Moving to Berlin?
Healthcare in Berlin
Public Health Insurance
Germany’s universal healthcare system is one of the oldest in the world. Everyone legally residing in Germany is entitled to healthcare. In fact, they are even required by law to have health insurance.
There are two types of health insurance in Germany, public and private. Public health insurance is more widespread, as there are certain criteria one must fulfill for receiving private insurance. Most salaried workers are automatically registered for public health insurance, with contributions taken out of their monthly paycheck.
If you want to read more about Germany's healthcare system, see our in-depth article on health insurance in Germany.
Private Health Insurance
If you earn over 4,687.50 EUR per year (as of 2016), are self-employed, or are a German civil servant, you can opt for private health insurance. The application process for private care is not as simple as it is for public health insurance, though. You may have to go through medical tests, fill out a questionnaire about your medical history, and provide proof of your income. When applying for private health insurance, you will typically also have to go through this application process without the help of your company’s HR department.
The main benefit for those with private health insurance is that you will not have such long waiting times. Some doctors also only accept patients with private health insurance.
Medical Facilities
Medical care in Germany is absolutely top of the line, and people have even been traveling there for treatment. As a major metropolitan city, Berlin has many hospitals from specialist clinics to general care.
One of the best general hospitals in Berlin is the university clinic Charité in Berlin Mitte, which is renowned for its medical research. The Berlin municipal office also offers you a (German-language) list of all hospitals in Berlin with detailed contact information.
As far as medical services in Germany are concerned, our detailed expat guide covers subjects like:
We do our best to keep this article up to date. However, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is always current or complete.
