If you want to find private health insurance as a student, the best approach is four steps. First, check whether the exemption from compulsory insurance suits your situation. Then set your health details, benefits and budget. Only after that should you compare offers. The deadline is tight: you must apply for the exemption within three months of the start of your compulsory insurance, and once an exemption has been granted it cannot be revoked.
The benchmark is the compulsory insurance for students. With an average additional contribution of 2.9%, you pay around €143 to €148 a month in 2026 there for health and long-term care insurance. Every private health insurance plan has to measure up to this figure, in terms of price, benefits and the consequences of the exemption.
Key points at a glance
- You apply for the exemption at your statutory health insurer within three months of the start of your compulsory insurance. It usually applies for the whole of your studies.
- As long as the exemption applies, free family insurance is not possible.
- Private health insurance premiums depend on your age at entry, your excess and the scope of benefits. The health questions in the application also affect whether you are accepted.
- Before you apply, an anonymous risk enquiry is recommended.
- Premiums are reviewed regularly and can rise. So plan with some headroom.
Step 1: Is private health insurance right for your situation at all?
If you are enrolled at a state or state-recognised university, you are subject to compulsory insurance with the statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV), unless you already have priority cover. You can only switch to private insurance by applying for an exemption. The application goes to your health insurer within three months of the start of your compulsory insurance. If you have not claimed any benefits by then, it takes effect retroactively; otherwise it takes effect from the calendar month after the application. It only becomes effective if you can prove other health insurance cover, in practice a private contract. You will find the rules in brief at the German Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale).
| Criterion | Student statutory insurance | Private insurance after exemption |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | Basic contribution of €87.38 plus the insurer’s own additional contribution, plus long-term care insurance. The basic contribution is the same across Germany. | Depends on age at entry, excess and scope of benefits. |
| Family insurance | Free of charge as long as the requirements are met (income limit in 2026: €565 a month). | Not possible as long as the exemption applies. |
| Billing | Benefits in kind through your health insurer. | Reimbursement. You pay invoices yourself first and submit them. |
| Age limit | Ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30. Extension only for special reasons. | Student tariffs are aimed at young first-time policyholders up to 30, and usually are no longer open after that. |
| Return | You remain subject to compulsory insurance as long as you meet the requirements. | Return to the GKV is generally only possible after your studies, for example through employment subject to compulsory insurance. A mini-job is not enough. |
Example: Lea is 24, has no children and studies at a state university. Her insurer charges an additional contribution of 2.9%. The contribution assessment is €855. The basic contribution of 10.22% gives €87.38, the additional contribution €24.80 and the long-term care insurance for childless people aged 23 and over €35.91. Together that is €148.09 a month. These €148.09 are Lea’s benchmark for every private health insurance offer.
Step 2: How much does acceptance depend on your health?
The private health insurance application contains health questions, and you must answer them truthfully. The law requires you to disclose known circumstances about which the insurer has asked in text form. If you give false information, the insurer can withdraw from the contract. Without intent or gross negligence, withdrawal is excluded; the insurer then retains the right to terminate with one month’s notice.
Ongoing treatment or recommended operations have a strong impact on acceptance. For this reason, make an anonymous risk enquiry before the actual application. You will learn in advance how an insurer assesses your health details, without committing yourself by name.
Step 3: Which private health insurance benefits should you prioritise?
Sort benefits into three groups: essential, desirable and dispensable. Only then can tariffs be compared properly. The minimum standard is the scope of benefits of the GKV, which the basic tariff also covers. How the tariff levels differ above that is explained in our article on the difference between the tariff levels (in German).
Outpatient treatment and doctors’ invoices
Doctors bill according to the Scale of Fees for Physicians (Gebührenordnung für Ärzte, GOÄ). For personal medical services, the threshold rate is 2.3 times the standard rate, and the maximum rate is 3.5 times. Above the threshold, the doctor must justify the invoice. How much of it your tariff reimburses is set out in the tariff conditions. Check there up to which rate reimbursement applies.
Aids and glasses
For aids, a distinction is made between open and closed catalogues. An open catalogue reimburses all medically necessary aids, a closed one only those expressly listed. Common reimbursement rates are 75, 90 or 100 per cent, often with maximum amounts. Which benefits you should not overlook is shown in our overview of aids in private health insurance (in German). For comparison, the GKV pays for glasses for adults only in cases of severe visual impairment, or where short- or long-sightedness exceeds 6.0 dioptres or astigmatism exceeds 4.0 dioptres. If you need glasses, look closely at the visual aids covered by a tariff.
Dental prosthetics
In 2026 the GKV covers a fixed subsidy of 60 per cent of the standard treatment. From 1 January 2027, 50 per cent has been agreed. If dental benefits matter a lot to you, look closely at how a tariff reimburses dental prosthetics.
Step 4: What premium and risk fit your budget?
A higher excess lowers the premium, but it means you bear invoices up to that amount yourself. Expect to pay every invoice upfront at first. It can be submitted within three years from the end of the year in which it was issued. An invoice from March 2026, for example, can therefore be submitted until 31 December 2029.
Some tariffs refund part of the annual premiums if you submit no invoices for a year. This usually depends on the insurer’s surpluses and is not guaranteed. As a guide, refunds of up to around 50 per cent of an annual premium are common. In the year of payment, the refund reduces your deductible special expenses for tax purposes.
Premiums do not stay at the level agreed when you sign. The insurer compares the required and the calculated benefits at least once a year. If the figure deviates by more than 10 per cent, premiums are reviewed and adjusted if necessary. The tariff conditions may lower that threshold to 5 per cent. An independent trustee must agree. So ask about the threshold in the tariff as well.
If premiums fall into arrears, reminder stages apply. Two unpaid monthly premiums lead to a first reminder, and two months later to a second one. If one monthly premium plus default surcharges is still outstanding, the contract is suspended and you switch to the emergency tariff. That only covers acute illness and pain, pregnancy and maternity, and children and young people. With a tight student budget, plan for this risk before the contract starts.
Children who are covered by state aid (Beihilfe) often pay little at first during their studies, because the aid covers a large part of the costs. It usually ends when the child turns 25, when the family allowance ends, and the burden then rises significantly. You can find out the rate of aid from the aid office (Beihilfestelle).
Private health insurance checklist: check these points before you apply
| Topic | Question to ask about the tariff |
|---|---|
| Benefits | Are all benefits from your “essential” group covered? |
| Aids | Open or closed catalogue? Which reimbursement rates and maximum amounts apply? |
| Excess | How high is it, and can you afford it every year? |
| Premium | How is it calculated, and what changes after your studies? |
| Premium adjustment | Does the statutory threshold of 10 per cent apply, or a lower tariff threshold? |
| Refund | How is the premium refund regulated, and is it guaranteed? |
| Health | Have you made an anonymous risk enquiry beforehand? |
| Switching | What options do you have to switch to another tariff later? |
How to compare offers side by side and compare tariffs for students (in German) is explained in a separate article.
Can I change my tariff later?
Yes, within the same insurer. Under § 204 VVG (German Insurance Contract Act), you are entitled to switch to other tariffs offering equivalent cover, and your accrued rights and the ageing provisions are carried over. For additional benefits, the insurer may impose an exclusion of benefits or an appropriate risk surcharge, and where necessary a waiting period. Lowering your excess counts as an additional benefit. The article on switching tariffs in private health insurance (in German) explains how this works. The process is governed by the guidelines on tariff changes issued by the PKV association.
When do you have to decide?
The three-month deadline runs from the start of your compulsory insurance. If it begins on 1 October, for example, the deadline ends on 31 December. Independently of this, the university requires a digital confirmation of statutory insurance before enrolment, including from privately insured students. It can be retrieved from 1 June at the earliest for the winter semester, and from 1 December at the earliest for the summer semester. The exact process, with application and documents, is described in our guide to switching to private health insurance as a student (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Which private health insurance is right for me?
That depends on your state of health, your budget and the benefits you prioritise. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Work through the four steps above in order and make an anonymous risk enquiry before you apply. As long as you do not submit an exemption application, you remain in the student statutory insurance.
Is there a perfect private health insurance tariff for students?
A tariff is suitable when it covers your essential benefits, your budget can carry it over the years and it remains flexible enough. The cheapest premium on its own says little about quality. Also allow for possible premium adjustments and check the switching options.
Can I return to the GKV after the exemption?
The exemption usually applies for the whole of your studies and cannot be revoked. A switch back to the GKV is normally only possible after your studies, for example through employment subject to compulsory insurance. A mini-job is not enough for this.
What happens to my tariff after my studies?
Student tariffs are aimed at young first-time policyholders up to 30, and after that they are usually no longer open. Before you sign, clarify which tariff you can switch to after your studies and how the premium will then develop. The premium depends on your age at entry.
How to proceed now
- Check whether the student statutory insurance or family insurance is a sound solution for you, and note the deadline for the exemption application.
- Make an anonymous risk enquiry before you sign an application.
- Sort your benefit wishes into essential, desirable and dispensable.
- Set a premium limit that you can afford, including premium adjustments and your excess.
- Work through the checklist for each tariff and ask for the tariff conditions in their exact wording.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the route to advice on the Academycon homepage.
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Related
- Switching to private health insurance as a student: process, application and documents (in German)
- Private health insurance tariffs for students compared (in German)
- Which benefits does private health insurance offer students? (in German)
- Private health insurance during a semester abroad: what applies? (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
