Before you start

Employment contract or proof of income
Meldebescheinigung from your Anmeldung
Steuer-ID
A German bank account for contributions

Step-by-step

1
Understand the two systems before anyone sells you one
Statutory charges a percentage of income up to a ceiling, covers dependants at no extra cost, and allows free switching between funds. Private prices on age and health at entry, charges per person, and rises with age. The decision shapes decades.
OnlineWho: YouFirst month
2
Be sceptical of private insurance brokers
Frankfurt's salary profile makes newcomers here prime targets, and broker commission is front-loaded. The comparison they show — a young healthy single person's first-year premium — is the most favourable one that will ever exist for you. Ask specifically what the premium looks like at 55, and what happens if you have children.
In personWho: You
3
Choose statutory if eligible and unsure
Statutory funds differ modestly in rate and extras, and switching between them is easy. Starting statutory keeps the option open; the reverse move generally does not exist.
OnlineWho: You
4
Get your insurance confirmation for the residence permit
Proof of health cover is required for the permit application. Your insurer issues a confirmation once you enrol.
OnlineWho: You
5
Register with a Hausarzt
Your GP is the entry point to specialist care in practice. Frankfurt has a good supply of English-speaking practices given the international population — ask when you enquire, and register while you are well.
In personWho: You
6
Learn the out-of-hours system
For urgent but non-emergency problems, 116117 is the national medical on-call number and can direct you to an out-of-hours practice. Emergency departments are for emergencies.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Employment contract or proof of income
Meldebescheinigung
Steuer-ID
Passport and residence permit
Bank details for contributions

Things most newcomers don’t know

Frankfurt salaries make you a target for private insurance brokers, and their comparison is the most flattering one you will ever see.

Private cover is cheapest for a young, healthy, high-earning single person — exactly the profile of a newcomer to Frankfurt finance. Broker commission is front-loaded, so the incentive is to sell now on that comparison. Premiums rise with age, each family member is a separate policy rather than covered free, and returning to statutory later is difficult and near-impossible above a certain age. Ask what the premium is at 55.

Source: Bundesministerium für Gesundheit

Statutory cover includes dependants at no extra cost.

A non-working spouse and children are covered under a statutory member's contribution at no additional charge. Under private cover each is a separate premium. For anyone with or planning a family, this single difference usually outweighs the headline comparison.

Source: Bundesministerium für Gesundheit

English-speaking GPs are genuinely easier to find here.

Frankfurt's international population means a substantial number of practices operate in English, which is not reliably true in Munich or Hamburg. It removes one of the more stressful parts of a first year abroad — but you still need to register while you are well, because good practices fill up.

Source: community-reported

116117 is the number that saves an emergency department visit.

The national medical on-call service handles urgent but non-life-threatening problems out of hours. Germans use it routinely; newcomers default to the emergency department and wait a long time as low priority.

Source: Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung

Common mistakes to avoid

Buying private insurance from a broker on the first year's premium without modelling age 55.
Not realising statutory covers dependants free while private does not.
Going to an emergency department for something 116117 would have handled.
Waiting until you are ill to register with a GP.
Forgetting the insurance confirmation the Ausländerbehörde requires for your permit.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.