1. InterNations worldwide
2. »
3. Guides
4. »
5. Germany Expats
6. »
7. Berlin Expats
8. »
9. Berlin Guide
10. »
11. Moving to Berlin

Berlin at a Glance

Health Care in Berlin

The red A for Apotheke - pharmacy - can be seen in many streets.

Public Health Insurance

Moving on to a more serious topic, which is of equal importance when moving to a new city: healthcare. Germany’s universal healthcare system is indeed one of the oldest in the world. Everyone legally residing in Germany is entitled to healthcare. In fact, they are even required by law to have health insurance.

There are two types of health insurance in Germany, public and private. Public health insurance is more widespread, as there are certain criteria one must fulfill for receiving private insurance. Most salaried workers are automatically registered for public health insurance, with contributions taken out of their monthly paycheck.

Private Health Insurance

If you are self-employed or earn a gross annual income of more than 52,200€, you are required to pay for private health insurance. The application process is not that simple. You may have to go through medical tests, fill out a questionnaire about your medical history, and provide proof of your income.

Unlike it is the case with public health insurance, you have to undergo the selection and application process without any help of your company’s HR department. Those with a private health insurance mostly benefit from a fast treatment. In other words, you will not have to wait for hours but will be taken care of quickly. Some doctors only accept patients with private health insurance.

Medical Facilities

Medical care in Germany is absolutely top of the line, and many Europeans even come to Germany to be treated. As a major metropolitan city, Berlin has many hospitals from specialist clinics to general care.

One of the best general hospitals in Berlin is the university clinic Charité in Berlin Mitte, which has three emergency rooms and is renowned for its medical research. The Berlin municipal office also offers you a (German-language) list of all hospitals in Berlin with detailed contact information.

Technology

What many people don’t know about Berlin is the fact that it is one of the most technologically advanced cities in Europe. It puts a lot of emphasis on research and development in the field of new technologies. Berlin’s universities are state-of-the-art and cutting-edge institutes.

Berlin is also proud to have Germany’s best high-tech location situated in its city center. The Adlershof is a community of scientific institutes, a huge media center and the site of the Humboldt University’s expanding mathematics and sciences departments. All in all it houses over 900 businesses and offers work opportunities to nearly 15,000 people. Known for its innovative atmosphere, the Adlershof draws many new entrepreneurs to Berlin each year.