Of all insurance for students, only health insurance is compulsory for everyone. If you own a car, motor liability insurance is added. In statutory student health insurance, it costs about €143 to €148 a month in 2026 including long-term care insurance, if your insurer charges the average additional contribution of 2.9%. Everything else is optional, but not equally important: private liability insurance comes first, provided your parents do not cover you, and disability insurance is best taken out early.
The most important points at a glance
- Health insurance is compulsory. You are either family insured (during your studies up to age 25, with income of no more than €565 a month), insured as a student (until the end of the semester in which you turn 30), or exempt from compulsory insurance and privately insured.
- You apply for the exemption in favour of private health insurance within three months of starting your studies. It applies for the whole course of study and cannot be revoked.
- Private liability insurance is the most important voluntary policy. First check whether your parents’ insurance still covers you.
- You can take out occupational disability insurance during your studies. Age, state of health and choice of career determine the premium.
- Contents insurance, travel health insurance, legal expenses insurance and accident insurance depend on your situation. Retirement provision can wait.
Which insurance for students is really necessary?
Sort by risk: first come the compulsory policies, then everything that could financially ruin you, and last comfort and provision for the future.
| Insurance | Classification | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | Compulsory | From enrolment, proof is a requirement |
| Motor liability insurance | Compulsory | Only if you own a car |
| Private liability insurance | Very worthwhile | As soon as your parents no longer cover you |
| Occupational disability insurance | Worthwhile, early | Ideally during your studies, while you are healthy |
| Travel health insurance | Depends on your situation | For a semester abroad, an internship and travel |
| Contents insurance | Depends on your situation | If you have your own household with valuables |
| Legal expenses, accident | Optional | Depending on risk and budget |
| Retirement provision | Later | Once you earn regularly |
How are you insured as a student?
You have three options: family insurance through your parents, student health insurance, or exemption from compulsory insurance followed by private cover. When you enrol, you show that you are statutorily insured or exempt.
Until when are you family insured?
Your parents’ contributions cover you free of charge up to age 23, or up to age 25 during school or studies. Your total income in 2026 may be no more than €565 a month, or €603 if your only employment is a mini-job. BAföG, maintenance payments and child benefit do not count as income. Military, civilian or voluntary service extends the age limit by up to 12 months.
Example: Jonas, 22, has a mini-job paying €600 a month and no other income. He is below €603 and can stay family insured. If your income is above the limit, you switch to student insurance. For 2027, limits of €590 (mini-job €633) are planned, but they are not yet binding.
What does student health insurance cost?
Student health insurance costs about €143 to €148 a month in 2026, depending on your age and insurer. The basic contribution of €87.38 is the same nationwide and does not depend on whether you receive BAföG. Your insurer’s additional contribution and long-term care insurance come on top.
| Item | Amount per month |
|---|---|
| Health insurance, basic contribution (10.22% of €855) | €87.38 |
| Long-term care insurance, under 23 or with a child | €30.78 |
| Long-term care insurance, from age 23 without a child | €35.91 |
| Additional contribution of your insurer | Depends on the insurer, at 2.9% about €24.80 |
| Total with the average additional contribution | About €143 (under 23) or about €148 (from 23, without a child) |
Example: Lea, 24, without children, insured with an insurer charging 2.9% additional contribution. She pays €87.38 plus €35.91 plus €24.80, a total of €148.09 a month. With a cheaper or more expensive additional contribution, only the last item changes.
If you receive BAföG and are insured yourself, there are supplements of €102 for health insurance and €35 for long-term care insurance up to age 30 (BAföG FAQ of the Studierendenwerke). Further ways of financing your studies (in German) help if your budget is still tight.
Who can use student health insurance?
You must be enrolled at a state or state-recognised university. Private universities and dual or part-time courses are not covered. In addition, you may work no more than 20 hours a week during the teaching period.
Student insurance ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30. An extension is only available with a justified application for each semester, for example because of illness, care duties or a volunteer service.
Is private health insurance worth it for students?
That depends on your situation and needs careful thought, because the decision is hardly reversible. The route to private insurance is the exemption from compulsory insurance. You apply for it within three months of the start of your studies, and it generally takes effect back to the start of compulsory insurance.
| Criterion | Student statutory health insurance | Private health insurance after exemption |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | Uniform basic contribution plus additional contribution and long-term care | Depends on the tariff, entry age and state of health, can rise over the years |
| Family insurance | Possible with income up to €565 a month | No contribution-free family insurance during the exemption |
| Duration of the decision | Until the end of the semester in which you turn 30 | Irrevocable for the entire, uninterrupted course of study |
| Return to statutory insurance | Not applicable | Only in narrow cases, for example a job subject to social insurance or a second course after an interruption of more than one month |
Before you apply, clarify the health questions, how the tariff’s premium is likely to develop and your need for benefits. Anyone who wants to return to statutory insurance later has only a few options.
How are you insured over 30 or after your studies?
When student insurance ends, statutory insurance automatically continues on a voluntary basis, unless another insurance applies. In 2026 the minimum assessment base is €1,318.33 a month. Without a child, the minimum contribution for health and long-term care insurance is roughly €270 to €280, depending on the additional contribution. If you switch to private insurance, the new cover must be proven before the statutory insurance is cancelled.
What applies to international students?
International students also need proof of health insurance cover to enrol. The right solution depends on your country of origin and residence status. Clarify this with a statutory health insurer or the international office of your university before the enrolment deadline runs out.
Do students need liability insurance?
Yes, private liability insurance is the most important voluntary insurance during your studies. It pays when you accidentally cause damage to others, for example by falling off a bike, spilling coffee on someone’s laptop or damaging a flat. Claims for personal injury can be very high.
Are you covered by your parents’ insurance?
Often yes: children are usually covered free of charge as long as they are unmarried and in school or directly following initial training, for example a full-time course or a dual course. The cover can end if a master’s degree begins late, you take up permanent employment or start a traineeship. Some insurers limit the cover to a certain age, for example 23.
The exact conditions depend on the tariff. Read your parents’ policy or ask the insurer how a second course or a later master’s start is treated, and have the answer confirmed in writing.
What should you look for in your own policy?
- Sum insured: It should be high enough for personal injury, because that is where the largest claims arise.
- Loss of keys: Losing a flat or building key can be expensive. Check whether it is included.
- Favour damage: Damage you cause while doing someone a favour, for example helping a friend move, should be covered.
- Abroad: If you plan a semester abroad, check the territorial scope and the duration of the cover.
Is occupational disability insurance worth it during your studies?
An early policy makes sense, because age, state of health and choice of career determine the premium, and pre-existing conditions later on can make the application harder. You can take it out from your teenage years and during school, studies or training. Many providers offer entry-level tariffs with a low starting premium. For costs and the start, see occupational disability insurance for students (in German).
Is the statutory reduced earning capacity pension enough?
The statutory reduced earning capacity pension requires a general waiting period of 5 years and 3 years of compulsory contributions in the last 5 years before reduced earning capacity sets in (German Pension Insurance). Whether you meet this depends on your career so far. If in doubt, ask the pension insurer. An occupational disability pension and the statutory reduced earning capacity pension do not rule each other out and are not offset against each other.
What should you pay attention to when taking out a policy?
- Health questions: Answer them completely and honestly, otherwise the insurer may refuse payment when you make a claim.
- Type of tariff: The Verbraucherzentrale advises against tariffs marked “t.e.” where the premium rises for the same benefits.
- Contract terms: Look for the absence of abstract referral and a follow-up guarantee, which lets you increase the pension later without a new health check.
- Term and amount: The cover should run until retirement, and the pension should carry your living costs.
When do you need contents insurance?
Contents insurance is worthwhile if your belongings could not be replaced from petty cash in the event of a loss. Laptop, smartphone, bicycle, clothing and furniture together quickly add up to a high amount. It pays for fire, burst pipes, storm and hail, as well as burglary and robbery, usually at replacement value.
In a shared flat it matters whose belongings the main tenant’s policy covers. This must be clarified explicitly, otherwise nobody protects you. Also check whether bicycle theft is included or can be added as a module, which limits apply to valuables, and whether external cover is included.
When are travel health insurance, legal expenses and accident insurance useful?
Travel health insurance
The European Health Insurance Card is valid in the EU Member States as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, for medically necessary benefits of the public system. In countries without an agreement, such as the USA, cover is very limited. Statutory insurers do not pay for medically necessary return transport, so private travel health insurance is common. It is especially worthwhile before a semester abroad or an internship outside Europe.
Legal expenses insurance
Legal expenses insurance covers lawyers’ and court costs, for example in a dispute with your landlord, with your employer in a part-time job or over online purchases. A dispute that has already started cannot be insured, and tariffs differ greatly in scope. For most students this is an optional extra.
Accident insurance
Private accident insurance pays for permanent consequences of an accident, either as a lump sum or as a pension. It complements occupational disability insurance, because it pays out for invalidity after an accident without you having to be unable to work. This can matter for risky sports.
When does retirement provision become relevant?
During your studies you usually do not pay pension contributions, but the time still counts. Attending a university counts as a credited period from your 17th birthday, and school and study periods together are credited for up to eight years at most. This time counts towards the 35-year waiting period and feeds into the pension calculation. However, it is not added to your pension account automatically. You need your certificate of enrolment and later your degree certificate or certificate of withdrawal (information from German Pension Insurance for students). How this works in detail is explained in our article on pension points during your studies (in German).
The state-subsidised retirement provision is changing: the new pension provision accounts have been decided for 1 January 2027. Before you take out a product, find out whether and under which conditions you would be subsidised as a student.
How can you save on insurance during your studies?
You save most by avoiding duplication: check what your parents’ policies already protect you against before you take out anything new. Which offers are really worthwhile for students is covered in our article on student discounts on insurance (in German). Do not economise on occupational disability insurance or liability cover when it comes to benefits and conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Which insurance does a student need?
Health insurance is compulsory, and motor liability insurance is added if you own a car. Private liability insurance and, early on, occupational disability insurance are sensible. Contents insurance, travel health insurance, legal expenses and accident insurance depend on your circumstances.
How much does health insurance cost for students?
In student health insurance you pay a basic contribution of €87.38 in 2026, plus your insurer’s additional contribution and long-term care insurance. At the average additional contribution of 2.9%, that is about €143 a month under 23 and about €148 from 23 without a child. If you are family insured, you pay no contribution.
Am I covered by my parents’ liability insurance as a student?
Usually yes, as long as you are unmarried and in school or in direct initial training, for example a full-time course. The cover can end if a master’s degree is delayed, you take up permanent employment or begin a traineeship, and some insurers limit it to a certain age. Ask your parents’ insurer about the exact conditions.
Can I take out private health insurance as a student?
Yes, through the exemption from compulsory insurance. You apply for it within three months of the start of your studies. It applies for the whole uninterrupted course of study and cannot be revoked. There is no contribution-free family insurance during the exemption, and returning to statutory insurance is possible only in narrow cases.
When should I take out occupational disability insurance?
Ideally early, while you are healthy. It is possible from your teenage years and during school, studies or training. Age, state of health and choice of career affect the premium, and many providers offer entry-level tariffs. Anyone who waits risks pre-existing conditions that make the application harder. Answer all health questions completely.
What you should do now
- Clarify your health insurance: family insurance, student insurance or exemption, and for the exemption keep the three-month deadline from the start of your studies in mind.
- Ask your parents or their insurer whether the liability policy still covers you, and have the answer confirmed in writing.
- Look into occupational disability insurance early and answer the health questions completely.
- Decide on contents, travel health, legal expenses and accident insurance depending on your situation.
- If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the way to advice on the homepage of Academycon (in German). Intermediaries must provide you with basic information in advance under section 15 of the VersVermV (German insurance brokerage regulation). For how to assess reviews and providers, see experiences with Academycon (in German).
You can read reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon was also mentioned in a press release on the portal of the Süddeutsche Zeitung. An overview of all mentions is on our press page (in German).
Related articles
- Occupational disability insurance for students: costs and start (in German)
- Student discounts on insurance: what is really worth it (in German)
- Pension insurance during your studies: duty, exemption and pension points (in German)
- Financing your studies without BAföG: the options (in German)
- Liability insurance during your studies (in German)
- Contents insurance in halls and shared flats: when it pays off (in German)
- Occupational disability insurance during teacher training (in German)
- Occupational disability insurance during medical studies (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
