When it comes to PKV or GKV as a student, your personal situation decides. Statutory student insurance costs about 143 to 148 euros a month in 2026, and if you are family-insured free of charge through your parents, you pay no contribution at all. You can only join PKV as a student through an exemption from compulsory insurance. It must be applied for within three months of the start of compulsory insurance and cannot be revoked.
The most important points in brief
- Statutory student insurance costs about 143 to 148 euros a month in 2026. The base premium of 87.38 euros applies nationwide, plus long-term care insurance and the additional contribution of your insurer.
- During your studies you can be family-insured free of charge up to the age of 25, as long as your total income in 2026 is no more than 565 euros a month.
- PKV requires an exemption from compulsory insurance. It normally applies for the entire course of study, and family insurance ends for that time.
- PKV premiums depend on entry age, tariff and health information. Insurers can adjust premiums later.
- The way back to statutory insurance is normally open only after your studies, for example through employment subject to compulsory insurance. From age 55, the return is generally excluded.
Statutory or private insurance as a student: which routes are there?
If you enrol at a state or state-recognised university, you are subject to compulsory statutory insurance (KVdS), unless something with priority applies. Employment as an employee or family insurance, for example, takes priority. This gives you three routes.
- Family insurance: You stay insured as a dependant under your statutorily insured parents and pay no contribution of your own.
- Student compulsory insurance (KVdS): You are a member of a statutory health insurer and pay the student contribution.
- Exemption and PKV: You are exempted from compulsory insurance and take out a private contract.
Privately insured students also need confirmation from a statutory insurer for enrolment. Whether you are eligible for the third route at all is explained in our guide on who may take out PKV during your studies (in German). An overview of all situations is given in health insurance for students (in German).
PKV and GKV compared: premium, benefits, commitment
The table sets student statutory insurance against PKV after an exemption. The statutory figures apply for 2026.
| Criterion | Statutory insurance during studies | PKV after exemption |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | About 143 to 148 euros a month. Base premium 87.38 euros, plus long-term care insurance and additional contribution. | Depends on entry age, tariff, deductible and health information. |
| Free family insurance | Family insurance possible up to 25, income limit 565 euros a month. | Not possible while the exemption applies. |
| Benefits | Catalogue set by law, with co-payments and fixed subsidies. | Set by contract, with tariff reimbursement rates and maximum amounts. |
| Billing | Benefits in kind. Reimbursement is possible on request. | You first pay the doctor’s bill yourself and submit it to the insurer. |
| Admission | Compulsory insurance upon enrolment. | Application with health questions. The insurer decides on admission. |
| Commitment | Changing insurer is possible. The new insurer reports the change to the university. | The exemption is irrevocable and normally applies for the entire course of study. |
| Way back | Switching to PKV is only possible through the exemption, within three months. | Return to statutory insurance normally only after the end of studies. Generally excluded from age 55. |
Which is cheaper for students, PKV or GKV?
For statutory insurance, the premium can be calculated exactly. The basis is a fixed amount of 855 euros, which corresponds to the BAföG basic need plus the housing allowance. Example: Mia is 24 and has no children. She pays 87.38 euros for health insurance, 35.91 euros for long-term care insurance and, at an additional contribution of 2.9 per cent, another 24.80 euros. That comes to about 148 euros a month. Under 23 or with a child, it is about 143 euros. How the additional contribution of the health insurers affects this is described in our article on experiences with the statutory health insurer (in German).
What PKV costs during your studies depends on the offer. Entry age, tariff, the amount of the deductible and your health information determine the premium. The article on PKV during your studies (in German) describes costs and benefits in detail.
If your parents are entitled to Beihilfe, the PKV premium may be low at first, but it usually rises noticeably at 25, when the family supplement ends.
For later years, the following applies: the insurer reviews premiums at least once a year and adjusts them if the deviation from the calculation exceeds the threshold and a trustee approves. The statutory threshold is 10 per cent, and tariff conditions may lower it to 5 per cent. In statutory insurance, by contrast, the student contribution follows the fixed assessment basis of 855 euros, and only the additional contribution differs between insurers.
How do the benefits of PKV and GKV differ?
Statutory insurance pays according to a catalogue set by law. For some benefits you pay a share yourself or receive only a subsidy. PKV pays according to the contract. Which benefit is reimbursed and to what extent is set out in the tariff you choose.
Where statutory insurance sets limits
- Co-payments: For medicines and aids you pay 10 per cent of the price, at least 5 euros and at most 10 euros. From 1 January 2027, higher co-payments of 7.50 euros to 15 euros have been decided.
- Glasses: Adults are only entitled in cases of severe visual impairment, or with more than 6.0 dioptres of short- or long-sightedness, or more than 4.0 dioptres of astigmatism. The insurer never pays for the frame.
- Dental prosthetics: The insurer pays a fixed subsidy of 60 per cent of the standard supply. From 1 January 2027, 50 per cent has been decided.
- Sick pay: There is no entitlement to sick pay in student compulsory insurance.
For specialist appointments, statutory insurance offers the central appointment service under the number 116117. It must offer an appointment within one week, and the waiting time must not exceed four weeks. For more on what the insurer does not pay, see the article on gaps in statutory health insurance (in German).
What PKV regulates differently
In PKV, the tariff determines which aids are reimbursed. With an open aids catalogue, the insurer pays all medically necessary aids, with a closed one only those explicitly listed. Reimbursement rates are usually 75, 90 or 100 per cent, often with maximum amounts. You can submit bills up to three years after the end of the year in which they were issued.
What risks does PKV carry during your studies?
You should know the risks of PKV before the exemption, because you cannot undo them afterwards.
- Irrevocable: The exemption normally applies for the entire course of study. It only takes effect once you prove that you have cover in case of illness elsewhere.
- No family insurance: For the duration of the exemption, free family insurance under your parents is not available.
- Health questions: The application contains health questions that you must answer truthfully. Ongoing treatments or recommended operations often lead to rejection. Before applying, an anonymous risk enquiry can help.
- Premium adjustments: Premiums can rise over the years, including after the end of your parents’ Beihilfe.
- Tariff changes with consequences: If you switch within your insurer to a tariff with more benefits, the insurer may require a benefit exclusion, a risk surcharge or a waiting period. Lowering the deductible also counts as an additional benefit.
- Difficult return: A mini-job is not enough for a return to statutory insurance. It is possible, for example, through employment subject to compulsory insurance below the annual earnings threshold. From age 55 it is generally excluded.
The requirements for the way back are described in our article on return to statutory health insurance (in German). A sober comparison of the arguments can be found in the advantages of PKV (in German) and the disadvantages of PKV (in German).
How important is family insurance for the decision?
Family insurance is the starting point for many students, because it reduces the premium to zero. Children are insured free of charge up to 18 without further conditions, up to 23 if they are not in employment, and up to 25 during their studies. In 2026, the condition is a total income of no more than 565 euros a month. For a mini-job, the limit is 603 euros. BAföG, child benefit and maintenance from parents do not count as income. The rules are set out in section 10 of the Social Code Book V (in German). If family insurance ends, for example by exceeding the income limit or on the 25th birthday, student compulsory insurance usually takes effect.
PKV or GKV as a student: which situation fits?
There is no blanket recommendation. The table shows which points weigh more heavily depending on your situation.
| Your situation | What to consider |
|---|---|
| You are family-insured free of charge. | Family insurance costs nothing. An exemption for PKV would end it. |
| You are in compulsory insurance and the budget is tight. | Statutory insurance has fixed calculation values and comes to about 143 to 148 euros a month in 2026. |
| Your parents are entitled to Beihilfe. | PKV may be cheap at first. Expect the premium to rise when Beihilfe ends, usually at 25. |
| You have pre-existing conditions or ongoing treatment. | PKV health questions can lead to rejection. Clarify this in advance with an anonymous risk enquiry. |
| You are aiming for civil service appointment. | For civil servants, the PKV open admission window is available: application within the first six months after the first civil service appointment, risk surcharge of at most 30 per cent, no benefit exclusions. |
| Your studies end soon and you will become an employee. | If your salary is below 77,400 euros a year (2026), you are subject to statutory insurance. A private contract can then be terminated within three months, retroactively to the start of the obligation. |
What happens after your studies?
When your studies end, student compulsory insurance ends too. If no other insurance follows, your membership with the insurer continues as voluntary insurance. The minimum assessment basis for this in 2026 is 1,318.33 euros a month. With an assumed additional contribution of 2.18 per cent, the minimum contribution for people without children is about 269 to 277 euros. The additional contribution of your insurer shifts this figure. If you take up employment below the compulsory insurance threshold of 77,400 euros a year, you are compulsorily insured again.
Anyone who was privately insured and moves to statutory insurance can keep the way back into PKV open with an expectancy right. The small expectancy right protects your health status, while the large one also protects your entry age and continues to build up ageing reserves. Reactivation usually takes place within two months after the reason for the change has ended. How a switch pays off over several years is shown in Is switching to PKV worth it as a student? (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Is PKV or GKV better for students?
There is no general answer. GKV and family insurance follow fixed rules and can be changed. PKV can suit certain situations, for example if your parents are entitled to Beihilfe. Against this stand the risks: the exemption is irrevocable, the return to GKV is difficult, and premiums can rise.
Can I be privately insured as a student?
Yes, through an exemption from compulsory insurance. You submit the application to your health insurer within three months of the start of compulsory insurance. The exemption only takes effect once you prove other protection, that is, a private contract. The insurer decides on admission based on its health questions.
How much does health insurance cost for students?
In statutory insurance you pay about 143 euros in 2026 (under 23 or with a child) or about 148 euros (childless from 23), in each case with the average additional contribution. Family-insured students pay nothing. The PKV premium depends on entry age, tariff, deductible and health information, so there is no single figure for it.
Can I return to statutory insurance after the exemption?
Normally only after your studies, for example through employment subject to compulsory insurance below the annual earnings threshold. A mini-job is not enough. From age 55, return to statutory insurance is generally excluded. There are exceptions only in narrow cases, for example a second degree after an interruption of more than one month. Your health insurer can tell you whether this applies to you.
How to proceed now
- Check whether you can stay free of charge in family insurance: you are under 25, you are studying, and your total income is no more than 565 euros a month.
- Note when your compulsory insurance begins. The three-month deadline for the exemption starts from that day.
- Compare statutory student insurance at about 143 to 148 euros with a concrete PKV offer. Ask about the premium after your studies and about the consequences of premium adjustments.
- If you want to be privately insured, make an anonymous risk enquiry before applying and answer all health questions truthfully.
- Apply for the exemption only once the private contract is in place. It only takes effect with proof of other protection.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the way to advice on the Academycon homepage (in German). Academycon is an insurance intermediary, and this article is at the same time advertising for that intermediary service.
You can find reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon was mentioned, among other things, in an advertisement on FAZ.net (in German). An overview of all mentions is on the press page (in German).
Related articles
- Advantages of PKV for students: the case for switching (in German)
- PKV disadvantages for students: what you should know first (in German)
- Is PKV worth it during your studies? The calculation over many years (in German)
- Health insurance for students: obligations, options, special cases (in German)
- Student health insurance 2026 in figures (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
