Students in Germany can generally choose between Public health insurance, Expat health insurance, and Private health insurance (PKV). We strongly recommend Public health insurance for eligible students, since it provides the full public system coverage at a discounted student contribution of around €150/month. Students over 30, those enrolled at non-state-accredited universities, and those who previously exempted themselves from the public system may need Expat health insurance or Private health insurance (PKV) instead. Students from the EU, EEA, UK, and Switzerland can usually stay on their home country insurance and do not need to enroll in Germany.
What health insurance options do students in Germany have?
Students in Germany generally have 3 health insurance options:
Public health insurance (Germany's public system, known as GKV) provides broad coverage and a discounted student contribution for eligible students.
Expat health insurance is an alternative for students who are not eligible for the public student rate.
Private health insurance (PKV) is rarely available to students, because it requires a minimum annual income of €30,000, or €45,000 for applicants over 50 years of age.
Which health insurance option should students in Germany choose?
We strongly recommend Public health insurance for students who are eligible. Students enrolled at an accredited German university and under 30 years of age are required to have Public health insurance. It provides the full coverage of the German public health system at a discounted student contribution of around €150/month. Income from a minijob or working-student contract does not affect this contribution, regardless of the amount earned.
Who is not eligible for public student health insurance in Germany?
Some students cannot use the discounted public student rate. The main reasons for ineligibility are:
You are over 30 years old, because students over 30 do not qualify for the student rate in the public system.
You are enrolled at a non-state-accredited university, because only students at state-accredited universities are eligible.
You exempted yourself from Public health insurance when you first enrolled, because returning to public student health insurance is then no longer possible until you receive a job offer from a German-based employer.
If any of these situations apply, Expat health insurance or Private health insurance (PKV) are the available alternatives. In either case, you need to formally exempt yourself from Public health insurance before you can enroll at your university.
Do students from the EU, EEA, UK, or Switzerland need health insurance in Germany?
Students from EU and EEA countries, the UK, and Switzerland can generally stay on their home country insurance and do not need to sign up for health insurance in Germany. Coverage continues through the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), so these students stay covered without paying contributions in Germany.