Self-Employed Parent in Frankfurt: GKV From About 270 EUR a Month Covers the Kids, PKV Needs One Policy Each
A self-employed parent in Frankfurt who joins voluntary statutory insurance (GKV) pays contributions on at least 1,318.33 euros of income a month in 2026, which at the 14.0 percent rate without sick pay, the average 2.9 percent additional contribution and 3.6 percent care insurance is about 270 euros a month, and at most on 5,812.50 euros, about 1,190 euros. Children, and a spouse with income of up to 565 euros a month who is not a full-time self-employed person, are then insured at no extra premium, whereas private insurance (PKV) needs a separate contract for every family member. Voluntary GKV is open only if you meet an entry condition, mainly earlier insurance before leaving compulsory insurance (24 months in the last five years, or 12 months directly before), so a newcomer with no German GKV history may find the private door the only one open. The Verbraucherzentrale Hessen advises on the choice in 45-minute sessions for 60 euros, in person at selected centres, by phone or by video.
Who Can Get In: The Prior-Insurance Gate
Most guides start with price. For a self-employed parent who is new to Germany, the first question is whether the cheaper door is open at all.
Full-time self-employed people normally join statutory health insurance voluntarily, and they can do so only if they meet one of the conditions in § 9 SGB V. The main one asks for 24 months of insurance in the five years before leaving compulsory insurance, or 12 months directly before. Employees who leave compulsory insurance, for example to start a business, must report their entry to the Krankenkasse within three months. The law text does not say how insurance periods in other countries are treated, so ask the Krankenkasse in writing.
If the door is closed, private insurance is the route, and the sooner you arrange it the better. Our page on the Basistarif and Notlagentarif explains the fallback tariffs.
What Voluntary GKV Costs in 2026
The rules for self-employed members are in § 240 SGB V. The contribution base is your actual income, with a floor and a ceiling.
| Item | Minimum base | Maximum base |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly income counted | 1,318.33 euros | 5,812.50 euros |
| Health insurance at 14.0 percent + 2.9 percent average add-on | 222.80 euros | 982.31 euros |
| Care insurance at 3.6 percent (one child) | 47.46 euros | 209.25 euros |
| Total per month | about 270 euros | about 1,190 euros |
| With the 14.6 percent rate (sick pay included) instead | about 278 euros | about 1,226 euros |
The figures come from the 2026 regulation on reference values, the Ministry of Health and the GKV-Spitzenverband, and the table is calculated from them. The average additional contribution is only a reference: your Kasse sets its own, and the Ministry of Health notes members have a special right to terminate if it raises it. Care insurance is 3.6 percent for a parent with one child, 3.35 percent with two, 3.10 percent with three, and 4.2 percent without children.
Three traps for the self-employed:
- The first bills are provisional. The Kasse sets contributions from your last tax assessment, or from your proven expected income when you start. Once the assessment for the year arrives, the contribution is finalised. If you do not prove your actual income within three years after the year ends, the law allows the Kasse to set the final contribution at the ceiling, so send each assessment promptly.
- Sick pay is optional. Under § 44 SGB V a full-time self-employed member has no sick pay claim unless a declaration is made, and that choice also decides the rate (14.0 or 14.6 percent).
- The minimum is a floor. A bad year with 600 euros profit is still billed on 1,318.33 euros.
The Family Rule: Why This Decision Is About More Than You
§ 10 SGB V is the reason many parents choose statutory insurance. Children and spouses of members are insured without their own contribution if they live in Germany and meet the conditions.
| Person | Condition |
|---|---|
| Child | Until 18. Until 23 if not working. Until 25 in school, training or a voluntary service year |
| Spouse | Regular monthly income up to 565 euros (marginal employment up to its own limit), not full-time self-employed |
| Child of a mixed couple | Not covered if the other parent is outside GKV, earns more than 6,450 euros a month and more than the member parent |
The premium does not rise with family size: the law forbids grading by marital status or by the number of family-insured relatives. A spouse who is also full-time self-employed has to pay on their own, even inside the statutory system. Our pages on spouse income limits and mixed insurance couples cover the edge cases.
Private Insurance for a Family
PKV has no family insurance. Each person needs a contract with their own premium, which depends on age, health and tariff, not on income. Two features matter for parents:
- Newborns. § 198 VVG obliges the insurer to take a newborn without risk surcharge or waiting period if a parent is insured on the day of birth and the baby is registered within two months, and the baby’s cover may not be higher or broader than the parent’s. The insurer may require the parent to have been insured for up to three months.
- Staying power. Premiums can rise with age, which our page on PKV premiums in retirement discusses. Moving back is difficult: § 6 SGB V leaves people who become insurable only after age 55 outside the statutory system if they were not insured in it during the previous five years and spent at least half of that time exempt from or outside compulsory insurance.
The legal duty to insure is the same for both routes. What differs is who pays for the children, and how much you can change your mind later.
A Short Decision Path
- Check the prior insurance period. Add up months of statutory insurance in the last five years.
- List the family: children, a spouse with income, and whether that spouse is self-employed.
- Estimate your 2027 profit and compare it with the 1,318.33 euro floor.
- Ask two or three Kassen in writing for their additional contribution, sick pay options, and whether foreign insurance periods count.
- Request private offers for the whole family, not just yourself, and compare the total.
- Book one independent session before signing. Artists, writers and journalists should also ask whether they fall under the Künstlersozialkasse.
In Frankfurt, the Verbraucherzentrale Hessen offers a 45-minute session at 60 euros that covers the choice between statutory and private insurance, family insurance and the check of a contribution calculation, in person at selected centres or by phone or video. Our page on choosing a health insurance lists what to compare, and the page on pension numbers for freelancers covers the next registration.
Compliance Note
This guide describes German health insurance law and the 2026 reference figures as of October 2026. Contribution rates, the average additional contribution and reference values change every year, and individual cases depend on your history of insurance. It is not legal or financial advice and does not recommend an insurer. Before you decide, get written confirmation from a Krankenkasse and independent advice.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Can I join statutory insurance as a self-employed newcomer?
Only if you meet an entry condition. Full-time self-employed people normally join voluntarily, and under § 9 SGB V voluntary entry needs 24 months of insurance in the last five years before leaving compulsory insurance, or 12 months directly before, and you must report your entry to the Krankenkasse within three months. The law text lists a few other groups, such as foreigners with a research residence permit under § 18d AufenthG within three months of arrival. It does not say whether insurance periods in another country count, so ask the Krankenkasse in writing whether periods in another EU or EEA state or Switzerland are recognised.
What is the minimum I pay in 2026?
§ 240 SGB V sets the minimum income for the contribution as one third of the monthly reference figure. For 2026 the reference figure is 3,955 euros, so the minimum basis is 1,318.33 euros a month, whatever you actually earn. At the 14.0 percent rate that applies to members without a sick pay claim, the average 2.9 percent additional contribution, and 3.6 percent care insurance for a parent with one child, that is about 270 euros a month. With two children the care rate is 3.35 percent. Each Krankenkasse sets its own additional contribution, so your figure will differ.
Are my children and my spouse really free?
Children are covered at no extra premium until 18, until 23 if not working, and until 25 in school, training or a voluntary service year, according to § 10 SGB V. A spouse is covered if their regular monthly income does not exceed one seventh of the reference figure, 565 euros in 2026 (a minijobber up to the marginal employment limit), and if they are not full-time self-employed. § 240 SGB V says premiums may not be graded by marital status or the number of family-insured relatives, so a larger family does not raise your premium.
My partner is employed and in statutory insurance. Can the kids go there instead?
Often yes. A child can be insured through either parent who is a GKV member. § 10 SGB V excludes the child only if the other parent is not in a Krankenkasse, earns regularly more than one twelfth of the 77,400 euro income threshold, which is 6,450 euros a month, and earns more than the member parent. Our page on mixed insurance couples walks through the cases.
What changes with private insurance?
Premiums depend on age, health and tariff, not on income, and every family member needs an own contract. For babies there is a protection: § 198 VVG requires the insurer to accept a newborn without risk surcharge or waiting period if at least one parent is insured on the birth date and the baby is registered within two months. The insurer may require the parent to have been insured for up to three months.
Can I go back to statutory insurance after going private?
Do not count on it. Voluntary entry needs the prior insurance period. Taking an employee job under the income threshold brings compulsory insurance back, but § 6 SGB V keeps people out of statutory insurance who become insurable only after turning 55, were not insured in it during the previous five years and spent at least half of that time exempt from or outside compulsory insurance. If you may return to employment later, ask about this before you decide.
Do I get sick pay as a self-employed member?
Not automatically. § 44 SGB V says members who are full-time self-employed have no claim to sick pay unless they declare to the Krankenkasse that their membership should include it. The 14.0 percent rate applies to members without a claim, and the 14.6 percent rate to those with one. Ask the Kasse for the declaration form, the waiting period for payments, and what the payment would be based on.
Where can I get independent advice in Frankfurt?
The Verbraucherzentrale Hessen has a centre in Frankfurt and advises on statutory and private insurance, including family insurance and the check of a contribution calculation, in sessions of 45 minutes at 60 euros. Sessions are offered in person at selected centres and by phone or video, so check its advice page for the right format. Bring your policy or offers.