Health insurance for students who work alongside their studies in Germany depends mainly on how many hours you work and whether your job supports your studies or is a training placement. This guide explains when student health insurance (Krankenversicherung der Studierenden, KVdS) continues and when compulsory insurance as an employee applies.
Short answer: A mini-job up to 603 euros per month (2026) usually does not change your student insurance. A working-student job of up to 20 hours per week does not either, regardless of the wage. If you regularly work more, you are usually insured as an employee and KVdS ends (§ 6 para. 1 no. 3 SGB V, § 5 para. 7 SGB V). Last updated October 2026.
The most important points at a glance
- A mini-job up to 603 euros per month (2026) is marginal employment and usually does not change KVdS.
- A working-student job of up to 20 hours per week keeps you exempt from compulsory health insurance as an employee. The wage level does not matter for this.
- Above 20 hours per week, compulsory insurance as an employee usually applies and KVdS ends.
- A dual study programme with a training contract and pay counts as vocational training.
- Several jobs are added together.
Am I still a student when I work?
Yes, as long as you are enrolled and your studies remain the main focus. Enrolment is the basis of KVdS. The health insurance fund then checks which job you do. For working students, the hour limit counts, not the wage. Administrative practice allows more than 20 hours for evening, night and weekend work when studies take priority (joint circular of 2016 (in German)).
Which job changes what?
| Job | Hours per week | Effect on KVdS |
|---|---|---|
| Mini-job up to 603 euros per month (2026) | not decisive for classification | usually continues |
| Working-student job at any wage | up to 20 | exempt from health insurance as an employee, KVdS continues |
| Job above 20 hours | more than 20 | compulsory insurance as an employee, KVdS ends |
| Dual study programme with contract and pay | according to training plan | compulsory insurance like trainees, KVdS ends |
A calculation example (assumption: 20 hours per week at the statutory minimum wage of 13.90 euros, 2026) gives about 1,205 euros per month (20 times 52 divided by 12, times 13.90 euros). This wage is above the mini-job limit, but the working-student exemption still applies as long as the hour limit is kept. KVdS then continues. Pension insurance remains compulsory in any case. The basis for the mini-job limit is § 8 SGB IV.
What counts toward the 20 hours?
All jobs are added together. If you have two jobs, you add up the hours. Special rules apply in lecture-free periods. Anyone who works more than 20 hours per week for more than 26 weeks a year loses the working-student exemption. The details are in the joint circular on the social insurance treatment of student employment (2016, in German). This is administrative practice rather than statute, so it is worth asking your health fund if you are close to the limit.
What applies to a full-time job alongside studies?
A job of more than 20 hours usually creates compulsory insurance as an employee (§ 5 para. 1 no. 1 SGB V). The student obligation does not apply if you are compulsorily insured elsewhere (§ 5 para. 7 SGB V). Your employer then registers you with the health fund, and contributions are calculated from your earnings. Your payslip shows the split.
Working more during lecture-free periods: what applies
Many students work more in lecture-free months. The working-student exemption continues as long as the limit of more than 20 hours for 26 weeks a year is not exceeded. Anyone working full time in summer should therefore watch the whole year, not just one month. Our guide Part-Time Jobs and Taxes for Students in Germany explains earnings and tax questions in more detail.
How wage, hours and health insurance fit together
Three examples show that hours decide, not the wage alone (all figures are assumptions):
- A student earns 450 euros in a mini-job. They stay in KVdS because a mini-job up to 603 euros is marginal employment.
- A student earns 1,200 euros at 15 hours per week. They stay in KVdS because, as a working student, they stay under the 20-hour limit.
- A student earns 1,600 euros at 25 hours per week. They become compulsorily insured as an employee, and KVdS ends.
What applies to a dual study programme?
Participants in dual study programmes with a contract and pay count as vocational training under § 5 para. 4a SGB V. They are then insured like trainees, and KVdS does not apply. If the contract or pay is missing, the rules for students apply. Your health fund confirms which variant fits your model based on your contract. For dual programmes, see also PKV for dual students (in German).
Frequently asked questions
How many hours may I work alongside my studies?
There is no maximum that forbids work. What matters is your insurance status. Up to 20 hours per week, the working-student exemption usually continues. Above that, compulsory insurance as an employee is usually established and KVdS ends.
Does a second job with another company count?
Yes. Several jobs are added together, so the 20-hour limit applies to all your jobs combined.
What happens with a job paying more than 603 euros?
For working students, hours decide the health insurance status, not the wage. The 603 euro limit (2026) matters for classifying a mini-job. From 2027, the limit is 633 euros according to the Minijob-Zentrale. Whether a particular job loses mini-job status depends on the individual case.
Can I remain a student while working full time?
Enrolment alone is not enough for that. Above 20 hours per week, compulsory insurance as an employee is usually established, and KVdS ends (§ 5 para. 7 SGB V). You can still continue your studies.
What to do now
- List all jobs with weekly hours and monthly pay, including small side jobs.
- Add up the hours of all jobs and check lecture-free periods separately.
- Ask your health fund which insurance applies before you sign a contract.
- For a dual study programme, check the contract and pay before you sign.
- Report changes in hours or pay to your health fund and your employer in good time.
Related reading
- Private Health Insurance for Working Students in Germany
- Part-Time Jobs and Taxes for Students in Germany
- Student health insurance 2026: costs and cover
Sources: § 5 SGB V and § 6 SGB V (both gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed October 2026); § 8 SGB IV (marginal employment limit); joint circular of 23 November 2016 on students and interns (in German).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
