Which insurance do I need when I move abroad from Germany?
In short
Which insurance do I need when I move abroad from Germany? Above all health insurance in the new country or international health insurance from about EUR 80 a month, plus local liability cover. German personal liability and contents insurance usually end when you move. Keep disability and life cover, and put private health insurance on hold with a dormant policy.
Published premiums and official figures that matter when you leave Germany, as of 2026.
Example
Typical range
International health insurance, under 40, without North America
from about EUR 80 a month, standard plans about EUR 95 to 140
Small dormant private health policy
about 5 to 10 percent of the previous premium
Large dormant policy keeping the entry age
about 30 to 45 percent of the previous premium
Voluntary German pension contribution 2026
EUR 112.16 to 1,571.70 a month
Guide values as of October 2026 from published premium examples and official figures.
Premiums in the new country vary widely;
we check with you which German policies to keep when you move abroad.
Worked example
Age 41, privately insured, moving to Canada
How the insurance folder is reorganised before the move.
Private health insurance EUR 520
small dormant policy, about EUR 26 to 52
Health insurance in the new country
own policy from the day of the move
Personal liability and contents
cancelled for the move, new abroad
Disability cover EUR 85
continues, new address reported
Car
sold, no-claims certificate filed
The way back into private health insurance stays open for about EUR 26 to 52 a month, the car discount for up to seven years.
Health insurance: the key point when you move abroad
German public health and pension insurance apply to people who work or live in Germany. If you move away for good and no longer work for a German employer, the insurance usually ends. Within the EU, the system of the new country normally takes over if you work or live there.
Outside the EU you need health insurance that is valid there. Travel insurance is not enough, because it requires a German residence. International health insurance costs from about EUR 80 a month under age 40 without North America, standard plans about EUR 95 to 140.
Policy
What happens when you move abroad
What you do
Public health insurance
usually ends
deregister, insure in the new country
Private health insurance
continues, but premium pays for care in Germany
agree a dormant policy
Personal liability
cover usually requires a German residence
new liability in the new country
Contents
does not transfer to the new home under the model terms
cancel, insure anew abroad
Car
ends with deregistration
keep the no-claims certificate
Disability, term life
usually continue
report the move, check where they apply
Keeping private health insurance dormant
If you have private health insurance and might come back, do not cancel it when you move abroad. With a dormant policy (Anwartschaftsversicherung) it rests for a small premium, and you can return later without new health questions.
The small version usually costs 5 to 10 percent of your previous premium, the large one, which also keeps your entry age, about 30 to 45 percent. With a EUR 500 premium that is EUR 25 to 225 a month. It mainly pays off if you are older or have pre-existing conditions.
Liability, contents and your car
German personal liability insurance covers temporary stays abroad, but almost always requires a residence in Germany. If you move abroad for good you lose that cover and take out a policy in the new country.
Under the model terms, contents insurance does not transfer to a home abroad, and cover in the old flat ends a few months after the move begins. For the removal itself, ask the moving company about transit insurance.
If you deregister your car, get a certificate of your no-claims discount. Under the model terms it is kept in full for up to twelve months, then you lose one claim-free year for each further year, and after seven years it is gone.
Pension, disability and life cover
Germans living abroad may pay voluntary contributions into the German statutory pension, in 2026 between EUR 112.16 and EUR 1,571.70 a month. This can help you meet minimum contribution periods if you only have a few years in Germany when you move abroad.
Do not cancel disability or term life insurance when you move abroad; a new policy is often more expensive later or unavailable because of new conditions. Check whether the policy applies worldwide and whether you must report the move.
When you do not need to cancel everything
If you go for one or two years and keep your residence in Germany, you are not emigrating in the sense of your policies. Long-term travel health insurance is often enough, and liability and contents continue.
What counts is where the centre of your life is. Clarify that before cancelling anything.
Step by step
Clarify whether you give up your German residence.
Arrange health insurance in the new country without a gap from the day you move.
Turn private health insurance into a dormant policy instead of cancelling.
End liability, contents and car insurance with the move and keep the certificates.
Give your disability and life insurers your new address.
Checklist
Health insurance in the new country from day one
Dormant policy confirmed in writing
No-claims certificate for the car
New liability cover abroad
Voluntary pension contributions considered
Common mistakes
Cancelling private health insurance although a return is possible
Emigrating on travel insurance that requires a German residence
Cancelling disability cover to save costs
Not keeping the no-claims certificate
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Can I stay in German public health insurance when I move abroad?
Usually not if you neither work nor live in Germany.
Within the EU the new country's rules decide.
Do I need a dormant policy if I was publicly insured?
No.
If you return and were last publicly insured, the public system takes you back.
Does my German personal liability insurance still apply after moving abroad?
Usually not, because it requires a German residence.
For temporary stays it often applies worldwide.
What happens to my Riester pension if I move abroad?
If you live outside the EU and EEA when payments start, you have to repay the state subsidies.
Within the EU they are kept.
I came to Germany from abroad and now return home. Is anything different?
The same rules apply.
Check in addition whether your home country counts your German insurance years,
