Public health insurance for students

For the enrollment at an acknowledged German university, it is necessary to have a valid and sufficient health insurance. Thehealth insurance for foreign students is compulsory and an insurance contract should be concluded immediately after the arrival. In Germany there are two kinds of health insurances: the public and the private health insurance. 

Public and private health insurance

In the enrolment process students are usually insured with a public health insurance. However, students always have the choice to take out a private health insurance. For doing so, you need an exemption from the public health insurance company. Attention: an exemption is only possible within the first 3 months after your enrollment at a university. This document is called “Befreiungsbescheinigung” in German. Please be aware that for whatever insurance type you go for, your decision is binding as long as you are studying. 

A sufficient health insurance is an important requirement to enroll at a German university. Only students who are 30 years of age or older cannot take out the student tarif of a public health insurance. Starting from the age of 30 years, the student would have the possibility to stay insured voluntarily on a higher rate but this is only possible when it can be proven that there was an insurance contract in the past for 12 months without any break after the student insurance finished or in the last 5 years for almost 24 months.

With some countries, such as members of the European Union and the European Economic Area, Germany has a social security agreement. As long as you have public health insurance at home you can get this insurance coverage approved here in Germany by a public health insurance company in Germany but if the insurance coverage is not sufficient you have to apply for a health insurance here in Germany.