National visa: health insurance – when it is required and when not

For a national visa (category D, stay over 90 days), sufficient health insurance cover is usually part of the secured means of subsistence (§ 5(1) no. 1 i. V. m. § 2(3) AufenthG). But there are situations where the proof is not required at all in the visa procedure — and a date trap that catches almost everyone.

When the proof is required

Principle: for a national visa, sufficient health insurance must usually be shown. The exception concerns family reunification. There, the proof is only needed if means of subsistence must be secured. For reunification with a German spouse or with a German parent who has custody, means of subsistence are usually not required — so the insurance proof is then mostly not needed.

Concretely: reunification with a German spouse (§ 28 AufenthG) → proof usually not required. Reunification with a foreign residence-permit holder (§ 30 AufenthG) → proof required.

"In general" does not mean "never". The consulate can still request the proof in an individual case; the checklist of your consulate is decisive.

Which insurance counts

Not every policy is accepted. It must match the level of statutory health insurance: outpatient and inpatient, medically necessary treatment, no exclusion "for intended residence", and a scope of Germany rather than only the Schengen area.

A pure Schengen travel insurance covering only emergencies is usually not enough for a D visa. Typical is an incoming or travel health insurance for bridging — for family reunification usually for about three months, longer for studies or work. Much the same applies to vocational training; what you need for the training visa is in the article Training in Germany: visa (§ 16a).

If the partner is covered by statutory insurance, there is an alternative: a confirmation from the health insurer that the person will be taken into family insurance from entry, combined with an incoming policy for the gap until the statutory cover starts.

The date trap

The visa can only become valid from the day for which sufficient insurance cover is proven. If the insurance starts later than the planned entry date, the consulate shifts the visa start accordingly.

Because processing can take several months — roughly four weeks to six months, depending on the consulate — a fixed start date is hard to plan. What works in practice: choose a visa-suitable tariff with flexible start-date shifting, set the start initially to the planned entry date, shift it free of charge before it begins while there is no decision, and after the decision set the start to entry date minus one day and the end to entry date plus three months or until the statutory cover starts.

Important: do not backdate permanently. If the policy ends before entry, the proof is missing — cover must exist on and from the entry date.

After entry, until statutory insurance applies

Family insurance only applies with ordinary residence in Germany. The usual order: registration at the resident registration office with the landlord confirmation, then the foreigners authority for the residence permit (needs the registration certificate), then the health insurer for family insurance (registration, residence permit, marriage certificate; the spouse with no or little income of their own). Once the statutory insurer confirms cover, the incoming policy can be cancelled, usually with a pro-rata refund.

What often goes wrong

The policy covers only emergencies and repatriation — too little for a D visa. The start date is after the entry date, so the visa start slips back. The term is too short, creating a gap in cover. An exclusion clause "for intended residence" makes the policy unsuitable. Or the proof is not in German or English and does not clearly state cover and period.

Note: general information, not legal or case-specific advice. For a specific case, consult the competent consulate, foreigners authority or admitted legal advice. Last updated: 16.10.2026.

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Sources

AufenthG: § 5(1) no. 1, § 2(3) and § 28: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/
German Federal Foreign Office — "Health insurance requirements for national (category D) visas": https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/02/visa/health-insurance-requirements-2616300