Submit photo for the electronic health card

You can submit your new passport photo by post and - with many statutory health insurance companies - hand it in personally at the office or upload it online.

• The health insurance company will digitize the photo and issue a new eGK.
• You will receive the new eGK with the new photo by post.

• You are a member of a statutory health insurance fund and have an eGK.
• You are at least 15 years old.
• The previous photo on the eGK is older than 10 years.

• current passport photo

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 eHC, for example if it is lost or damaged.

• The health insurance companies may store your photo for the duration of your insurance relationship for replacement and subsequent issues of your eGK, but for no longer than 10 years.
• After the end of the insurance relationship, your previous health insurance company will delete the photo immediately, but at the latest after 3 months.

Processing normally takes around 4 to 7 working days.

In order to process and decide quickly, your health insurance company must have the necessary information and any required documents in a complete and meaningful form.

The health insurance company decides on applications promptly, whereby the statutory processing period is adhered to in order to protect patients' rights.

Please note that the processing time stated 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 may be longer. The same applies if documents or records are sent to you or your health insurance company by post.

• § Section 291a (5) and (6) of the Fifth Book of the German Social Code (SGB V)
• § Section 8 of the Second Act on Health Insurance for Farmers (KVLG 1989)

• Objection
• Action before the social court

Forms: no

Online procedure possible: Many statutory health insurance companies offer an online procedure.

Written form required: no

Personal appearance necessary: no

15.11.2022