What is PKV for students? Private health insurance (PKV) is comprehensive cover: You choose a tariff with defined benefits, the premium depends on entry age and health information, and part of it is saved up as an ageing reserve. In Germany, students are first subject to compulsory statutory health insurance (GKV). The route into PKV leads through an exemption from this obligation, which you apply for within three months of the start of compulsory insurance. The details of costs and benefits are in PKV during your studies at a glance (in German).
The most important points in brief
- PKV is comprehensive cover with its own tariff. What is reimbursed is set out in the tariff conditions.
- The premium depends on entry age. A statutory surcharge of 10 per cent flows into the ageing reserve.
- You first pay doctors’ bills yourself and submit them to the insurer.
- You apply for the exemption from student compulsory insurance within three months and cannot revoke it.
- For enrolment you still need confirmation from a statutory insurer.
What does comprehensive cover mean in PKV?
Comprehensive cover replaces the protection of a statutory insurer. It fulfils the legal duty to hold health insurance and covers medical treatment according to the chosen tariff. Different from this is supplementary insurance, which only adds to existing cover, for example for dental prosthetics. The difference is explained in our article on comprehensive and supplementary insurance (in German).
Because of this compulsory function, a contract that fulfils the duty to insure can only be cancelled if an equivalent contract exists with another insurer. The cancellation only takes effect if you prove continuous follow-on cover within two months of the cancellation notice.
How does PKV work at its core?
The tariff determines the benefits
Each tariff sets out what the insurer reimburses: The deductible, reimbursement rates and the treatment of aids. For aids, a distinction is made between open catalogues, which reimburse all medically necessary aids, and closed ones, which only cover aids explicitly listed. The aids directory of the GKV is not binding in PKV, except in the basic tariff. Student tariffs are aimed at young first-time insured persons up to the age of 30 and in some cases build on the conditions of private student health insurance, which only a few insurers offer. The reasons for choosing it at the start are set out in why students choose PKV (in German).
Premium by entry age and ageing reserve
The premium depends on the entry age. The calculation includes a statutory surcharge of 10 per cent on the annual gross premium. It starts at the latest in the calendar year after the 21st birthday, ends in the year of the 60th birthday, and flows into the ageing reserve, which is intended to reduce premiums in old age.
Premium adjustments
At least once a year, the insurer checks whether the required and calculated benefits are drifting apart. If the deviation exceeds 10 per cent, or 5 per cent under some tariff conditions, the premiums are reviewed and adjusted if necessary. An independent trustee must agree. The decision therefore also depends on the risks of private health insurance (in German).
How does PKV during your studies differ from GKV?
| Feature | Student statutory insurance (KVdS) | PKV after exemption |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Compulsory insurance upon enrolment at a state or state-recognised university | Application for exemption within three months, proof of other cover |
| Premium | Base premium 87.38 euros plus long-term care insurance and the insurer’s additional contribution, in 2026 | Depends on tariff, entry age and health information |
| Billing | Insurance card, billing between doctor and insurer | Pay the bill yourself and submit it |
| Family insurance | Possible instead of student compulsory insurance if the conditions are met (in 2026, among others an income limit of 565 euros a month) | Excluded for the duration of the exemption |
| Duration | Ends with the semester of de-registration, at the latest with the semester in which you turn 30 (extension only for special reasons) | Exemption irrevocable for the entire course of study, return to GKV usually only after studies |
What is PKV for students in practice, from application to reimbursement?
- Sort out your health information. The application contains health questions that you must answer truthfully. If you are unsure, make an anonymous risk enquiry beforehand.
- Submit the application and conclude the contract. You must disclose known circumstances that are material to the insurer and about which you are asked in text form.
- Apply for the exemption. The deadline is three months from the start of compulsory insurance. It takes effect once you prove that you are otherwise insured. The Verbraucherzentrale (in German) summarises the options during your studies.
- Obtain confirmation from a statutory insurer. Before enrolment, the university requires a digital confirmation from a statutory insurer, including from privately insured persons. It can be retrieved from 1 June for the winter semester and from 1 December for the summer semester at the earliest.
- Treatment and bills. You first pay the doctor’s bill yourself and submit it to the insurer. The amount reimbursed depends on the tariff. In hospital, the hospital usually bills the insurer directly.
The premium refund works like this: If you submit no bills for a year, the insurer may pay back part of the annual premium from its surplus, with a guideline of up to around 50 per cent. Whether and how much depends on the insurer.
What does PKV require from you?
PKV requires more initiative from you than the insurance card of the GKV. You keep track of bills and deadlines yourself. Bills can be submitted within three years from the end of the year in which they were issued. A bill from March 2026, for example, can be submitted until 31 December 2029.
You also check bills on content. The scale of medical fees sets a threshold of 2.3 and a maximum rate of 3.5 for personal medical services. If a service exceeds the threshold, the doctor must justify this in writing.
And you pay your contributions on time. If a contribution arrears remains, reminders follow and eventually a move to the emergency tariff, which only covers acute illness and pain, pregnancy and childbirth, and benefits for children and young people.
If you later want to adjust your cover, you have a right with your own insurer to switch to other tariffs with similar protection, and your accrued rights and ageing reserve are credited. For additional benefits, which include a lower deductible, the insurer may require a risk surcharge or a benefit exclusion. The guidelines on tariff changes of the PKV association (in German) set a response period of 15 working days.
Frequently asked questions
What is PKV in simple terms?
PKV is private comprehensive cover for illness. You conclude a contract with an insurer for a fixed tariff, pay a premium based on entry age and health information, and receive reimbursement for treatment costs according to the tariff conditions.
How does PKV work for students?
Students are first subject to statutory compulsory insurance. Anyone who is exempted from this obligation within three months and proves a private contract becomes privately insured. The exemption applies for the entire course of study. Confirmation from a statutory insurer is still needed for enrolment.
What distinguishes PKV from GKV?
The GKV settles directly with the doctor and has a fixed base premium in student compulsory insurance. In PKV, the tariff determines the benefits, the premium follows entry age, and you submit bills yourself. Free family insurance is excluded during the exemption.
Is PKV comprehensive or supplementary insurance?
Both exist. Comprehensive cover replaces the protection of a statutory insurer and fulfils the duty to insure. Supplementary cover adds to existing protection. Anyone applying for the exemption needs comprehensive cover as proof.
How to proceed now
- Note the date on which your compulsory insurance begins. The three months for the exemption run from this day.
- Answer the health questions for yourself, and if you are unsure, make an anonymous risk enquiry.
- Compare tariffs by deductible, reimbursement rates and aids catalogue, not only by the monthly premium.
- Obtain confirmation from a statutory insurer for your enrolment.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the way to advice on the Academycon homepage (in German). How such a conversation works is set out in PKV advice for students (in German).
You can find reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon was mentioned, among other things, in an advertisement on Spiegel.de (in German). An overview of all mentions is on the press page (in German).
Related articles
- Private health insurance for students: Costs and benefits (in German)
- Advantages of PKV for students: The case for switching (in German)
- PKV disadvantages for students: What you should know first (in German)
- Comprehensive or supplementary insurance: The difference (in German)
- Glossary of health insurance during your studies: Terms from A to Z (in German)
- Finished school: Money and insurance before university (in German)
- Expectancy right in PKV (in German)
- Frequently asked questions during your studies: Short answers (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
