🇩🇪 Europe
Health insurance for Americans living in Germany
Germany requires proof of health coverage for nearly every long-stay visa, which makes getting the right plan one of the first things Americans moving there have to sort out.
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What expats in Germany should plan for
- Health insurance is mandatory and checked at the visa and residency stage.
- Residents choose between the public (statutory) system and private coverage.
- Newcomers often start on private international coverage before settling into a local plan.
- A long-term plan satisfies the requirement and covers travel home and around Europe.
The health system in Germany
Germany's system is comprehensive but proof of coverage is non-negotiable for the visa. A long-term plan meets the requirement and pays providers directly.
Just visiting Germany on a trip? See short-term travel medical coverage for Germany.
Recommended for living abroad
Long-Term
Real health insurance for living abroad.
Expats, remote workers, and retirees living outside the US for six months or longer.
- Comprehensive health coverage, not just emergency travel care
- Renewable year after year while you live abroad
- Access to a vetted international provider network
- Direct pay at in-network providers, so you are not fronting the cost
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Build a life in Germany. Keep health coverage that follows you there.
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The difference that matters
Your doctor gets paid directly. You do not front the bill.
BCBS Global Solutions has a direct-pay provider network in 190 countries. At an in-network hospital or clinic, the plan settles the bill directly. You are not handing over a credit card for a large medical charge and waiting months for a refund.
That is the gap most travel insurance leaves open. Plans like World Nomads, SafetyWing, and Allianz usually work on reimbursement. You pay upfront, file a claim, and hope it comes back. For a real emergency abroad, that difference is the whole point.
BCBS Global, in network
$0 out of pocket
Plan pays the provider directly at the point of care.
Typical reimbursement plan
Pay first, claim later
You cover the bill, then wait weeks or months for a refund.
Living somewhere else?
See all expat and nomad coverage →Questions about a plan?
Email us and we usually reply the same day. Tell us where you are headed or what coverage you already have, and we will point you to the right plan. No pressure, no sales pitch.
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