You can do a PhD without a position at a university in Germany, although most doctoral candidates are employed there. Without a job, funding usually comes from a scholarship, your own savings or part-time work. According to Destatis, around 28,800 doctorates were completed in the 2025 examination year (press release of 2 October 2026).
Short answer: Yes, you can do a PhD without employment if the doctoral regulations of your faculty and a supervision agreement allow it. Typical routes are scholarships, own funds and part-time work. According to the Heinrich Böll Foundation (status October 2026), the scholarship foundations for doctoral students pay a basic scholarship of up to 1,750 euros per month.
Key points at a glance
- Admission follows the doctoral regulations (Promotionsordnung) of your faculty. Without a position you also need a supervision agreement.
- Funding decides whether the plan works. Calculate the whole duration, not just the first year.
- A scholarship usually does not create an employment relationship. Your insurance then depends on your status.
- The scholarship foundations for doctoral students use application deadlines and selection procedures that differ from foundation to foundation.
- Health insurance is often the largest fixed cost. Clarify it before you start.
Which funding routes exist without a position?
Without employment there is no fixed salary. Several routes exist, and they differ in amount, predictability and selection. The table below puts them side by side.
| Route | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral scholarship from a scholarship foundation | Funding without an employment contract. Basic scholarship up to 1,750 euros per month (status October 2026), plus a research cost allowance of 100 euros | Application deadline, selection procedure, age limits and grade requirements per foundation |
| Scholarship from a foundation or professional society | Support from private foundations, associations or professional societies, often for a specific topic | Call for applications, duration, extension options and reporting duties |
| Own funds or support from family | No grant, but full freedom over time and place of research | Plan the whole duration, including health insurance and retirement provision |
| Part-time work alongside the PhD | Income from a job outside the research project | Working hours, contributions and social insurance, and the effect on progress |
A scholarship gives you room for research but usually requires reports and a fit with the foundation’s funding lines. Own funds give independence but are limited. Part-time work can extend the overall duration because less time is left for the research. Whether a combination works depends on how much time you can realistically invest in the doctorate. The amounts quoted here come from the Heinrich Böll Foundation overview. Other foundations use the same rates, but the call for applications of your foundation remains decisive.
What does a PhD without a position cost per month?
A simple calculation shows why funding is the decisive question. Assumption: you receive a basic scholarship of 1,750 euros per month, without family allowance and without a second job. Rent, living costs, health insurance and materials are deducted from this amount. Health insurance is the fixed item you can influence least.
- List your fixed monthly costs: rent, utilities, mobility and food.
- Add health insurance. With voluntary coverage, the minimum contribution sets the lower limit. With family insurance, it does not apply.
- Deduct all fixed income such as the scholarship, savings and support. The remainder is your room for unexpected costs.
- Plan a buffer of several monthly amounts, because extensions are not guaranteed.
If the remainder is not enough, only a few levers usually help: a different amount of side work, a cheaper housing situation or a second funding source. Talk to your supervisor early about whether the timetable can be adjusted to the funding. A PhD without a plan for the whole duration is risky, whether or not you have a position.
How does admission without a position work?
The university decides on admission to the doctorate, not on your funding. As a rule you need a supervision agreement, an exposé and proof of your degree. The exact requirements are set out in the doctoral regulations. An overview of routes and durations is available in our guide PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements.
- Read the doctoral regulations of your faculty. They set out admission requirements, deadlines and fees.
- Obtain a supervision agreement. Many faculties ask for it in writing before they check admission.
- Write an exposé with research question, method, timetable and funding plan.
- Clarify enrolment. Universities differ on whether doctoral candidates without a position must be enrolled or pay a fee.
What does this mean for your health insurance?
Without a position, compulsory membership through an employer ends. How you are insured then depends on whether you are enrolled as a student, covered by family insurance or insured voluntarily. The conditions for student health insurance are set out in section 5 (1) no. 9 of the Social Code Book V (SGB V), in German.
Anyone insured voluntarily in statutory health insurance pays at least a contribution calculated from a minimum assessment base. Assumption: for 2026, this minimum contribution is around 222.80 euros per month according to the GKV-Spitzenverband fact sheet, calculated with an additional contribution of 2.9 percent. The additional contribution set by each fund differs.
Whether private health insurance suits you depends on your age, health and life plan. If you want to calculate the costs for your situation, a personal consultation with Academycon can help: How we work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do a PhD without a position at all?
Yes, provided the doctoral regulations of your faculty allow it and you have a supervision agreement. A position is not a legal requirement for admission. The faculty sets the requirements for your degree and grade.
Is a scholarship enough to live on?
That depends on the amount, rent, your family situation and your insurance. Calculate the costs for the whole duration. Scholarships are time-limited, and extensions are not guaranteed.
Do I have to be enrolled at the university?
This varies by university. Ask the doctoral office or your supervisor which rule applies and what it costs.
How many people do a PhD in Germany?
According to Destatis, around 216,200 people were doing a doctorate in 2025 (status 26 August 2026). This figure says nothing about funding routes, but it shows how common doctorates are.
Can I switch to a position in the middle of my PhD?
Yes, if a position is available. Then an employment contract and social insurance for employees apply. Check beforehand how the switch affects your insurance and any running scholarship.
What to do now
- Check the doctoral regulations of your faculty and note all deadlines.
- Calculate the costs for the whole duration, including health insurance.
- Apply for several funding options if you aim for a scholarship. Calls for applications have fixed deadlines.
- Clarify with your health insurer how you stay insured before you start the PhD.
Related guides
- PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements
- Promotion finanzieren: Stelle, Stipendium oder Eigenmittel im Vergleich (in German)
- Health Insurance for PhD Students in Germany
- Krankenversicherung als Doktorand: Immatrikulation, Stelle oder Stipendium (in German)
Sources: Heinrich Böll Foundation: scholarship amounts for doctoral students (status October 2026, in German); Destatis: doctorates 2025 (press release 2 October 2026, in German); Destatis: doctoral candidates 2025 (press release 26 August 2026, in German); GKV-Spitzenverband: fact sheet on contribution calculation parameters (status 1 January 2026, in German); SGB V, section 5 (in German).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
