How does free family insurance work?
In Germany members of statutory health insurance funds, like TK, can get free health insurance cover for their family members. Family members are then entitled to the same range of services and benefits as the paying member.
Who can be covered by free family insurance?The following family members can be included free of charge in your insurance cover:your married partner or civil partner in accordance with the Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetz (LpartG) [German Civil Partnership Act]biological and adopted children up to a certain agechildren of children covered by dependants’ insurancestepchildren and grandchildren who live with you in one householdstepchildren and grandchildren who live on their own and who depend primarily on you for their livelihoodfoster children, unless you are caring for them in a professional capacity
Video: How does free family insurance work?Who is not covered by free family insurance?The following list describes cases in which family members cannot be covered for free:family members who are primarily self-employedthose who have either been exempted from or who are not subject to compulsory insurance (e.g. mini-jobbers)those with compulsory insurance cover, e.g. employeesImportant: To be eligible for free family insurance, your dependants must not have a regular total income of more than 565 EUR (2026) per month. For income from a mini-job, the limit is 603 EUR per month.
Good to know:If your married or civil partner is not covered by statutory health insurance (for example, they have private health insurance), we can only insure your joint children under family insurance free of charge under certain conditions:your married or civil partner does not have a regular total income of more than 6,450 EUR per month, oryour own income is higher than that of your married partner or civil partner.If these conditions do not apply to you, we will be happy to advise you on your options:+49 40 - 46 06 62 53 00
Are there age limits for free family cover?Children get free cover until their 18th birthday. If they are not yet employed, they can be covered until their 23rd birthday. What's more, children remain entitled to free family insurance up to their 25th birthday if they:are still attending school,are undergoing vocational training without remuneration,are studying, orare completing an unpaid voluntary social or ecological year or youth voluntary service abroad.Has your child's education been delayed by military or voluntary service? Then your child can remain covered by family insurance after their 25th birthday for as long as the service lasted, up to a maximum of 1 year.Disabled children can remain covered by family insurance permanently if they are unable to support themselves as adults. The disability must have occurred within the age limits of free family insurance.How do I apply for free cover for my family members?Apply for free family insurance in our German-language online process in our "Meine TK" members’ area: Prozess Familienversicherung Erstantrag To use this online service, you first need to register for "Meine TK". The easiest way to do this is via the TK-App. Simply download the App to use this and many other online services.
TK-AppQuick, secure, uncomplicated: Take advantage of health insurance the smart way.
Alternatively, you can download and complete the application form for free family insurance and send it back to us (the return address is on the application form).Non-contributory Dependants Insurance
PDF, 1.0 MBIf you are applying for your newborn child, this is only possible after the birth, as free family insurance begins on the date of birth. Please also submit the birth certificate.You can apply for free family insurance for your married partner at any time - provided they meet the conditions.Unfortunately, it is not possible to submit applications for free family insurance by e-mail. The application must be clearly assigned to you and transmitted securely. This can only be done by post or via "Meine TK" in the TK-App.How do I get confirmation of free family insurance?The easiest way to create a certificate confirming free family insurance for your family members is by requesting a "General insurance certificate" in the TK-App.
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