Which health insurance for family reunification visa

If you apply for a family reunification visa , you not only have to submit numerous documents, but also meet a key requirement: proof of adequate health insurance upon entry. Without this insurance coverage, you will not be issued a national visa (Type D) – even if all other documents are complete. But which insurance meets the requirements for a family reunification visa? And what should applicants be aware of? VISAGUARD explains it step by step.

Legal or private – what is allowed?

In principle, German diplomatic missions abroad accept both statutory health insurance (GKV) and certain private health insurance plans (PKV) . The decisive factor is not the type of insurance, but that it meets the following conditions:

✅ comparable with the scope of services of the GKV (see § 11 SGB V )

✅ unlimited insurance coverage

✅ without exclusion clauses (e.g. age, change of purpose of stay, loss of residence permit)

✅ valid from the first day of entry

💡 Attention: Travel health insurance or EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) is not sufficient if you are staying in Germany permanently!

Insuring spouses during family reunification

Many foreigners with visas wonder how to insure their spouse . Fortunately, this system is very straightforward in Germany. If the spouse living in Germany has statutory insurance, there may be a simple solution: The health insurance company declares in writing that the person joining them will be unconditionally covered by their family's insurance upon entry. This letter is often the best proof of insurance for the visa process, but it is not accepted by all embassies. Especially at European embassies like the one in Madrid, a preliminary confirmation letter is often insufficient.

What to do if statutory (family) insurance is not (yet) possible?

If the letter from the statutory health insurance provider is not sufficient for the spouse, additional insurance must be taken out. This also applies to cases where statutory (family) health insurance can only be taken out after entry . You will then need a temporary solution for this period. This is where special incoming health insurance comes in. Some providers, such as Feather, offer suitable plans tailored to the requirements of visa procedures. The costs are usually between 30 and 80 euros per month.

Conclusion Insurance coverage for family reunification

The spouse’s insurance in Germany works as follows:

🔹 Get confirmation from your spouse's health insurance provider that you are covered by family insurance from the moment you enter the country – preferably in writing.

🔹 If this is not possible, take out incoming insurance with long-term validity in good time.

🔹 Make sure that the contract includes all required services and does not contain any exclusion clauses.

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