If you are in the traineeship (Referendariat) and married or in a registered partnership, you may ask whether your partner is covered under family insurance (Familienversicherung). The answer does not depend on the traineeship alone. What matters are your insurance status and your partner’s own income.
In short: A spouse or registered partner is covered under family insurance only if the insured member is in statutory health insurance and the partner’s own total income is at most 565 euros per month in 2026 (Last updated: October 2026). The trainee’s pay does not count toward this limit. If the trainee is exempt from statutory insurance as a civil servant on probation, there is no family cover through them.
The key points
- Family insurance requires that the trainee is in statutory health insurance.
- The income limit also applies to spouses: 565 euros per month in 2026.
- The partner’s own income is checked, not the trainee’s salary.
- As a civil servant on probation, the trainee is generally exempt from statutory insurance and receives Beihilfe. The partner then needs a separate solution.
- Changes to the partner’s income must be reported to the health insurer by the insured member.
Who counts as a family-insured spouse?
Under section 10 (1) of the Social Code Book V (SGB V), spouses and registered partners of statutory health insurance members are family-insured. Five conditions must be met at the same time. The spouse must live in Germany or have their habitual residence there. They must not have a priority compulsory or voluntary insurance, must not be exempt or released from insurance, must not work as a self-employed person as their main occupation, and their total income must stay within the limit.
- Residence or habitual residence in Germany
- No priority compulsory or voluntary insurance
- No exemption from insurance or release
- No main occupation as self-employed
- Total income up to one seventh of the monthly reference income
How high may the partner’s income be?
In 2026 the total income of a spouse may not exceed one seventh of the monthly reference income (Bezugsgröße). That is 565 euros per month, as of 1 January 2026. For 2027 the draft regulation sets 590 euros. This figure is not yet binding and remains a planning value until it is adopted.
| Year | Limit for the partner’s total income | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 565 euros per month | Official, one seventh of the reference income |
| 2026, marginal employment | 603 euros per month | Special rule under section 10 (1) sentence 5 SGB V |
| 2027 | 590 euros per month | Draft, not yet binding |
Worked example
Assumption: the partner works part-time as an employee and has a total income of 620 euros per month. That is above the 565 euro limit, so family insurance through the trainee is not possible. The partner then needs their own health insurance. What counts is total income, meaning the sum of all income sources, not just wages.
What applies if the trainee is a civil servant?
As a civil servant on probation in the traineeship, the trainee is exempt from statutory health insurance under section 6 (1) no. 2 SGB V, provided they are entitled to continued pay and Beihilfe. They are then not a GKV member, and there is no family insurance through them. The partner needs their own cover. The University of Münster describes this situation for trainee teachers in North Rhine-Westphalia in its information sheet (last updated November 2025).
Whether the spouse is also entitled to Beihilfe is governed by the state Beihilfe regulation and depends on the partner’s own income. This question is separate from family insurance, so both should be checked.
What applies if the trainee is statutorily insured?
In that case the partner can be family-insured if their total income stays below the limit. Whether the trainee is compulsorily insured, voluntarily insured or exempt depends on their status and on the training relationship. Where the training is a public-law relationship without civil-servant status, the position must be clarified in the individual case, most reliably by the health insurer and the responsible training authority.
Which mistakes happen often?
- The partner assumes that the trainee’s salary counts. Only the spouse’s own total income is relevant.
- A side job or mini-job is not reported. The insured member must report family members and changes to the health insurer (section 10 (6) SGB V).
- Appointment as a civil servant is not considered in advance. Then the partner’s cover often changes completely, and that is checked too late.
- An old statement is relied on. Limits and contributions change every year, so the current figures are what counts.
When should you check a separate solution?
A separate health insurance policy for the partner is not necessarily a problem. It is mainly a planning question that should be settled in time. Three situations make a check especially worthwhile.
- The partner regularly earns more than the limit, even if the work is only a few hours per month.
- The trainee is a civil servant and Beihilfe does not cover the partner, or covers only part of the costs.
- The partner works as self-employed in a main occupation, which excludes family insurance.
In all these cases, compare contributions, benefits and the later consequences for retirement provision together. Looking at premiums alone is rarely enough, because benefits and tariff conditions can differ considerably.
A note on timing: the limit applies to the current calendar year. If the partner’s income changes during the traineeship, for example through a new job or a pay rise, the family insurance question changes with it. It is therefore worth keeping an eye on monthly figures rather than checking only once at the start of training. The health insurer can provide a written statement for your records.
What to do next
- Calculate your partner’s total income for the months of the traineeship, including all income sources.
- Clarify the trainee’s insurance status in writing with the health insurer or the training authority.
- Compare the 565 euro limit for 2026 with the result, and plan for 2027 with the draft figure of 590 euros until it is binding.
- Report changes in income or status to the health insurer so that the cover remains correct.
- If appointment as a civil servant is coming up, clarify the partner’s Beihilfe before the switch.
Related guides
- Family insurance through a spouse during studies (in German)
- Family insurance during studies: until when you are covered (in German)
- Health insurance during the traineeship (in German)
- Beihilfe during the traineeship (in German)
- Teacher as civil servant or employee
Sources: section 10 SGB V, family insurance (accessed October 2026); section 6 SGB V, exemptions (accessed October 2026); Calculation values 2026, GKV-Spitzenverband (January 2026); Information sheet on pay and insurance during the traineeship, University of Münster (last updated November 2025).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
