.
Keep in mind that voluntary public health insurance or SGB 5 1 13 are not always the best way forward, since it can be quite costly (there is no free health insurance in Germany unless you qualify for the government benefits). ~€260 is the minimum monthly contribution that people with minimal earnings pay. If you earn over €1200/month you will be paying about 20% of your monthly income as contribution. If you are doing a minijob in Germany, expat health could be a better option to start with since it is quite affordable, starting at €72 per month. Once you find a regular job, you can switch to public health insurance without any issues, and we can assist you in that.
Getting on voluntary public health insurance, or §5 I 13 SGB V" is recommended if you have ongoing health issues that require frequent medical attention or as long-term options. For example if you plan to stay self-employed long-term and you do not qualify for private health insurance.