If there is a health insurance gap between your bachelor’s and your master’s, your cover depends on when you re-enrol. Student health insurance (KVdS) continues if you enrol for your master’s within one month after the end of the semester. If the start of your master’s is further away, the student insurance ends with the semester of your last enrolment or re-registration. For this gap, family insurance (Familienversicherung) applies if you meet its conditions. Otherwise your membership continues as voluntary follow-on insurance (Anschlussversicherung), which costs at least €278.17 a month in 2026 (childless, from age 23, at the average additional contribution rate).
The key points at a glance
- Student health insurance ends at the end of the semester for which you were last enrolled or re-registered. If you re-enrol within one month after the end of the semester, your membership continues.
- If the gap is longer, family insurance takes priority over follow-on insurance, provided its conditions are met. Whether the waiting time before the master’s counts as training is something to clarify with your insurer.
- Without family insurance, your membership automatically continues as follow-on insurance. At an additional contribution rate of 2.9%, childless people from age 23 pay €278.17 a month, while student health insurance then costs around €148.
- A job or a paid internship during the gap can trigger compulsory insurance as an employee. Once you enrol for the master’s, student health insurance starts again.
How long does student health insurance last after the bachelor’s?
Student health insurance (KVdS) is the statutory compulsory insurance for students at state or state-recognised universities. After the bachelor’s, it ends with the end of the semester for which you were last enrolled or re-registered, provided you were de-registered by the end of the semester (section 190(9) of Book V of the Social Code (SGB V)). When your semester ends depends on the semester dates of your university, which can differ from one university to another.
A special rule applies to a master’s directly afterwards: de-registration does not end your membership if you re-enrol within one month after the end of the semester at a state or state-recognised university. Anyone who enrols for the immediately following semester therefore remains insured without interruption. How de-registration itself works, and where gaps can arise during it, is explained in De-registration and health insurance (in German).
If you give up your residence in Germany when you de-register, your membership ends on that day. Student health insurance is also only available until the end of the semester in which you turn 30. The obligation continues beyond that only if the type of training or personal or family reasons justify going beyond this limit.
Does family insurance continue during the transition?
Family insurance is the contribution-free co-insurance of children, spouses and civil partners of statutorily insured people (section 10 SGB V). It takes priority over student compulsory insurance. If its conditions are met, your membership does not continue as follow-on insurance after the student insurance ends.
| Who insures you? | Age limit | Income limit 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Parents (as a child) | Up to 18 without further conditions, up to 23 if you are not employed, up to 25 during school or vocational training, studies or a voluntary service | €565 a month, or €603 for a mini-job |
| Spouse or registered civil partner | No age limit, the partner must be statutorily insured | €565 a month, or €603 for a mini-job |
For the gap before the master’s, your age matters most. Family insurance through your parents is possible until your 23rd birthday, as long as you are not employed. Between 23 and 25, it depends on whether the time until the master’s start counts as training. Clarify this with your insurer before the end of the semester. From 25, it generally ends for children. For voluntary service, it extends by up to twelve months.
If you were family-insured during your bachelor’s, you keep the cover after graduation until the end of the semester, but at most until age 25. Child benefit, BAföG and maintenance do not count as income. Income from side jobs, self-employment, interest above the saver’s allowance and rental income do count.
You are excluded, among other things, if you are compulsorily insured through a job, if you are self-employed as your main occupation, if you live abroad, if you have been exempted from compulsory insurance, or if you have your own voluntary membership. A privately insured parent with an income above €6,450 a month (2026) can also rule out family insurance for the children. The basic rules are in Family insurance or private insurance during your studies: which is better for you? (in German).
What is follow-on insurance, and what does it cost?
Follow-on insurance (Anschlussversicherung) is the voluntary membership your statutory insurance continues into automatically when compulsory insurance or family insurance ends and nothing takes priority. It starts the day after you leave (section 188(4) SGB V).
You can leave within two weeks of your insurer’s notice of the options to leave. The deadline starts with that notice. Leaving only takes effect if you prove you have other cover in case of illness.
The student flat rate of €855 applies only in student health insurance. In follow-on insurance, the contribution is calculated on at least the minimum assessment base of €1,318.33 a month, even if you earn less or nothing. The contribution rate is 14.0% plus the additional contribution rate of your insurer. As a voluntary member, you pay the long-term care insurance yourself.
| Item (example 2026, additional contribution rate 2.9%) | Childless from age 23 | Under 23 or with a child |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance: 16.9% of €1,318.33 | €222.80 | €222.80 |
| Long-term care insurance: 4.2% or 3.6% of €1,318.33 | €55.37 | €47.46 |
| Total per month | €278.17 | €270.26 |
The average additional contribution rate in 2026 is 2.9%, but each insurer sets its own rate. Use your insurer’s rate in the calculation. Without proof of income, the insurer applies the maximum amount (contribution assessment ceiling of €5,812.50 a month), while proof of lower income reduces the contribution. So provide it early. Your insurer will tell you which documents it accepts.
Which cover applies in which situation?
| Your situation | Cover | Contribution (example 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolment for the master’s within one month after the end of the semester | Student health insurance continues | Around €143 (under 23 or with a child) or €148 (childless from age 23) |
| Gap, family insurance possible | Family insurance | Free of contributions |
| Gap without family insurance and without a job | Follow-on insurance | €270.26 or €278.17 minimum contribution |
| Job as an employee in the gap | Compulsory insurance as an employee | Contributions from your earnings |
How long can the gap be, and which deadlines apply?
Student health insurance continues without interruption for up to one month after the end of the semester if you re-enrol. If the gap is longer, you need family insurance, follow-on insurance or compulsory insurance as an employee until the master’s begins.
| Step | Deadline | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Re-enrolment after de-registration | Within one month after the end of the semester | Membership in student health insurance continues |
| Leaving follow-on insurance | Two weeks from your insurer’s notice | Only takes effect with proof of other cover |
| Follow-up entitlement to benefits | At most one month | Applies after membership ends, as long as you are not employed and neither family insurance nor follow-on insurance takes priority |
Child benefit follows its own rules set by the family benefits office, which do not match the health insurance deadlines. These are explained in Child benefit between bachelor’s and master’s (in German).
What applies to a job or internship during the gap?
Job and student assistant work
If you work as an employee during the gap, you are compulsorily insured as an employee (section 5(1)(1) SGB V). This compulsory insurance takes priority over student insurance and excludes family insurance. The student assistant privilege no longer applies after graduation: it ends with the month in which you are informed in writing of the overall result of your final examination. Between bachelor’s and master’s there is usually no continuous membership of the university, and the mere intention to continue studying is not enough. A short transition period is considered harmless if the continuation of your training is secured. Clarify with your insurer whether this applies to you before you start the job.
A mini-job of up to €603 a month does not prevent family insurance, as long as you meet the other conditions. If you are still deciding whether to take up a master’s at all, the comparison Master’s or going straight into work: what pays off more? (in German) can help.
Internship
An internship you complete without enrolment is usually subject to social insurance. The mini-job rules do not apply to it. Family-insured people must insure themselves for a paid internship above €603. The details are in Health insurance during an internship: what students need to know (in German).
If the gap turns into a longer period without a job and without a master’s, the options in Health insurance after studies without a job: options and costs (in German) help.
Three examples of the gap between bachelor’s and master’s
A waiting period of six months
Example: Lea is 26. Her last bachelor’s semester ends (assumption) on 31 March, and she starts her master’s on 1 October. She does not work, and her parents are statutorily insured. At 26, family insurance through her parents is excluded without an extension through a service. From 1 April, her membership continues as follow-on insurance. At an additional contribution rate of 2.9%, she pays €278.17 for six months, a total of €1,669.02. When she enrols on 1 October, student health insurance starts again and costs around €148 a month.
Two months abroad
Example: Jonas is 27 and travels for two months outside Europe before his master’s. He keeps his residence in Germany. His follow-on insurance continues, and the contributions are also due during the trip. The statutory insurer does not pay for medically necessary repatriation, and in countries without a social security agreement, such as the USA, it does not pay for illness. A private student health insurance abroad that includes repatriation is therefore advisable. For two months, check the maximum duration per trip. For several months, you often need a long-term policy. If Jonas gave up his residence in Germany, that would have consequences for his membership, which he would clarify with his insurer beforehand.
Paid internship before the master’s
Example: Mia is 25 and does a four-month internship after her bachelor’s, paid at more than €603 a month (assumption). During the internship she is usually compulsorily insured as an employee, and family insurance does not apply. If the internship ends before the master’s starts, her insurance continues as follow-on insurance after she leaves compulsory insurance, as long as nothing takes priority. Once she enrols for the master’s, student health insurance starts again.
How does a health insurance gap affect my master’s enrolment?
With enrolment for the master’s, student compulsory insurance starts again, provided no priority insurance applies, for example through a job as an employee. It starts with the semester. If you enrol only after the semester has started, it starts on the day of enrolment. If you choose a different insurer when your master’s starts, you must make that choice no later than two weeks after compulsory insurance begins.
The university requires a digital confirmation from a statutory insurer when you enrol. How this process works is explained in Health insurance when enrolling: proof and procedure (in German). Your contribution is again based on the assessment base of €855: 10.22% gives €87.38 a month, plus the additional contribution rate and long-term care insurance.
What applies to privately insured people?
If you were exempted from compulsory insurance at the start of your studies, the exemption applies for the entire degree as long as your studies are uninterrupted, and it cannot be revoked. During an exemption, family insurance is not possible. An interruption of your studies of about a month or longer can end the exemption, while a leave semester does not count as an interruption. If there is a longer break between bachelor’s and master’s, clarify the consequences with your insurer and your private insurer beforehand. What applies to private insurance after your studies is explained in What happens to your private health insurance after studies? (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Am I insured between my bachelor’s and master’s?
Usually yes. Either student compulsory insurance continues, family insurance applies, or your membership continues as follow-on insurance. With a job, compulsory insurance as an employee is added. A termination without proof of other cover does not take effect.
Does family insurance continue during the transition?
That depends on age and income. If you were family-insured during your bachelor’s, the cover continues until the end of the semester, but at most until age 25. After that, until your 23rd birthday you do not need to be employed, and until 25 you need training. Ask your insurer whether the waiting time before the master’s counts. Your income may not exceed €565 a month.
How long can the gap be?
For student compulsory insurance, the limit is one month after the end of the semester. If you enrol for the master’s within this period, you remain insured without interruption. After that, family insurance, follow-on insurance or a job covers the gap. Child benefit follows its own rules set by the family benefits office.
What does voluntary insurance cost in between?
At an additional contribution rate of 2.9%, the minimum contribution in 2026 is €278.17 a month for childless people from age 23, and €270.26 for people under 23 or with a child. Your insurer’s additional contribution rate changes the amount. Proof of income prevents calculation at the maximum amount.
Do I have to report to my health insurer when my studies end?
Your insurer must be informed when your insurance situation changes, for example when family insurance ends or you exceed the income limit. For follow-on insurance, the insurer will notify you with a notice of the options to leave, and the two-week deadline starts from that notice. The safest approach is to ask your insurer before the end of the semester how the transition will work.
What to do now
- Compare the end of your university’s semester with the start of your master’s. If you enrol within one month after the end of the semester, student health insurance continues.
- For a longer gap, ask your insurer before the end of the semester whether family insurance is possible and which income proof it needs.
- Without family insurance, plan for follow-on insurance at its minimum contribution, and do not overlook the insurer’s notice, because the two-week deadline runs from it.
- Report any job, internship or stay abroad to your insurer in advance, and clarify protection for trips outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
- Get the insurer’s confirmation for the university when your master’s starts.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the route to advice on the Academycon homepage.
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Related articles
- De-registration and health insurance: avoiding gaps (in German)
- Health insurance after studies without a job: options and costs (in German)
- Family insurance during studies: how long you are co-insured (in German)
- Health insurance during an internship: what students need to know (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
