Submit a photo for the electronic health card
The electronic health card (eGK) is your membership card with your statutory health insurance company and confirms that the health insurance company will pay the treatment costs for you. Your photo on your eGK helps to avoid confusion and curb misuse.
To create your eGK, your health insurance company digitizes your image and saves it as a digital photo. This means that it can be reused in the event of loss or theft of your electronic health card.
Due to the legal regulations, the health insurance company deletes your submitted photo after 10 years at the latest. Before sending a new card, your health insurance company will inform you whether a new picture is needed.
Do not need a passport photo on the eGK
- Children and adolescents up to the age of 15 and
- Insured persons who are unable to participate in the creation of their passport photo, for example immobile people in need of care.
Process flow
You can submit your new passport photo by post and – with many statutory health insurance companies – hand it in in person at the office or upload it online.
- The health insurance company digitizes the photo and issues a new eGK.
- You will receive the new eGK with the new image by post.
Requirements
- You are a member of a statutory health insurance company and have an eGK.
- You are at least 15 years old.
- The previous photo on the eGK is more than 10 years old.
Which documents are required?
- current passport photo
What are the fees?
As a rule, the health insurance company will issue you with a new eGK free of charge. The statutory health insurance companies can charge EUR 5.00 if you are responsible for the need to reissue the eGK, for example in the event of loss or damage.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
- The health insurance companies may store your photo for the duration of your insurance relationship for the replacement and subsequent issuance of your eGK, but for a maximum of 10 years.
- After the end of the insurance relationship, your previous health insurance company will delete the photo immediately, but no later than after 3 months.
Processing duration
It usually takes about 4 to 7 business days to process.
In order to process and make a decision quickly, your health insurance company must have the necessary information and, if necessary, documents complete and meaningful.
The health insurance company decides on applications promptly, whereby the statutory processing deadline is observed in order to protect patients' rights.
Please note that the stated processing time is an average value for all health insurance companies. It may vary in individual cases.
The exact processing time also depends on the complexity of the individual case and can be extended accordingly. The same applies if documents or records are sent to you or your health insurance company by post.
Applications / forms
Forms: no
Online procedure possible: Many statutory health insurance companies offer an online procedure.
Written form required: no
Personal appearance required: no
Appeal
- Contradiction
- Appeal to the Social Court
Technically approved by
Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)
Professionally released on
15.11.2022
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
