If you are statutorily insured as a student, you remain in your German health insurance fund during a semester abroad in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, provided you stay enrolled and keep your residence in Germany. Health insurance for students studying in the EU then runs through the EHIC: it covers medically necessary treatment under the rules of the host country, but not the repatriation to Germany. Privately insured students rely on the cover abroad of their tariff, the limits of which they should know before departure.
Key facts
- If you stay enrolled and keep your residence in Germany, you remain in the statutory student insurance during a semester abroad in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. The age limit is 30.
- The EHIC covers medically necessary treatment under the conditions of the host country. Local co-payments are borne by you.
- Medically necessary repatriation to Germany is not a benefit of statutory health insurance.
- The EHIC is issued by a statutory fund. Privately insured students instead check where, for how long and to what extent their tariff pays abroad.
- Never cancel a private comprehensive policy hastily. The cancellation only takes effect if you prove a seamless follow-on insurance.
How are you insured as a statutorily insured student in the EU?
The answer depends on how you are insured today. If you remain enrolled at a German university and keep your residence in Germany, you remain in student health insurance for a semester abroad in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. The compulsory insurance generally also applies during semesters abroad and leave semesters.
| Your situation | What applies in the EU |
|---|---|
| Compulsorily insured as a student | Membership continues as long as you are enrolled, keep your residence in Germany and have not passed the age limit of 30. Abroad you use the EHIC. |
| Family insured | You still pay no contribution. Your total income may be at most €565 a month in 2026. |
| Voluntarily insured | The contributions to health and long-term care insurance continue. |
| Privately insured (exempted from compulsory insurance) | Your tariff determines the cover abroad. There is no EHIC, because it is issued by a statutory fund. |
Different rules apply if you move your residence abroad permanently or deregister. Then the law of the host country may come into play, and your German membership may end. How this works for long stays is described in Health insurance during a study abroad: what applies to a long stay (in German). Discuss such plans with your fund in advance.
What does the EHIC cover during a semester abroad?
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is valid in the 27 EU states, in the EEA and in Switzerland. It covers medically necessary benefits, under the rules of the country in which you are staying. You therefore receive what statutorily insured people are entitled to there, with the co-payments customary in that country. In France, for example, you pay part of the treatment yourself.
What counts as necessary treatment in the host country, and what it costs, is determined by the local system. Ask your health insurance fund before you leave about the card, and have it explain what it covers in your destination country. For trips to countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, other rules apply. They are described in Health insurance for students outside the EU: what counts (in German).
When is the EHIC not enough?
The EHIC is no substitute for travel health insurance abroad. Repatriation to Germany for medically necessary reasons is not covered by statutory health insurance, and whatever is not a local statutory benefit in the host country, you pay yourself. Funds and the Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre) therefore recommend a private travel health insurance policy as a supplement.
These points decide the quality of a tariff:
- The term covers the whole semester or year. Classic travel policies often only apply for a limited number of days per trip; for several months you need a long-term policy.
- Repatriation is expressly included.
- The destination country is within the territorial scope, and you know about exclusions and waiting periods.
- You know whether the insurer pays costs directly or whether you pay in advance.
What matters is that benefits and term fit your stay.
How are privately insured students covered in the EU?
Anyone who was exempted from compulsory insurance at the start of their studies is privately insured. This exemption generally applies for the entire course of study and cannot be revoked. A return to statutory insurance is normally only possible after your studies, for example through compulsorily insured employment. Therefore do not give up the contract hastily for the time abroad.
What your tariff pays abroad is set out in its terms. Ask the insurer in writing about the territorial scope, about any time limit for stays abroad and about repatriation. More is in PKV during a semester abroad: what applies (in German). Note also the reimbursement principle: you pay doctors’ bills abroad first and submit them afterwards. Claims are subject to the statutory limitation period, so submit them promptly. Keep invoices and payment receipts immediately.
When is a deferred membership worthwhile?
A deferred membership (Anwartschaft) is an option if you live abroad for a longer period and must take out a local insurance there. The small version secures your health status, but does not build up any age provisions. The large version also secures the entry age and continues to build up age provisions. The large version costs considerably more than the small one, so ask your insurer for the exact figures. Your terms set the deadline for reactivating the contract once the reason ends.
What applies if you cancel?
Ordinary cancellation is possible for contracts with a term of more than one year, at the end of the insurance year, with a notice period of three months. An agreed minimum period of insurance takes precedence. If the contract fulfils your duty to be insured, the cancellation only takes effect if you prove a seamless follow-on insurance within two months (section 205 para. 6 of the Insurance Contract Act, VVG).
What applies to Erasmus and other exchange programmes?
The same rules apply to Erasmus as to any semester abroad in the EU: you remain enrolled, and your insurance continues. Whether the host university requires proof of insurance, you learn there or from the international office of your home university.
With the funding you can plan for insurance costs. The Erasmus monthly rate depends on the group of your destination country, and your university publishes the current rates. The universities regulate duration and payment. How to plan your stay from application to departure is shown in Planning a semester abroad: tips and tricks (in German).
Does BAföG help with insurance costs abroad?
The BAföG for study abroad includes a surcharge for the additional costs of travel health insurance abroad. It is paid half as a grant and half as a loan, and the office states the amount. The BAföG office responsible for your destination country is competent, not the office of your home university. The application should be made ideally at least six months before the stay abroad begins. How BAföG and health insurance relate to each other is explained in BAföG contribution towards health insurance (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Does the EHIC also apply to privately insured students?
No. The EHIC is issued by a statutory health insurance fund. If you are privately insured, you use the cover abroad of your own tariff. Which countries, which duration and which benefits it includes is set out in the terms. Ask the insurer in writing before you leave, and have repatriation expressly confirmed.
Do I stay in my German health insurance fund during a semester abroad?
Generally yes, if you remain enrolled at a German university, keep your residence in Germany and are not yet 30. Compulsory insurance generally also applies during semesters abroad. If you are unsure, your health insurance fund will decide your case in a binding way.
Do I need additional travel health insurance for Erasmus?
The EHIC covers necessary benefits under the rules of the host country, but not the repatriation. Funds and the consumer advice centre therefore recommend a private supplement. Whether your host university requires proof, you learn from the university itself or from the international office of your home university.
Can I cancel my private health insurance for a semester abroad?
It is possible, but rarely sensible. The cancellation only takes effect with a seamless proof of follow-on insurance within two months. The exemption from compulsory insurance also cannot be revoked, and a return to statutory insurance is normally only possible after your studies. For long stays, a deferred membership may be considered.
Your next steps
- Ask your health insurance fund or insurer how you remain insured during the semester abroad, and whether your residence or income changes anything.
- If you are statutorily insured, have the EHIC issued. If you are privately insured, have the cover abroad confirmed in writing.
- If needed, take out travel health insurance that covers the term and repatriation.
- Ask your host university whether it requires proof of insurance, and keep all receipts for later reimbursement.
- If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the route to advice on the Academycon homepage (in German).
Related articles
- Health insurance during a semester abroad: what applies? (in German)
- Health insurance during study abroad: what applies to a long stay (in German)
- Health insurance for students outside the EU: what counts (in German)
- BAföG contribution towards health insurance: what applies to PKV and GKV (in German)
Related guides
- Health insurance for students in Germany
- Health insurance for students: glossary from A to Z
- Public or Private Health Insurance for International Students
- Health Insurance After Graduation: Job Seeker Visa
- German original (in German)
Information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative. Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.
