Do I need health insurance for the Opportunity Card, and is travel insurance enough?
Short answer
Yes. The German Embassy in Accra asks for incoming medical insurance with your Opportunity Card application and says travel insurance is NOT sufficient. In Nigeria, the German Missions say you'll be asked for an incoming health insurance once a positive decision has been made on your visa. In practice, one applicant at Lagos says she had to upload insurance with her documents and bring it to the interview, so ask the consulate whether you need it at the appointment. 127
On this page
What does the German Embassy in Accra ask for?
The Accra Opportunity Card page lists health insurance among the documents for your application. It asks for incoming medical insurance and proof of public or private insurance covering you as an expat in Germany.
The same line says a travel insurance is NOT sufficient. The capitals are the embassy's own.
The page adds a note for people who will be employees. If you'll be an employee subject to mandatory statutory health insurance, that insurance can only begin once you take up residence in Germany and enter into employment. So you must prove cover for the period before your employment begins and before you're eligible for statutory health insurance.
Sources for this part1
What do the German Missions in Nigeria ask for, and when?
The national visa page of the German Missions in Nigeria says that if a positive decision has been made on your visa, you will be asked to provide an incoming health insurance.
The Lagos Opportunity Card page and its June 2026 checklist do not list health insurance among the documents to sort and bring. The page adds that the Consulate General reserves the right to request further documents.
In practice, one applicant at Lagos (interview February 2025) says she had to upload health insurance with her documents and bring it to the interview. Practice may have changed, so ask the consulate whether you need it at the appointment or only after the decision.
What is incoming health insurance?
The Nigeria missions' FAQ calls it Incoming Krankenversicherung (incoming health insurance). It covers your first period in Germany, from the day you arrive until your permanent insurance begins, for example through an employer.
You need it for that gap even if a job or family insurance will cover you later, the FAQ says. The policy must meet the standards set by SGB V (German Social Code, Book V). Not all plans qualify, and your insurance must stay valid after your official residence moves to Germany.
Make it in Germany puts it this way in its Opportunity Card Q&A: in general, the proof of health insurance is an incoming health insurance covering the period for which the visa was issued.
Carry proof of insurance when you travel
The German Missions in Nigeria remind visa holders that a visa is not a right of entry. The border police make the final decision when you enter the Schengen area.
They say the border police may ask for documents and proof of health insurance as well as your passport with the visa. So take a set of your visa documents with you on the trip.
Sources for this part2
What applicants report
One applicant interviewed at the German Consulate General in Lagos in February 2025. She says she uploaded her health insurance with her documents and brought it to the interview. Hers was from a Nigerian insurer, and it was accepted. But by the time she recorded her account in February 2026, she says she thinks they would usually require one from Germany.
Other applicants report buying a private policy that starts on their planned arrival date and paying for it only after arrival. They note it doesn't give them a German social security number, so they switch to public insurance when they start working.
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Can I use a Nigerian insurer for the Opportunity Card?
The Nigeria missions' FAQ says the policy must meet German SGB V standards and stay valid after your residence moves to Germany. In its own words: "Usually, only German providers offer such qualifying insurance." One applicant in Lagos had a Nigerian policy accepted in early 2025. In February 2026 she said she thinks they would now usually require one from Germany. 57
Do I need health insurance before my Lagos or Abuja appointment?
The national visa page of the German Missions in Nigeria says you will be asked to provide an incoming health insurance if a positive decision has been made on your visa. The Lagos Opportunity Card page and its June 2026 checklist do not list health insurance among the documents to bring. The Consulate General reserves the right to request further documents. In practice, one applicant at Lagos (interview February 2025) says she had to upload health insurance with her documents and bring it to the interview. Practice may have changed, so ask the consulate whether you need it at the appointment or only after the decision. 2347
When should my health insurance cover start?
The Nigeria missions' FAQ says incoming insurance covers you from the time you arrive in Germany until your permanent insurance begins. Make it in Germany says the proof is, in general, an incoming health insurance covering the period for which the visa was issued. Applicants report setting the start date to match their planned arrival. 568
What happens to my insurance when I get a job in Germany?
The Accra embassy says that if you'll be an employee subject to mandatory statutory health insurance, it can only begin once you take up residence in Germany and enter into employment. So you must prove cover for the period before your employment begins and before you're eligible for statutory health insurance. Applicants report switching to public insurance when they start working. 18
Sources
- 1Opportunity CardOfficialGerman Embassy Accra · checked 2 Nov 2026
- 2National visa for long term staysOfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 2 Nov 2026
- 3Opportunity CardOfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 2 Nov 2026
- 4Opportunity Card checklist, Lagos (status June 2026)OfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 2 Nov 2026
- 5Frequently Asked QuestionsOfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 2 Nov 2026
- 6Questions and Answers Regarding the Opportunity CardOfficialMake it in Germany (Federal Government portal) · checked 2 Nov 2026
- 7Opportunity Card from Lagos: waiting list, document portal and a short embassy interview (posted Feb 2026)Applicant reportsMide Olayiwola (YouTube) · checked 2 Nov 2026
- 8Applicant reportsApplicant reportsApplicant reports gathered by VisaRoom · checked 2 Nov 2026
Official is the embassy or a German government page. Applicant reports are what applicants say happened at their appointment. Secondary is everything else we checked.
General information, not legal advice. VisaRoom isn't connected to any embassy or government, and only the embassy decides on your visa. Something out of date? Tell us.