TK is sending me bills even after I have de-registered and no longer have a valid residence permit.

[u/AuslanderInMunchen]

I was a student at LMU Munich and was insured by TK, I went back to my country after I graduated my masters. Before I left, I made a phone call to TK telling them that I would like to discontinue my insurance them as I would be re-registering myself and I did not even have a valid residency permit (this was september 2025). Today (14th October 2026) I received an email asking me to pay 884 euros for insurance, I am a bit panicked, because I don't have the deregistration email with me because the laptop it was on stopped working.

Could someone please help me if they have been in a similar situation with TK.

[u/whiteraven4]

Did you send them your abmeldung? They can't just cancel your insurance because you told them. They legally need the proper paperwork.

[u/alalaladede → u/whiteraven4]

And to add some consolation to OP: the cancellation of TK will take effect on the day of your Abmeldung. Any open claims for after that will eventually be corrected for.

[u/AuslanderInMunchen → u/alalaladede]

I see, thank you. I am only worried about finding my abmeldung document now.

[u/alalaladede → u/AuslanderInMunchen]

Well, can't help you with that... good luck!

[u/AuslanderInMunchen → u/whiteraven4]

Thank you, I am learning this now. I will talk to them

[u/whiteraven4 → u/AuslanderInMunchen]

This is all very strictly regulated by law. Once you get things sorted out, it should all be fine.

[u/Cirenione]

You cant cancel insurance over the phone. That said they legally cant let you out of the contract unless they recieve confirmation that you actually deregistered and no longer need to be insured in Germany. Just telling them isnt enough since having health insurance is mandatory for residents.
You need to get a copy of the deregistration confirmation and send that to TK.

[u/tera_x111 → u/Cirenione]

Cant or can? Because other then the mandatory health insurance you should be able to cancle via phone, no?

[u/Diamond-Dragon → u/tera_x111]

This isn't a phone contract. The insurance needs documents and what not to be able to cancel the insurance.

[u/tera_x111 → u/Diamond-Dragon]

A contract in writing does not by default prevent verbal canclation in germany. Although most insurance compamies will most likely have a clause for it.

[u/Diamond-Dragon → u/tera_x111]

Well they do. The law. You need to be insured. So in order to cancel it, they need either a form that proves you left Germany or the contract of the new insurance.

[u/Cirenione → u/tera_x111]

Cant. And no why do you think canceling over the phone would work?

[u/tera_x111 → u/Cirenione]

Because unless it's stated otherwise in the contract (or it's one of the ones where it's regulated by law) you can cancle contracts verbally in Germany. It's not recommended as you have no proof of it, but does not mean it is not legally binding (if you can somehow proof it)

As far as I can find, insurance contracts are not exemt from that by default.

[u/Cirenione → u/tera_x111]

Lets put aside that insurance contracts of any kind usually have a clause on their contracts that stipulates a signed letter stating the intent to end a contract for legal reasons if there is a dispute down the line, when it comes to health insurance specifically there are additional laws in place. Because insurance is mandatory there is always further confirmation of ongoing insurance or deregistration in Germany requiered. For the average person who switches from one public provider to another that is no longer the case as this gets handled by the new health insurance provider but is a thing if a person ends their contract to move or to switch to private health insurance.

[u/ivebeenfollowingyou → u/tera_x111]

You can NOT cancel any contract over the phone, it has to be in written form.

[u/Arios84 → u/ivebeenfollowingyou]

it's not 100% true, you can use the same method to cancel a contract that was used to get it.

If you agreed to something over phone, the other party has to enable cancelation over phone. If you used an online formular to register somewhere, the other party has to provide an online formular to cancel the contract.

[u/tera_x111 → u/ivebeenfollowingyou]

That's just blantently wrong. There are a handfull of contracts that legally cant be verbally closed or cancled but most can. Its not recommended because it's hard to proof, but saying it's not allowed is wrong.

Also after some light Research it looks like even insurance does not necessarily need a written cancleation and even if it's written in the contract could, in some very narrow cases, a verbal cancleation over phone be binding.

[u/ivebeenfollowingyou → u/tera_x111]

I’m not saying it’s not allowed, that’s just your interpretation of my comment, which is a you problem. You also seem to be very aggressive.

I’m saying they usually won’t do it. You can try but don’t expect it to work, as they can say it never happened and then the burden of proof is on you. So if you want to make sure your contract gets cancelled, you should step over your stupid ego and put it in writing. Or you can just pay the bills and shut the f up.

[u/missurunha]

I don't have the deregistration email with me because the laptop it was on stopped working.

Since when are emails local? Get access to your email and send them the document, or try to request it again from the Bürgerbüro and you'll be fine. They won't charge you if you dont own them. (it already happened to me that I paid too much, realized one year later and they refunded everything without me asking for a refund).

[u/AuslanderInMunchen → u/missurunha]

Thank you, I am worried about the burgerbüro, because they I am not in Germany and toa very hard to contact them from here.

[u/bregus2]

Did you send them the city deregistration?

[u/Recent_Maize5108]

Cancellation must be done in writing, hand signed (in some countries called a "wet ink" signature), and with a copy of your deregistration paperwork attached.

[u/HeftyHealth3430 → u/Recent_Maize5108]

nope ! the insurance stops automatically once you abandon your residency in germany. of course, it is nice to inform the insurance company about that.

[u/MyPigWhistles]

Are you sure you can just cancel the insurance by phone...? That seems highly unlikely to me, because they're legally obligated to see the proof that you're actually deregistered. There should also be a document for you having deregistered, not just an email. What happened to the physical document? 

[u/AuslanderInMunchen → u/MyPigWhistles]

The problem was translation for me, I think I misunderstood what she said. I thought I had to just de-register from the büro.

[u/rubenknol]

you were supposed to first de-register, then send them the de-registration certificate together with your cancellation request, then get confirmation that it was indeed cancelled

if you didn't do it in this order and never received the cancellation confirmation from them, it wasn't cancelled and you owe the money. you can call them and see if they will be lenient upon receiving all of the evidence that you had actually left germany/were deregistered etc, they did that for me for a bill of 2 months (~1200 eur) in 2025, but they don't legally speaking have to

[u/mrGreenExit]

Don't worry about bills, if you can provide proof then they will calculate it from abmeldung date. Don't wait long time

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[u/verthros]

Send them an email with the abmeldung and your flight ticket out.

[u/AuslanderInMunchen → u/verthros]

Thank you, this is helpful

[u/Jns2024]

Did you contact customer service about that issue?

[u/grancanaryisland]

If you have abmeldung letter and your passport stamp. They might be able to remove those bills

[u/ivebeenfollowingyou]

Maybe you can ask online for another copy of your de-registration from your former Bürgeramt. Check their website.
I know you can do this for a small fee when you need a copy of your Anmeldung, so maybe they can also issue another Abmeldung copy with the date when you left.

[u/Plenty-Knowledge-198]

Just phone them and sort it out. They speak English too if you just ask

[u/Big_Dreamer2025]

if you're not in Germany / EU and have no intent in returning ever, what happens if you just don't pay? I'm not familiar with the law at all, just a thought.

[u/iwasbanned4times → u/Big_Dreamer2025]

nothing happens unless you decide tp go back to the EU

[u/Ladyofthemidnight]

Schicke Ihnen die Bestätigung dass du dich bei der Versicherung abgemeldet hast

[u/Fast-Morning5525]

You can have your fees waived if you can prove you were insured elsewhere during the same time period - I did it with TK