University Deregistration Checklist: What Ends

Short answer

This university deregistration checklist explains what ends with your deregistration. Your status as a student ends, and several entitlements depend on it: student health insurance, family insurance, BAföG and child benefit. Work through the list in order before you look for a job, because many deadlines run in parallel.

What happens to my health insurance?

Student insurance ends with deregistration. This statement comes from a secondary source as of October 2026 and must be checked with your health insurer. The follow-on insurance under section 188(4) SGB V keeps your membership running as voluntary membership. You can only leave within two weeks of your insurer’s notice, and then you must prove other cover. For how to bridge this phase without a gap, see Deregistration and health insurance: avoiding gaps (in German).

What happens to my BAföG support and repayment?

Support usually ends with graduation. Repayment does not begin immediately, however, but five years after the end of the maximum support period. Part of the support is a loan, whose monthly rate is at least 130 euros. For details, for example on exemption at low income, see Repaying BAföG (in German).

What happens to child benefit?

Child benefit is paid for first training until the 25th birthday. After a completed first degree, a second training is only supported if you work at most 20 hours a week. There is a transition period of up to four months between two training stages. Report changes to the family benefits office in good time.

How does deregistration affect family insurance?

Family insurance for children ends after training, and the age limit is 25 years during school or vocational training. The income limit of 565 euros a month also applies in 2026. After your studies you are no longer in training, so clarify the position with your health insurer as soon as the end is foreseeable.

What documents do I need?

The deregistration certificate is the most important proof, and you will need it repeatedly in the following months. Other documents include your degree certificate, proof of health insurance and, if applicable, notices from the BAföG office and the family benefits office. Keep everything in one folder, digitally as well.

Step by step: the university deregistration checklist

1. Request the deregistration certificate as soon as your studies are complete.
2. On the day of deregistration, contact your health insurer and have the start of voluntary membership confirmed.
3. Within two weeks of your insurer’s notice, decide whether you want to leave, and prove other cover if you do.
4. Inform the BAföG office of the end of your studies and ask about the repayment plan.
5. Tell the family benefits office that first training has ended and clarify the rules for second training or employment.
6. Check family insurance with your parents’ insurer, if you were co-insured.
7. Register as a job seeker with the employment agency three months before the end of your studies, if you could go straight into unemployment.
8. Cancel contracts tied to student status, such as semester ticket subscriptions or student offers, and check the notice periods.

What else to clarify beyond the authorities

Not everything that ends with your studies runs through offices. A few points are worth keeping in view yourself before the deadline runs out:

• Student residence: Check the notice period and date in your tenancy agreement. Many student services require written notice.
• University accounts: The library, university email and examination portal are often no longer usable after the end. Download documents in good time.
• Semester ticket: Whether the ticket ends with deregistration is set out in the terms of your university or transport association. Check this before the last semester ends.
• Graduation documents: Copy certificates, diploma and deregistration certificate before passing them on to employers or offices.

Whether any of these rules applies to you depends on your university and your contract. The checklist above is a memory aid, and the binding information comes from the relevant office.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to my health insurance when I am deregistered?

Student insurance ends. Membership then continues as voluntary membership under section 188(4) SGB V, unless you withdraw in time.

Do I have to repay BAföG immediately after deregistration?

No. Repayment usually begins five years after the end of the maximum support period.

Does my child benefit continue after graduation?

That depends on whether you do a second training and how many hours you work. At 20 hours a week or less, the entitlement generally continues.

How long do I have to clarify family insurance?

Early. As soon as the end of your studies is foreseeable, clarify the position with your health insurer.

Related

• Deregistration and health insurance: avoiding gaps (in German)
• Health insurance between bachelor’s and master’s (in German)
• Health insurance when starting work (in German)
• Unemployment benefit after studies (in German)

Sources and checks

• Section 188(4) SGB V, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20 October 2026.
• Section 18 BAföG (repayment), lxgesetze.de, version last amended 16 April 2026.
• Section 10 SGB V and 2026 calculation figures, GKV-Spitzenverband fact sheet, as of 1 January 2026.
• Section 32 EStG (age limits and child benefit), gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20 October 2026.
• Secondary source on health insurance after deregistration (status October 2026), used only to cross-check the deadlines.

Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
Editorial team: Academycon

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