Studying outside the EU usually requires insurance in the country where you study or a private international health insurance policy. The EHIC generally does not apply there, and in countries without a social security agreement, for example the USA or Australia, the statutory health insurer does not pay for illness. For health insurance while studying outside the EU, you should also find out early what proof your visa and university will require from you.
The key points at a glance
- Outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, the EHIC generally does not apply. You need insurance in the country where you study or a private international health insurance policy.
- In countries without a social security agreement, such as the USA or Australia, the statutory insurer does not pay for illness. Health insurers strongly recommend private cover.
- Standard travel policies often cover only a limited number of days per trip. For a semester or a year, you need a long-term policy.
- Medically necessary repatriation is not part of statutory health insurance and should be stated explicitly in the policy for abroad.
- Do not end your German insurance on your own. A private comprehensive policy can only be cancelled with proof of seamless follow-on cover.
Why does your German health insurance not cover you outside the EU?
The EHIC applies in the EU Member States, the EEA and Switzerland. Wherever you travel, outside these countries your protection depends on international law and your contract. The table shows how differently this can turn out.
| Destination country | What the statutory insurer provides |
|---|---|
| For example Turkey, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina | An overseas treatment voucher or an entitlement certificate from your insurer is needed. |
| Countries without an agreement, for example the USA, Australia | The insurer does not pay for illness. Private cover is strongly recommended. |
| All other countries outside the EU | You generally need insurance in the country where you study or a private international health insurance policy. |
So do not rely on your insurer paying anyway. Ask them about your destination country before you leave, and get the answer in writing.
What health insurance is needed for studying outside the EU?
The embassy, consulate and host university determine this, not the German insurer. They may require minimum cover, a minimum term, or a particular form of certificate. So read the admission and visa documents carefully and ask the international office of your host university.
Clarify these points before you choose a policy:
- Which benefits and which term must the insurance prove?
- In which language and format must the certificate be?
- Does cover begin on arrival, and does it last until you return?
- Does the host university accept a foreign policy, or does it have its own insurance programme?
Have the certificate issued by your insurer and take it with you in printed and digital form.
What does health insurance look like for studying in the USA?
There is no social security agreement with the USA, so the statutory insurer does not pay for illness there. You therefore need private cover for the entire period. Some universities link enrolment to their own insurance requirements or programmes. Check the admission documents to see whether your foreign policy is accepted before you take it out.
Treatment costs vary considerably from country to country and can quickly become high in some. So when choosing a policy, pay attention to the scope of cover and the sum insured, and have the conditions for your destination country explained to you.
What matters in international health insurance?
Health insurers and the Verbraucherzentrale (German consumer advice centre) recommend private international health insurance. It should match the length and scope of your stay and include repatriation. These criteria will help you compare:
- Term: it covers the whole period of study abroad or can be extended. Whether a study stay counts as an insured reason is set out in the conditions.
- Territorial scope: your destination country is expressly included.
- Repatriation: it is included, and the condition “medically necessary” is clearly worded.
- Benefits: outpatient and inpatient treatment, medication and emergencies are covered. Dental treatment, psychological care and pre-existing conditions are often limited or excluded.
- Excess and waiting periods: you know your share of costs in a claim and any waiting periods.
- Billing and help: you know whether the insurer settles directly with clinics, and an emergency number is available around the clock.
We deliberately do not publish a ranking of individual providers. What counts are the criteria that fit your stay.
With a foreign policy you usually pay treatment costs first and submit the receipts later. So keep invoices, prescriptions and doctors’ reports straight away, and report claims to your insurer promptly.
What applies to privately insured students outside the EU?
If you were exempted from compulsory insurance at the start of your studies, you are privately insured. The exemption generally applies for the whole course of study and cannot be revoked. Whether your tariff pays abroad depends on the territorial scope, time limits and scope of benefits. Ask your insurer in writing how your destination country and your purpose of stay are treated. When it comes to how insurance for a semester abroad (in German) works, it is also worth checking the conditions.
If you stay abroad for longer and need local insurance there, an expectancy policy (Anwartschaft) may be an option. The small expectancy policy secures your health status, the large one also secures your entry age and continues to build ageing provisions. Providers typically charge roughly 5 to 10 percent or 25 to 45 percent of the tariff contribution for this. Reactivation is usually possible within two months after the reason for the pause has ended.
You cancel a private comprehensive policy with three months’ notice to the end of the insurance year, unless a minimum term has been agreed. If the contract meets your insurance obligation, the cancellation only takes effect if you prove seamless follow-on cover within two months (section 205(6) VVG).
What happens to your statutory membership?
The duty to be insured generally also applies during study abroad and leave semesters. Whether your membership continues depends on enrolment and residence. If you are deregistered, it ends at the close of the day on which you give up your residence or habitual abode in Germany. If you re-enrol at a university within a month after the end of a semester, the membership does not end. How to proceed with a long stay abroad is described in the article on health insurance for students with long-term plans abroad (in German).
So notify your insurer of your plans abroad early, and do not cancel anything before you have the answer in writing. If you want to return to your studies after the semester abroad (in German), you need seamless cover. Also plan early how you prepare for the semester abroad (in German), so that the deadlines for insurance, visa and enrolment fit together.
What does the cover cost, and does BAföG help?
Contributions depend on age, destination country, length of stay, scope of cover and excess. We deliberately do not name a flat amount, because it varies widely by country and tariff. Get several quotes for the same country and term, and compare them by the criteria above.
For study abroad under BAföG there is a supplement for the additional cost of international health insurance. It is paid half as a grant and half as a loan, and the amount is set by the office. The BAföG office for your destination country is responsible. The application should be submitted at least six months before the stay begins, and outside the EU and Switzerland support is usually granted for at most one year. More on the BAföG grant towards health insurance (in German) is in a separate article.
Frequently asked questions
Does my German health insurance cover a study stay in the USA?
No. There is no social security agreement with the USA, so the statutory insurer does not pay for illness there. You need private cover for the entire period, ideally including repatriation. Clarify before you take out a policy whether your host university accepts it or requires its own programme.
Do I need proof of insurance for my visa?
The embassy and host university decide this, and it varies by country. Ask early about minimum benefits, minimum term and the format of the certificate. Have your insurer issue the proof before you confirm the trip.
Is my private health insurance valid worldwide?
That depends on your tariff. Check the territorial scope, any time limits on stays abroad, the scope of benefits and repatriation in the conditions, and get your insurer’s answer in writing. For long stays, the foreign cover of a domestic tariff is often not enough.
Can I take out international health insurance for my whole course of study?
Long-term policies exist, but the term, extension options and territorial scope differ by tariff. Make sure your study stay counts as an insured reason and that the policy runs until you return to Germany.
So what do you do now?
- Ask the embassy, consulate and host university which insurance proof they require.
- Clarify with your health insurer or private insurer how your destination country is treated and what happens to your German insurance.
- Get several quotes for international health insurance and compare term, repatriation, territorial scope and exclusions.
- Check whether Study Abroad BAföG is an option for you, and submit the application in time.
- If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the way to advice on the Academycon homepage.
You can read reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon was also mentioned, among other places, in a press release in the General-Anzeiger Bonn (in German). An overview of all mentions is on the press page (in German).
Related articles
- Health insurance during a semester abroad: what applies? (in German)
- Health insurance for studying abroad: what applies to long stays (in German)
- BAföG grant towards health insurance: what applies to PKV and GKV (in German)
- Returning from abroad: how to get back into your studies (in German)
- Travel health insurance for Erasmus, the USA and work and travel (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
