Are you wondering why you got rejected from public health care coverage even though you have European citizenship? For people with dual citizenship applying without a job, it can be quite confusing.
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, a job seeker, 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?
Not exactly: people with German or EUEEA citizenship or a residence permit valid for over a year in the future actually need to be allowed to join either public or comprehensive private health insurance in Germany. Because their right to stay here takes priority over their insurance status. We know it is complicated, but that is just German bureaucracy!:(
Simply put, if you meet those mentioned requirements, you can get one or the other.
But which one?
So the rule says this: if you are self-employed or were last self-employed (anywhere in the world), you need to go for private insurance through the so-called "Basis tariff". Coverage and price will be similar to the basic private policy; only the way into it is different since they need to accept you.
If you were last employed, unemployed (anywhere in the world), or doing a "minijob" in Germany, you need to go for public health insurance through the so-called "§5 I 13 SGB V"
We are legally not allowed to process these policies; providers do that directly.
However, if you find yourself in the described situation and want to get insured, feel free to reach out, and we can steer you in the right direction.
Keep in mind that voluntary public health insurance or the other two mentioned options are not always the best, since it can be quite costly (there is no free health insurance in Germany unless you qualify for government benefits). Otherwise, you need to pay it out of your pocket, even if you are not working. ~€250 is the minimum monthly contribution. If, for example, your home state insurance is still valid and you came here to search for work, you can actually remain on your home insurance for as long as you are searching for work and have access to healthcare through your EHIC, or GHIC. If it is not valid, perhaps our expat health would be worth looking into; instead of "§5 I 13 SGB V" or "Basis tariff.". 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" and "Basis tariff" is recommended if you have ongoing health issues that require frequent medical attention or as long-term options.