Independent guide 2026

Student Health Insurance in GermanyGKV, PKV and what it costs

Health cover is mandatory to enrol at any German university. Here is how the statutory student rate, free family insurance and private options actually work in 2026.

Family insurance: 0 EURStatutory student rate: 137 to 160 EURMandatory for enrolment
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Students on a German university campus comparing health insurance options

In Germany, health insurance is compulsory and you cannot enrol at a university without it. Most students use statutory insurance (GKV): free family insurance up to age 25, then the reduced student rate of 137 to 160 EUR per month depending on which fund you choose, until the end of the semester in which you turn 30. Private insurance is possible, but the exemption cannot be withdrawn for the degree you are enrolled in.

The key facts

  • •Mandatory: proof of cover is required for both your visa and university enrolment
  • •Family insurance: free up to age 25 if a parent is in the GKV and your income stays under 565 EUR per month
  • •Student rate: 137 to 160 EUR per month in 2026 depending on the fund, and 18.13 EUR of that spread is pure price difference for identical benefits
  • •PKV exemption: cannot be withdrawn for the degree you are enrolled in, though a different degree started later is a fresh decision
  • •Working students: up to 20 hours a week during term, with a 26-week exception for breaks
  • •International students: EU students can use the EHIC; non-EU students need German cover

Your options as a student

Which route fits you depends on your age, whether a parent is in the statutory system, and your nationality. Here are the four main paths.

Family insurance (Familienversicherung)

0 EUR
Age limit:Up to age 25
Requirement:At least one parent in statutory insurance (GKV); your own income below the limit

Free of charge. The limit in 2026 is 565 EUR a month, or 603 EUR if you earn it from a mini-job. In a regular job the tax allowance of 102.50 EUR a month is deducted first, so you can gross a little more than 565 and still qualify.

Statutory student insurance (studentische GKV)

137 to 160 EUR per month
Age limit:Until the end of the semester in which you turn 30
Requirement:Enrolment at a German university or recognised higher-education institution

The standard route once family insurance ends. What you pay depends on which fund you pick, and you can change funds. BAföG recipients get a fixed supplement towards the cost.

Private health insurance (PKV)

Depends on tariff, age and health
Age limit:No age limit
Requirement:Exemption from the GKV, applied for within three months of your insurance obligation starting (§ 8 Abs. 1 Nr. 5 SGB V)

The exemption cannot be withdrawn for the degree you are enrolled in. It does not carry over to a different degree you begin later, so a Master after a break is a fresh decision.

Voluntary statutory insurance (freiwillige GKV)

Income-dependent, above the student rate
Age limit:No age limit
Requirement:Once the student rate ends, normally at the close of the semester in which you turn 30

The usual route for doctoral candidates and for anyone still enrolled past 30.

What student health insurance costs in 2026

Part of the bill is the same everywhere and part of it is not. Every statutory fund charges the same base rate of 87.38 EUR, because that figure comes from the BAföG reference amount and not from your income. Each fund then adds its own supplementary rate, and that is where they differ: between the cheapest and the most expensive fund in the comparison below there are 18.13 EUR a month, which is 218 EUR over a year. Same benefits, different price.

ComponentPer monthDetail
Health insurance (Krankenversicherung)106.02 to 124.15 EURBase 87.38 EUR is identical everywhere; each fund adds its own supplementary rate (e.g. TK: 110.38 EUR total)
Long-term care (under 23 or with children)30.78 EURReduced Pflegeversicherung rate
Long-term care (23 and older, no children)35.91 EURIncludes the childless surcharge
Total (23 and older)141.93 to 160.06 EURHealth plus long-term care, per month; TK example: 146.29 EUR (August 2026)

Figures for the 2026 academic year, based on Techniker Krankenkasse and the GKV-Spitzenverband. BAföG recipients who are no longer in family insurance receive a fixed supplement towards these costs.

Private student tariffs are not quoted as a single "from" price here, because the premium depends on your age, health and the cover you choose. Compare current offers before deciding.

Which fund is cheapest for students?

The benefits are set by law, so a cheaper fund does not mean less medical cover. What changes is the supplementary rate. Eight funds, checked on 3 August 2026, with the total including long-term care insurance at the rate for students aged 23 and over without children.

Health fundSupplementary rateTotal per month
BKK firmus2.18 %141.93 EUR
hkk2.59 %145.43 EUR
Techniker Krankenkasse (TK)2.69 %146.29 EUR
AOK Bayern2.69 %146.29 EUR
DAK-Gesundheit3.20 %150.65 EUR
Barmer3.29 %151.42 EUR
BKK Gildemeister Seidensticker3.40 %152.36 EUR
Knappschaft4.30 %160.06 EUR

Supplementary rates change, sometimes in the middle of a year. The binding register is the list of funds published by the GKV-Spitzenverband, linked at the end of this page. If you are under 23 or have a child, subtract 5.13 EUR from every total, because the reduced long-term care rate applies.

Changing fund is easier than most students expect. You are tied to a fund for twelve months (§ 175 Abs. 4 SGB V). After that you can leave with effect from the end of the second calendar month following the month in which you give notice, so notice in January ends the membership on 31 March. You do not have to write to your old fund yourself: the new fund reports the change and that report replaces your notice. And if your fund introduces or raises its supplementary rate, the same paragraph gives you a special right to leave without sitting out the twelve months.

GKV or PKV: which is better for students?

For most students, statutory insurance is the sensible default. Private insurance can be attractive for some, but it comes with a commitment that is easy to underestimate.

Statutory (GKV)

  • + Fixed student rate, no health check
  • + BAföG supplement if you qualify
  • + Flexible if you change course or situation
  • − Standard benefits, with co-payments for some items
  • − Voluntary GKV after the limits is noticeably higher

Private (PKV)

  • + Can offer broader benefits depending on the tariff
  • + Premium not tied to income
  • − Binding for the whole study period
  • − No return to GKV while you study
  • − Pre-existing conditions can raise the premium
Important: exemption from the GKV to take out private insurance is decided at the start of your studies and is binding for the entire degree. Think it through before you sign.

Planning to stay in Germany after graduation? Our overview of private health insurance in Germany explains what changes once you start working, and the insurance overview shows which other policies people usually take out at that point. The long-term care contribution in the table above is explained in more detail under long-term care insurance.

International students: EU vs non-EU

If you come from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, your home cover plus a European Health Insurance Card is normally enough to enrol. If you come from anywhere else, you need German cover before both the visa appointment and enrolment. Either way the university has to see proof, and no proof means no matriculation.

EU / EEA / Switzerland students

Your home-country cover plus the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is normally accepted at enrolment.

You still have to show proof of valid cover when you register. For a long stay, German insurance can be the simpler option.

Students from countries with a social-security agreement

Cover from your home country may be recognised. Check with a German statutory fund before you arrive.

If it is not recognised, you take out German student insurance instead.

Non-EU students (no agreement)

You need German statutory student insurance, or substitutive private insurance if you are exempt from GKV.

Proof of cover is required for both your visa application and university enrolment.

How the university actually receives your proof

Since 2022 nobody hands in a paper certificate. Your statutory fund sends an electronic message called the M10 to the university, and the university reads it from the enrolment system. What you have to do is contact a German statutory fund and give them the university's sender number. Allow a few working days for the message to arrive before your enrolment deadline. Only German statutory funds can issue an M10, which is why students on private cover still go through a fund to get their exemption confirmed.

Language course or Studienkolleg before your degree

This is the gap most guides skip. The student rate under § 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 9 SGB V is tied to being enrolled at a university. If you are attending a preparatory language course or a Studienkolleg and are not yet matriculated, you generally cannot join the statutory system as a student, so you need private cover for that period. Once you matriculate you can move into statutory student insurance, provided you are under 30. Plan the switch, because the private policy and the start of your degree rarely line up neatly.

One thing German universities mention in their welcome packs that has nothing to do with health cover: personal liability insurance. It is not compulsory and it is not part of your health insurance, but it is the policy most students here do have, and many are still covered through their parents.

Key dates and deadlines

Two dates decide most of what you pay: your 25th birthday, when free family insurance ends, and the end of the semester in which you turn 30, when the reduced student rate ends (§ 190 Abs. 9 SGB V). One more matters if you are considering private cover: the exemption has to be applied for within three months of your insurance obligation starting.

Before you enrol

3-month exemption window

Check your insurance status. If you want PKV, apply for exemption from GKV.

At enrolment

Required for matriculation

Submit electronic proof of health insurance. Without it you cannot register.

Your 25th birthday

Automatic change

Family insurance ends. Move to the statutory student rate.

The semester you turn 30

Contribution rises

The reduced student rate ends. Move to voluntary GKV or stay in PKV.

After graduation

Within 3 months of de-registration

Employment usually means compulsory GKV again; the self-employed can choose.

Working while you study: the 20-hour rule

You keep the student rate as long as studying stays your main occupation. In practice that means no more than 20 hours a week during term, counting every job together. Go over it permanently and you lose the working-student status, which makes your job fully liable for social security contributions. The law itself (§ 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 SGB V) only speaks of regular students; the 20-hour line comes from how the funds apply it, which is why it is a threshold rather than a sentence in the statute.

The 26-week exception

Evenings, nights, weekends and the semester break do not count the same way. You may work more than 20 hours a week for up to 26 weeks, or 182 calendar days, within a twelve-month period and still keep the status. That is what makes a full-time summer job possible. Keep track of the weeks, because the count runs backwards over the preceding twelve months and not over the calendar year.

A working-student job does not replace your health insurance. You stay in student insurance and keep paying the student rate; the exemption applies to the contributions on your wage.

What BAföG contributes towards your insurance

If you receive BAföG and are no longer covered by family insurance, the grant includes a fixed supplement for health and long-term care insurance under § 13a BAföG. For students in the normal statutory system it is 102 EUR a month towards health insurance and 35 EUR towards long-term care, so 137 EUR in total. Set against a student rate of roughly 137 to 160 EUR, the supplement covers most of the bill and in the cheapest funds very nearly all of it.

The supplement is paid automatically with your BAföG once you have shown that family insurance no longer applies. It does not depend on which fund you choose, which is the reason a cheaper supplementary rate goes straight into your own pocket rather than reducing the grant.

What you still pay yourself

The monthly contribution is not quite everything. Statutory insurance asks for small co-payments, and they are capped, which is the part people tend to miss.

What forYou pay
Prescription medicines10 percent of the price, at least 5 EUR and at most 10 EUR, and never more than the medicine costs (§ 61 SGB V)
Hospital stay10 EUR per calendar day, for a maximum of 28 days a year, so 280 EUR at most (§ 39 Abs. 4 SGB V)
Annual ceiling2 percent of your gross annual income; above that your fund exempts you for the rest of the year (§ 62 SGB V)

The ceiling is worth knowing about on a student income. Keep your pharmacy and hospital receipts: once the co-payments pass 2 percent of your gross annual income, your fund issues a certificate and you pay nothing further that calendar year. Doctor visits, hospital treatment and emergency care carry no separate fee beyond these co-payments.

Compare student health insurance tariffs

Statutory cover is the default for most students, and the only variable is the supplementary rate, worth up to 218 EUR a year. If you are exempt from the GKV, or you are covering a language course or Studienkolleg before you matriculate, a private student tariff is the route instead. The comparison below is free and non-binding.

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Frequently asked questions

Is health insurance mandatory for students in Germany?

Yes. Anyone who enrols at a German university must prove they have valid health insurance, and you cannot register without it. If you need a visa, you also have to confirm cover on the visa application.

How much does statutory student health insurance cost in 2026?

The base rate of 87.38 EUR is identical at every statutory fund, but each fund adds its own supplementary contribution, so health insurance costs between roughly 106 and 124 EUR per month in 2026. Long-term care insurance adds 30.78 EUR (under 23 or with children) or 35.91 EUR (23 and older). At Techniker Krankenkasse, for example, the total is 146.29 EUR per month.

Can I stay in my parents’ family insurance as a student?

Family insurance is free up to age 25 if at least one parent is in the statutory system and your own income stays below the limit (565 EUR per month in 2026, or 603 EUR from a mini-job). After your 25th birthday you move to the statutory student rate.

Should students choose GKV or PKV?

For most students the statutory GKV is the practical choice: a fixed student rate, no health check, and a BAföG supplement if you qualify. Private insurance can suit healthy students from PKV families who plan to stay private long term, but the exemption is binding for your whole degree.

Can I switch from PKV back to GKV during my studies?

Not within the degree you are enrolled in. Once granted, the exemption under § 8 Abs. 1 Nr. 5 SGB V cannot be withdrawn, so it runs for that course of study. It does not automatically extend to a different degree you start later, which means a Master begun after a break can be a fresh decision. The usual route back into the statutory system is a job subject to social security contributions after graduation.

Which health fund is cheapest for students?

The base rate of 87.38 EUR is identical everywhere, so the only difference is the supplementary rate each fund sets. Among the eight funds checked in August 2026, BKK firmus was lowest at 2.18 percent, giving 141.93 EUR a month including long-term care for a student aged 23 or over, and Knappschaft was highest at 4.30 percent, giving 160.06 EUR. That is 18.13 EUR a month, or 218 EUR a year, for the same legally defined benefits. Rates change, so check the current register of the GKV-Spitzenverband before you switch.

What do I pay on top of the monthly contribution?

Prescription medicines cost 10 percent of the price, at least 5 EUR and at most 10 EUR, and never more than the medicine itself (§ 61 SGB V). A hospital stay costs 10 EUR per calendar day for up to 28 days a year, so 280 EUR at most (§ 39 Abs. 4 SGB V). Everything is capped at 2 percent of your gross annual income (§ 62 SGB V); once you reach that, your fund exempts you for the rest of the year. Doctor visits themselves carry no fee.

What happens after I turn 30?

The reduced student rate generally ends in the semester you turn 30. You usually move to voluntary statutory insurance (freiwillige GKV), which is income-dependent and higher, or you stay in private insurance if you are already there. Exceptions can extend the student rate, for example for raising children.

What do EU and non-EU students need?

EU, EEA and Swiss students can usually enrol with their home-country cover and an EHIC. Students from countries without a social-security agreement need German statutory student insurance, or substitutive private cover if exempt, for both the visa and enrolment.

Am I insured as a working student (Werkstudent)?

Working students who stay within roughly 20 hours per week during term keep the student rules and pay the student insurance rate. Outside those limits the status can change, so check with your fund before taking on more hours.

Sources and References