Health Insurance for Students

• Insurance is not compulsory for students as long as they are included in family insurance (with a statutory health insurance company), which is usually possible until the age of 25.
• Students are exempt from insurance if they are liable for compulsory insurance according to other regulations, or if they are exempt from insurance by law (e.g. civil servants, paid employees, recipients of widow’s pensions, self-employed workers, etc.).

Students may be exempted from compulsory insurance on request. Applications for exemption may be made within three months of the insurance becoming compulsory for them (after the initial enrolment at a German HEI or, for example, in the case of age-related exclusion from family insurance coverage). Such an exemption applies for the entire duration of the programme and may not be revoked.

Students with (family) insurance taken out with a private health insurance company must obtain an exemption from the compulsory insurance system from a statutory health insurance company if they wish to remain privately insured and do not want to opt for a statutory health insurance company.

The following statutory health insurance companies are responsible for issuing certificates of health insurance coverage and for all other issues associated with compulsory insurance for students:

• the "Allgemeine Ortskrankenkassen" (AOK)
• company health insurance funds and Innungskrankenkasse insurance companies
• maritime health insurance companies
• the miners’ health insurance system
• and the supplementary health insurance companies (e.g. BEK, DAK, KKH and TK).

Based on the student’s insurance status, this can mean:

a)  Compulsory insurance

   If the student already has insurance with a statutory health insurance company, this health insurance company is responsible for him or her. However, the student may also opt for one of the other companies mentioned above. (The choice should be declared to the health insurance company chosen by the insured person no later than two weeks after insurance becomes compulsory. Students who are covered by family insurance have no option; they must go along with the family member’s choice.)

b)  Released from compulsory insurance

If the student is already insured with one of the companies mentioned above, this company is responsible for him or her. If there is no insurance relationship with a statutory health insurance company, the company listed above that last had an insurance relationship with the student is responsible for him or her; if neither of these situations apply, any of the aforementioned companies may be responsible.

c)  Excluded from compulsory insurance

   An exemption from compulsory insurance is only possible on request. The application must be made to the statutory health insurance company where the student has, or last had, insurance coverage. If the student has never had insurance with a statutory health insurance company before, the application for exemption can be directed at any of the companies mentioned above.

d)  Voluntary student insurance

   For voluntary (continued) insurance after the age of 30 either the statutory health insurance company in which the person is already insured or one of the aforementioned companies is responsible.

For more information, please contact one of the statutory health insurance companies.

To enroll at university you must provide proof of health insurance. You can obtain this proof either from a German statutory health insurance (if you have a German health insurance) or from your health insurance in your home country. There you will receive an European insurance card, which you can use to contact any German statutory health insurance company. The German statutory health insurance company sends us an electronic message about the insurance status (not insured).