According to German law, a "mini-job" is any job in which the monthly gross income does not exceed €538 (2024). If you work a mini-job, then your employer is not required to pay toward your insurance contributions.
Non-EU mini-jobber
If you are working a mini-job and you're not from the EU, then you have two options for getting health insurance:
Expat health insurance (€72/mo). If you're young and healthy, this is our recommendation. You can think of this type of insurance as "accident-only" insurance. It will protect you against something catastrophic, but it won't cover regular check-ups. Once you find a full-time job, you'll be able to easily switch to public coverage. Get expat health insurance.
Coverage as a dependent under someone else's public health insurance policy. If you have a spouse or parent with public insurance coverage then it may possible to get coverage through them.
EU mini-jobber
If you're from the EU and working a mini-job, then here are your options:
Join public insurance as a freiwilliges Mitglied (€220+/mo). Since most employers aren't required to pay for your healthcare contributions, you'll have to pay for them yourself. You will need to sign up for public insurance as a voluntary member. To get covered go through our public insurance sign-up.
Coverage as a dependent under someone else's public health insurance policy. If you have a spouse or parent with public insurance coverage then it may possible to get coverage through them.
Expat health insurance (72€/mo). You can think of this type of insurance as "accident-only" insurance. It will protect you against something catastrophic, but it won't cover regular check-ups. Once you find a full-time job, you'll be able to easily switch to public coverage. Get expat health insurance.
Use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to get health coverage. If you're working a seasonal mini-job, or are only in Germany for a short time, you might be able to use your EHIC. But please check that with your insurance provider where you are currently insured.