Giving birth in Germany

Welcome to the Forum

When is your due date, and when do you plan to fly?

I only say this as some airline has restrictions in place with pregnant women flying.

Thank you SimCityAT☺ my due date is late February and we plan on flying December 3rd. Do you think this would be okay?

SimCity is right: Most airlines do not allow travel during the last three months of pregnancy - and neither is doing so advisable from a medical standpoint (it can induce miscarriage).
I guess you should change your flight to a few weeks earlier.

I wonder how, as a UK citizen (and thus, until Brexit, EU citizen) you would not have German residency?
If you do have a residency permit, you must join a German health insurance - preferably in the public scheme, as they cover pregnancy and childbirth without waiting period.
If you marry your boyfriend before coming (or register as common-law spouses), you could even be covered free of charge as a dependent in his insurance (again only in the public scheme and as long as you don't have own income).

It would be best to apply for residency and to get insured under the German system! But as long as Britain is still in the EU, I would think you have coverage under the EU Blue Card health agreement? Having a baby is not an emergency but it is not exactly an elective procedure either... Cost charged for someone not covered by insurance will depend on the hospital and how it is done, natural delivery cost less than a cesarean section for example.

TominStuttgart wrote:

It would be best to apply for residency and to get insured under the German system! But as long as Britain is still in the EU, I would think you have coverage under the EU Blue Card health agreement? Having a baby is not an emergency but it is not exactly an elective procedure either... Cost charged for someone not covered by insurance will depend on the hospital and how it is done, natural delivery cost less than a cesarean section for example.

The Blue Card is an approved EU-wide work permit (Council Directive 2009/50/EC) allowing high-skilled non-EU citizens to work and live in any country within the European Union, excluding Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom, which are not subject to the proposal.

Tom do you mean the EHIC?

I didn't say anything about a blue card visa, I refered to the European Health Insurance Card. It is blue and white (color of the EU) and is often refered to as the blue insurance card. Here is a link:

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?cat … ;langId=en

TominStuttgart wrote:

I didn't say anything about a blue card visa, I refered to the European Health Insurance Card. It is blue and white (color of the EU) and is often refered to as the blue insurance card. Here is a link:

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?cat … ;langId=en

I am well aware of it, I have had it half my life, formally called the E111. I have never heard it called The Blue Insurance card. Its always been called the EHIC or European Health Insurance Card.

SimCityAT wrote:

TominStuttgart wrote:

I didn't say anything about a blue card visa, I refered to the European Health Insurance Card. It is blue and white (color of the EU) and is often refered to as the blue insurance card. Here is a link:

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?cat … ;langId=en

I am well aware of it, I have had it half my life, formally called the E111. I have never heard it called The Blue Insurance card. Its always been called the EHIC or European Health Insurance Card.

I don't see the term used as often as before when it was usually a separate blue card. Now days in most countries like Germany, the designated coverage is shown on the back side of one's normal insurance card. Yet it is still blue - and the visa is not officially called a blue card either. Both are just commonly used nick-names. But of course one should not confuse the two but I think it was clear from the context. And of course it is the insurance coverage that is in question in this case.

Gentlemen, please don't waste your time on hairsplitting.
Fact is that the OP, not living in the UK, is unlikely to have a UK health card of any colour or creed. And when taking residence in Germany, as she plans to,  joining a German health insurance is mandatory in any case. So let's keep the advice along those lines!

beppi wrote:

Gentlemen, please don't waste your time on hairsplitting.
Fact is that the OP, not living in the UK, is unlikely to have a UK health card of any colour or creed. And when taking residence in Germany, as she plans to,  joining a German health insurance is mandatory in any case. So let's keep the advice along those lines!

I think we were just clarifying the difference between the so called blue card visa from the European Health insurance card. Both are relevant topics on this site. 

The OP mentioned she is currently living in Australia but it is speculation to say she has no insurance coverage from the UK. Who knows how long she has been in Oz? If not, it would probably be a very wise thing to look into getting. Obviously such coverage is likely to cover her than something from Australia. And it is speculation on my part but I doubt a travel insurance policy from Oz is likely to cover having a baby as it is foreseeable and not an emergency procedure. Whatever the case, once in Germany she should see to getting covered by the German system as soon as possible.