How an intern is insured in Germany depends on the type of internship and where the person is currently insured. Mandatory internships during studies are free of social contributions, so you can keep your existing student cover. Non-mandatory paid internships during studies follow working student rules, while paid internships before or after studies count as employment. Depending on your situation, you may keep your current insurance or need to sign up for public health insurance (GKV) or expat health insurance.
How is my health insurance decided when I do an internship in Germany?
The way you are insured depends on two things: the type of internship and where you are currently insured. An internship can be mandatory or voluntary, during, before, or after your studies, and paid or unpaid — and these can combine (for example, a paid voluntary internship during your studies). Depending on your situation, you may be able to stay on your current insurance in Germany, the EU/EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, or you may need to sign up for public health insurance (GKV) or expat health insurance in Germany.
How am I insured for an internship if I study in Germany?
Your cover depends on the type of internship:
Mandatory internships during your studies are always free of social contributions, regardless of your salary or working hours, so you can keep your existing student cover, whether that is public health insurance (GKV) or private health insurance (PKV).
Non-mandatory paid internships during your studies follow working student rules: you can work up to 20 hours per week (more on weekends and during semester breaks) regardless of earnings and keep your current insurance. If you work more than this limit, you are treated as a regular employee and must sign up for public health insurance as an employee rather than as a student. If the internship is unpaid, you can keep or take out student insurance.
Paid internships before or after your studies count as employment (see when a paid internship is treated as employment, below).
How am I insured if I'm covered in the EU/EEA, the UK, or Switzerland and only do an internship in Germany?
Whether you can keep your home-country cover depends on the type of internship:
You can stay on your home-country insurance and avoid insuring yourself in Germany only for a mandatory internship during your studies (paid or unpaid) or for an unpaid internship. This also depends on whether your employer requires you to be insured in Germany, and whether your home provider will continue covering you during the internship. This is always assessed case by case, so confirm the exact rules with both your home provider and a public health insurer in Germany.
If your home provider will not cover you, or you prefer German insurance, you can sign up for public health insurance as a university student or for expat health insurance.
For a non-mandatory paid internship during your studies, you need German insurance — either public health insurance or expat health insurance.
Paid internships before or after your studies count as employment (see when a paid internship is treated as employment, below).
How am I insured if I study outside Europe and do an internship in Germany?
If you study in a country outside Europe and come to Germany for an internship, you need German health insurance, which is also a visa requirement. Your options depend on the type of internship:
Mandatory internship: public health insurance (as a university student) or expat health insurance, regardless of working hours and salary.
Non-mandatory internship during your studies: public health insurance or expat health insurance.
Paid internships before or after your studies count as employment (see when a paid internship is treated as employment, below).
When is a paid internship treated as employment for health insurance?
A paid internship before or after your studies counts as employment. If you earn more than €603 per month, you must sign up for public health insurance (GKV) as an employee. If you earn €603 or less, or nothing at all, you can take out expat health insurance instead.