Private health insurance (PKV) can cover your spouse and your biological or adopted children when they earn less than €603 per month and have no significant pre-existing health conditions. Children are covered by the same insurance as the higher-earning parent by default, so the cost depends on whether that parent has public health insurance (GKV) or private health insurance (PKV). If you already have a policy with Feather, you add dependents from that policy in your Feather account; if you are signing up for the first time, you request a quote, apply for yourself and each dependent, confirm the details with your signature, and receive the documents in your account, where all policies are managed together. Newborns can be added within 2 months of birth without a birth certificate or ID documents.
Who can I add to my private health insurance (PKV)?
Private health insurance (PKV) can cover your spouse, legal partner and your biological or adopted children when they meet both of these conditions:
Their monthly income is less than €603.
They have no significant pre-existing health conditions.
Which parent's health insurance covers our children?
Children are covered by the same insurance as the higher-earning parent by default. What this costs depends on which insurance that parent has:
If both parents have public health insurance (GKV), or only the higher-earning parent has public health insurance (GKV), children are added at no additional cost.
If the higher-earning parent has private health insurance (PKV), children can either be added to private health insurance (PKV) or insured under public health insurance (GKV) for approximately €210 per month.
How much does it cost to add a family member to private health insurance?
Each insured person on private health insurance (PKV) has their own monthly price, so adding a family member adds a separate amount rather than a family rate. The price for each person depends on their age when the policy starts, the plan they choose, and the deductible on that plan, which is why there is no single figure for adding a spouse or a child. Children are generally priced lower than adults, and each child is quoted individually, so two children can mean two separate amounts (depending on their age).
To see the exact cost for your family:
If you already have a private health insurance (PKV) policy with Feather, log into your Feather account, open your policy, and add your dependents directly from there. You will be sent an application along with the quote afterwards.
If you are signing up for the first time, get a quote for yourself and your family before you apply.
The quote shows the monthly price for each person, and if you are employed, it also shows how much your employer contributes.
How do I add a family member to my private health insurance (PKV)?
How you add a family member depends on whether you already have a policy with Feather.
If you already have a private health insurance (PKV) policy with Feather, log into your Feather account, open your policy, and add your dependents directly from there. You will then receive a quote together with an application and a signature request, and a task will appear in your Feather account to let you know. If the price works for you, sign the application.
If you are signing up for the first time, follow these steps:
Get a quote for yourself and your family to see an overview of the cost before you apply.
Submit an application for yourself and for each dependent.
Confirm the application details. Within 2 business days, you receive an email asking you to confirm the details with your signature. We reach out automatically if any questions come up.
Receive your coverage. Once your policies are approved, all documents are available in your Feather account.
Does every family member need the same private health insurance (PKV) plan?
No. Each family member can choose a different plan, so you do not all need the same one.
Which documents and medical checks are needed to add a family member?
A family member does not need their own Anmeldung (German address registration) before you add them to your private health insurance (PKV), so coverage does not depend on their registration being completed. Once the family member is registered in Germany, provide their registered address the same way you would update any other policy detail. Alongside this:
Children under age 6: their medical check-up reports (U-Untersuchungen) must be submitted with the application.
A medical exam is generally required only if the family member was not insured in the past 12 months or has certain health conditions.
How do I sign up my newborn for private health insurance (PKV)?
If you already have a private health insurance (PKV) policy with Feather, log in to your Feather account, open your policy, and use “Add dependents” to apply for your newborn. Applying within 2 months of the birth is worth prioritizing: if you also meet the other conditions, your newborn is added without a health assessment, and coverage starts retroactively from the date of birth. Outside those conditions, a digital health assessment is required, which means providing the routine check-up reports (U-Untersuchungen) and accepting possible risk surcharges. You can still add your child after the first 2 months, on those terms.
If you do not have a policy with Feather yet, get a quote for yourself and your family, then follow the same steps as any other sign-up. Your newborn goes through a digital health assessment in this case, since being added without one requires a parent to have held our private health insurance before the birth. If you are currently pregnant and applying before the 20th week, your newborn may still qualify to be added without a health assessment.
You can contact our support team for more assistance or additional resources.