Expat Health Insurance Germany: Mawista vs Ottonova

By the GoGermany Editorial Team · 2026-08-03

Mawista is cheap short-term expat cover for students and visa applicants; Ottonova is a modern English-speaking private insurer for employees and freelancers — here is when each is accepted and when you must switch.

Health insurance is not optional in Germany — it is a legal requirement for a visa, for your Anmeldung (address registration), and for daily life. But the cover you need on day one is rarely the cover you need a year later. Newcomers usually start with an incoming/expat policy like Mawista and later move to full German health insurance — either statutory (GKV, gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) or private (PKV, private Krankenversicherung) such as Ottonova.

This guide explains what Mawista and Ottonova actually are, which visas accept them, and the exact moment you must switch. Get this wrong and you can be refused a residence permit or stuck paying twice.

Two different products for two different stages

Mawista and Ottonova are often compared, but they solve different problems.

• Mawista sells incoming / expat health insurance — short-term travel-style cover designed for people who are not yet enrolled in the German system. It is cheap, easy to buy from abroad, and accepted for many entry visas. It is not a full German Krankenversicherung.
• Ottonova is a licensed German private health insurer (PKV) with an English app and English customer service. It is real, long-term German health insurance for people who are eligible for PKV — mainly employees over the income threshold, freelancers and the self-employed.

What is Mawista and who is it for

Mawista is a broker offering incoming policies (underwritten by German insurers). Its plans are built for the gap between arriving in Germany and being enrolled in GKV or PKV. Typical users:

• Students waiting to enrol, or over-30/doctoral students who cannot join student GKV.
• Language-course visa (Sprachkursvisum) holders — language students usually cannot join GKV at all, so incoming cover is the standard solution.
• Job-seeker visa and Chancenkarte (opportunity card) holders, who have no employer yet and therefore no automatic GKV. Incoming cover fills the Chancenkarte gap before you sign an employment contract.
• Au pairs, interns, and family reunion applicants in the early months.

The appeal is simple: it is inexpensive, you can buy it online before you fly, you get an insurance confirmation (Versicherungsbestätigung) instantly for your visa file, and you can often cancel monthly once you switch to a proper German policy.

The catch: incoming policies have caps, exclusions and waiting periods. Pre-existing conditions, pregnancy, dental and chronic illness are often limited or excluded, and there is usually a maximum benefit ceiling. That is fine for a healthy person bridging a few months — not a substitute for full cover long term.

What is Ottonova and who is it for

Ottonova is a fully licensed German PKV, founded as a "digital" insurer. What makes it popular with internationals:

• English app and English-speaking service — rare among traditional German insurers.
• A concierge/telemedicine feature and fast digital claims.
• Proper PKV benefits: private rooms, shorter waits, broader specialist access.

But PKV is only for people who are allowed to leave the statutory system:

• Employees whose gross salary is above the compulsory-insurance threshold (Versicherungspflichtgrenze), around €73,800/year in 2025 (it rises most years — check the current figure).
• Freelancers and the self-employed, who can choose PKV at any income.
• Civil servants and some others.

If you are an employee earning below that threshold, you are legally required to be in GKV and cannot choose Ottonova as your main insurance. See our note on public options if that is you, and use the eligibility checker to see where you fall.

Which one does your visa accept?

This is where people get tripped up. The Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) and the embassy want to see cover that is valid and sufficient for your specific permit.

• National (D) visa / language-course / job-seeker / Chancenkarte: an incoming policy like Mawista is generally accepted, provided it meets the minimum sum insured and covers your whole stay. This is the normal route.
• Student visa: most public universities enrol you in student GKV (around €130–€140/month including care insurance). Incoming cover is used only before enrolment or for those ineligible for student GKV.
• Work visa / Blaue Karte EU (EU Blue Card) / Fachkräfte (skilled-worker) permits: the authorities expect real German KV — GKV, or PKV like Ottonova if you qualify. An incoming policy is usually not accepted as the permanent solution once you start work.

Rule of thumb: incoming cover gets you in; German KV keeps you here.

When you must switch from Mawista to GKV or PKV

You must move from incoming cover to full German health insurance when your situation changes to one where GKV/PKV membership is legally required, typically:

1. You sign an employment contract. From day one of employment you are normally subject to compulsory insurance. Below the income threshold → GKV (your employer registers you and splits the cost). Above it, or self-employed → you may choose PKV (Ottonova) or stay in GKV voluntarily.
2. You enrol at university. Switch to student GKV.
3. Your Chancenkarte/job-seeker period ends because you found a job — the employment rule above kicks in.
4. Your residence permit is converted (e.g. from job-seeker to work permit). The Ausländerbehörde will expect compliant KV at renewal.

Don't cancel your Mawista policy until the new cover's start date is confirmed — you must never have a gap. Most incoming policies allow monthly cancellation for exactly this reason.

Cost reality check

• Incoming (Mawista): roughly €30–€120/month depending on age and plan.
• Student GKV: about €130–€140/month.
• GKV for employees: ~14.6% + Zusatzbeitrag (supplementary rate) of gross salary, split with your employer.
• PKV (Ottonova): individually priced, commonly €250–€700+/month, based on age and health at entry. PKV premiums are not shared for the self-employed and can rise with age.

A big warning about PKV: it is hard to go back to GKV once you are older, and premiums can climb over a lifetime. For a young high-earner or freelancer wanting English service, Ottonova is attractive; for most employees, GKV remains the default.

How to decide

• Just arriving, no job yet, or on a language/job-seeker/Chancenkarte visa? Buy an incoming policy (Mawista-style) to satisfy the visa and cover the gap.
• Starting a job below the income threshold, or a student? You will be in GKV — that is settled by law, not choice.
• High-earning employee, freelancer or self-employed who values English-first digital service? Consider Ottonova (PKV) — but weigh the long-term lock-in.

Before you move to Germany, sort out your Sperrkonto and insurance together, and if you are still job-hunting, our CV builder and interview prep help you close the gap faster so you can switch to permanent KV sooner.