Sick pay for students in Germany is generally not available, and many students only notice this when they fall ill. Anyone who cannot work and receives no wages has no income replacement. This guide shows where the gap arises and which cover you can check.
Short answer: Students in the student health insurance scheme have no entitlement to statutory sick pay (Krankengeld, section 44(2) sentence 1 no. 1 SGB V). In a part-time job, the employer continues paying wages for up to six weeks, but only after four weeks of employment (section 3 Continued Remuneration Act, EFZG). An income protection cover is therefore a private decision, not a statutory benefit.
The most important points
- Students are excluded from statutory sick pay. This also applies to family-insured persons under section 10 SGB V (section 44(2) sentence 1 no. 1 SGB V).
- In an employment relationship, the employer pays wages for up to six weeks if the four-week waiting period is met (section 3 EFZG).
- Occupational disability insurance protects against long-term inability to work, not against short-term loss of income (section 172 Insurance Contract Act, VVG).
- Daily sickness benefit insurance (Krankentagegeld) is a private supplementary cover, taken out separately with its own conditions.
- Health cover and income protection are separate topics. The statutory cost limit reduces costs but does not replace income.
Why is there no sick pay during studies?
Statutory sick pay replaces earnings lost through illness. Students usually have no employment income, so the law provides no sick pay entitlement for them. The exclusion is set out in section 44(2) sentence 1 no. 1 SGB V. It applies to persons insured under section 5(1) nos. 9 and 10 SGB V, meaning students and interns, and to family-insured persons under section 10 SGB V.
Which gap arises with a part-time job?
Many students work alongside their studies. During employment, the employer continues wages for up to six weeks in case of illness, but only after four weeks of uninterrupted employment (section 3(1) and (3) EFZG). After that, wage continuation ends, and students have no own claim to sick pay. If an illness lasts longer, a gap in income therefore arises. For the rules that apply to your working hours, see earning money alongside studies (in German).
| Situation | Income during illness | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Students without employment | No sick pay, no wages | Section 44 SGB V |
| Students in employment, waiting period met | Wage continuation for up to six weeks | Section 3 EFZG |
| Students in employment, waiting period not yet met | No wage continuation in the first four weeks | Section 3(3) EFZG |
| After studies, in employment | Wage continuation, then possibly sick pay | Section 3 EFZG and section 44 SGB V |
The table shows how the situation changes. What usually matters most is whether an employment relationship of sufficient duration already exists.
How large is the gap in an example?
Assumption: you earn 1,000 euros a month in a part-time job and are ill for seven weeks. The waiting period is met. In the first six weeks, the employer continues your pay. From the seventh week, the pay stops, and you receive no sick pay. One week at 1,000 euros a month is about 231 euros (1,000 times 12, divided by 52). The gap for the seventh week is therefore about 231 euros, before any other benefits.
Which cover can you check?
- Daily sickness benefit (Krankentagegeld): a private supplementary cover that can pay a fixed amount per day of illness. It is taken out separately, has a health check and conditions that you should read beforehand.
- Occupational disability insurance: pays when the conditions for occupational disability are met (section 172(1) and (2) VVG). It protects against long-term inability, and for students the question of which occupation is used for assessment must be clarified in the tariff.
- Own savings: an amount for several weeks is not insurance, but it can absorb a short loss of income.
- Statutory cost limit: it caps co-payments in a calendar year at 2 percent of gross income, or 1 percent for chronically ill people (section 62 SGB V). It does not replace income, but it limits costs for treatment.
Which cover suits you depends on savings, health, career plans and family. A comparison makes sense before an illness occurs, because health questions are asked when a policy is taken out.
Frequently asked questions
As a student, do I receive sick pay when I am ill?
Usually not. The exclusion applies to students in the student health insurance scheme (section 44(2) sentence 1 no. 1 SGB V). An entitlement to wage continuation can only exist if an employment relationship exists and the conditions are met.
What if I am in employment after my studies?
Then wage continuation applies for up to six weeks. Afterwards, an entitlement to sick pay can exist if the statutory conditions are met (section 44 SGB V). Whether and for how long this entitlement applies depends on the law and on your insurance status.
Does BAföG help if I fall ill?
BAföG is education funding, not a replacement for lost income. If an illness lasts longer, discuss the funding with the BAföG office, because deadlines and proofs may be affected.
Is the co-payment cap a replacement for income?
No. The cost limit caps the co-payments for benefits you use. It does not compensate for lost income (section 62 SGB V).
When is occupational disability insurance worth considering as a student?
That is an individual decision. The time of taking out the policy and the tariff conditions matter, because the start of cover and health information affect benefits (section 172(1) VVG). Compare tariffs calmly and have the terms of occupational disability explained to you.
What to do now
- Check which income you have if you fall ill: a part-time job, a mini-job, a scholarship, or none.
- Calculate your fixed monthly costs and set aside an amount that covers several weeks.
- Compare daily sickness benefit and occupational disability insurance by conditions, health questions and scope before you decide.
- Keep employment contracts and proofs. They help with wage continuation and questions about incapacity to work.
- For questions about your personal cover, a personal consultation can help. How it works at Academycon is described on this page.
Related guides
- Copayment exemption and out-of-pocket limit for students
- Student job 20-hour rule, pension and semester breaks
- Private health insurance for working students in Germany
- What statutory health insurance does not pay (in German)
Sources: section 44 SGB V, sick pay (German text, retrieved October 2026), section 3 EFZG, continued remuneration in case of illness (German text), section 172 VVG, insurer benefits for occupational disability (German text), section 62 SGB V, cost limit (German text).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
