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How do I cancel private health insurance in Germany?

In short

You cancel in writing with three months' notice to the end of the insurance year, or within two months of receiving a premium increase letter. The cancellation only takes effect once you prove new health cover without a gap. Check a tariff switch with your own insurer first, because moving to another company costs you part of your ageing reserves.

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How do I cancel private health insurance in Germany?

What it costs

Figures that matter for the decision, 2026.

Example	Typical range
Average premium increase on 1 January 2026	about 13 percent, for around 60 percent of insured people
Small dormant policy, keeps only your health status	about 5 to 10 percent of the previous premium
Large dormant policy, also keeps your entry age	about 25 to 45 percent of the previous premium
Income threshold 2026 for employees	EUR 77,400 gross salary a year

Guide values from public sources, as of September 2026. Your insurer can tell you on request how much reserve you could take with you; we work out your case with you.

Worked example

Self-employed designer, 46, premium rises from EUR 620 to EUR 700

The increase letter arrives in mid-November, the new premium applies from 1 January. She works through her options.

Deadline for special cancellation	two months from receipt, so until mid-January
New insurer, same benefits, after health check	about EUR 640, reserves largely gone
Tariff switch with own insurer, higher deductible	about EUR 590, reserves stay
Extra cost of the deductible if fully used	up to EUR 50 a month on average

The tariff switch is the better route here: similarly cheap, no loss of reserves and no new health check risk. The figures are a worked example, not a tariff quote.

Three ways out of the contract

The cancellation rules are in § 205 of the Insurance Contract Act (Versicherungsvertragsgesetz, VVG). Which one applies depends on why you want to leave: you found another private insurer, the premium went up, or you have to join statutory health insurance (GKV).

Your insurer may not cancel full health cover with ordinary notice. The right to leave lies almost entirely with you, but under strict conditions.

Reason	Deadline	What you enclose
Switching to another private insurer	three months to the end of the insurance year	confirmation from the new insurer
Premium increase	two months from receiving the letter	confirmation from the new insurer
Compulsory public cover, such as a new job below the threshold	up to three months after it starts, backdated	membership certificate from the public fund
Minimum term agreed	at the earliest when it ends	as above, depending on the reason

No valid cancellation without follow-up cover

Health insurance is compulsory for everyone living in Germany. Cancelling full private cover therefore only works once you prove you are insured without a gap. Without that proof, the old contract continues and you keep paying.

Never cancel before the new insurer has accepted you in writing. First acceptance after the health check, then the cancellation.

If you leave Germany

Moving to another EU or EEA country usually does not end the contract by itself; you can often keep it. If you move further away, the standard conditions end the contract when you give up your residence in Germany, unless you agree otherwise with the insurer.

Tell your insurer early, enclose your deregistration certificate (Abmeldebescheinigung) and ask what proof they need. If you might come back, ask for a dormant policy (Anwartschaftsversicherung). It keeps your health status on record, so you can return without a new health check.

What you lose when you switch insurer

Every premium builds up ageing reserves (Alterungsrückstellungen), a cushion meant to soften the premium in old age. If you change insurer, you only take the part that matches the basic tariff, and only for contracts from 2009. For older contracts it is often almost nothing.

On top of that, the new insurer checks your health again at your current age. If you have fallen ill since your first contract, you face surcharges or rejection.

Often better: switch tariff instead of cancelling

Under § 204 VVG you may switch to any comparable tariff with your own insurer. Your reserves stay in full, and a new health check only applies to extra benefits.

If you want to leave because of an increase, a tariff switch or a higher deductible often saves more than a new provider.

Back to public insurance

If you become subject to compulsory public cover, for example because your salary falls below the income threshold, you may cancel with retroactive effect. From 55 this route is almost always closed under § 6 (3a) of the Social Code Book V (SGB V).

Supplementary policies such as dental or hospital cover are different: you cancel them without proving follow-up cover, just with the notice period in your contract.

Step by step

Clarify the reason: switching insurer, premium increase, compulsory public cover or leaving Germany.
Work out the deadline: date you received the increase letter, or end of the insurance year on your policy.
Ask your own insurer for tariffs under § 204 VVG.
Only with a clear advantage: apply to the new insurer and wait for acceptance.
Send the cancellation in writing with proof of new cover and keep proof of delivery.
Wait for confirmation and move your compulsory long-term care insurance (Pflegepflichtversicherung) at the same time.

Checklist

New health insurance accepted in writing, not just applied for
Deadline counted from receipt of the letter, not its date
Tariff switch with your own insurer checked
Proof of follow-up cover enclosed or sent in time
Private long-term care insurance included
If leaving Germany: deregistration certificate and dormant policy clarified
If returning to public insurance: over or under 55 clarified

Common mistakes

Cancelling before the new insurer has accepted your application
Switching because of an increase without counting the lost reserves
Leaving out pre-existing conditions in the new application, which can cost you all your cover
Letting the two-month deadline after the increase pass

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Can I cancel and simply stay uninsured?

Not while you live in Germany. Health insurance is compulsory, and without proof of new cover the cancellation is invalid.

By when must the cancellation reach the insurer?

Three months before the end of the insurance year. If the insurance year is the calendar year, by 30 September.

Can I cancel retroactively when I join public insurance?

Yes, within three months of compulsory public cover starting, with retroactive effect. Later, it only takes effect at the end of the month in which you prove it.

Can my insurer cancel me?

It may not cancel full health cover with ordinary notice. Only in serious cases, such as fraud, is immediate termination possible.

What happens to my ageing reserves?

They stay in full with a tariff switch at your own insurer. When you change insurer, you only take the part matching the basic tariff for contracts from 2009.

What happens when I move back to my home country?

Inside the EU or EEA the contract can usually continue. Outside, it normally ends when you give up your German residence unless you agree otherwise. A dormant policy keeps the door open.

Do I have to cancel long-term care insurance separately?

Compulsory private long-term care insurance usually moves together with your health insurance. Name it explicitly in your cancellation.

How do I cancel a private supplementary policy?

With the notice period in your contract, usually three months to the end of the insurance year. You do not need proof of follow-up cover.

Sources

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