Becoming a civil servant (Beamter) in Berlin usually starts with a check of your health suitability, and that check often involves a public health officer (Amtsarzt). Before you are appointed, the hiring office has to confirm that you are suitable for the post. This guide explains when the public health officer gets involved, which health office is responsible and how you stay insured during your training and afterwards.
Short answer: In Berlin, appointment as a civil servant requires suitability for health reasons. If there is a significant impairment, the hiring office asks for an expert medical report from the public health officer. If your first residence is in Berlin, the hiring office arranges the examination at the responsible Berlin health office. Last updated: October 2026. Source: notice from the Berlin Senate Department for Education (undated).
The most important points
- Health suitability is, alongside professional and personal suitability, a condition for appointment.
- In Berlin, the preparatory service (Vorbereitungsdienst) is generally completed as a civil servant on revocable terms (Beamter auf Widerruf).
- You only submit an expert medical report from the public health officer if there is a significant impairment.
- If your first residence is outside Berlin, you have the examination at your local health office and pay for it yourself.
- If you do not meet the requirements for civil service, you can be admitted without appointment through a public-law training contract.
When does the public health officer check in Berlin?
Health suitability is one of the conditions for an appointment, next to professional and personal suitability. It is first documented through a declaration on your state of health, which you submit later in the process. Only if there is a significant impairment does the office ask for an expert report. The outcome therefore depends on what you declare and on the report, not on how healthy you feel.
Which office is responsible?
Your first residence (erster Wohnsitz) decides. If it is in Berlin, the hiring office of the Senate Department arranges the examination with the Berlin health office. If it is elsewhere, you declare that and have the examination done where you live.
| First residence | Responsible office | Costs according to the notice |
|---|---|---|
| In Berlin | Berlin health office, arranged by the hiring office | Not stated |
| Outside Berlin | Health office at your place of residence | Paid by you |
The notice gives no cost figures for Berlin. Ask the hiring office which procedure applies and whether any expenses are reimbursed.
What this means for Beihilfe and health insurance
Civil servants are exempt from statutory health insurance if they are entitled to Beihilfe, the state contribution to medical costs (section 6 para. 1 no. 2 SGB V, in German). Beihilfe covers part of your costs, and you insure the rest yourself. Our German guide Krankenversicherung im Referendariat (in German) explains the details.
As a rule, civil servants without children receive a Beihilfe rate of 50 percent. The exact rates are set out in the state Beihilfe regulation. For trainees in Berlin, the advice portal deutsche-beamtenversorgung.de (status October 2026, secondary source) reports a flat-rate Beihilfe (pauschale Beihilfe) since 2020. Under this model the employer pays a fixed amount and you cover the remaining costs. We do not state the amount, because the sources do not confirm it. Ask the Beihilfe office in writing which model applies to you.
Private insurance next to Beihilfe: when does it fit?
A private health insurance (PKV) complements Beihilfe. It tends to suit people who are in good health and want to keep their own share small. With pre-existing conditions the picture changes, because insurers ask their own health questions and may charge surcharges or exclude treatments. You must also answer completely: under section 19 VVG (in German), incorrect or incomplete answers can have consequences up to the insurer withdrawing from the contract.
If you want to work through your own situation, you can see how we work (in German) to find out how a personal consultation works.
What happens if the public health officer has concerns?
Then an appointment as a civil servant does not happen automatically. For cases where the requirements are not met, the procedure in the notice provides for admission without appointment, through a public-law training contract. You then stay a trainee without civil servant status.
For your coverage this usually means that the Beihilfe entitlement lapses, and the rules for employees apply, so you need your own statutory or private insurance. Check this before you sign.
From probation to life tenure
After you are appointed as a civil servant on probation (Beamter auf Probe), a probation period (Probezeit) begins. Berlin state law sets its length and also the requirements for life tenure (Lebenszeit). Life tenure follows once you have proven yourself and remain suitable. Plan early for the Beihilfe that applies after the trainee period, because it can change with the probation appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always have to see the public health officer?
Not always. A significant impairment triggers the expert report. The declaration on your state of health is required in every case.
May I leave out pre-existing conditions?
No. The declaration must be complete and truthful. Concealed conditions can have consequences under civil service rules and, with a private policy, under section 19 VVG.
Can a pre-existing condition prevent the appointment?
The expert report decides this case by case. A pre-existing condition does not automatically rule out an appointment. What matters is whether the health requirements for the specific post are met.
What is flat-rate Beihilfe?
The employer pays a fixed amount instead of reimbursing each invoice proportionally. You insure the remaining costs yourself. The Beihilfe office can confirm in writing whether this applies to you.
What does the examination cost in Berlin?
The notice gives no amounts. If you have the examination at a health office outside Berlin, you pay for it yourself. Ask the hiring office for the exact procedure before you book an appointment.
What you can do now
- Ask the hiring office whether you will be appointed as a civil servant on revocable terms or whether a training contract is planned.
- Clarify your first residence, because it decides which health office is responsible.
- Complete the declaration on your state of health fully and truthfully, and gather medical records in case an expert report is needed.
- Check which Beihilfe model applies during your training and how you cover the remaining costs before you decide.
Related guides
- Beihilfe im Referendariat (in German)
- Lehramt: Versicherung vom Studium bis zum Referendariat (in German)
- Civil service in Bavaria
- Civil service in Baden-Württemberg
Sources: Berlin Senate Department for Education, notice on the preparatory service (undated, accessed October 2026, in German); Gesetze im Internet, section 6 SGB V (accessed October 2026, in German); Gesetze im Internet, section 19 VVG (accessed October 2026, in German); deutsche-beamtenversorgung.de, flat-rate Beihilfe (secondary source, status October 2026, in German).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
