BARMER student health insurance costs you €115.51 per month for statutory health insurance (GKV) in 2026. With long-term care insurance, it is €146.29 (under 23 or with a child) or €151.42 (childless from 23). The additional contribution rate is 3.29%. Student health insurance ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30. After that, the voluntary minimum contribution for childless members is €283.31.
Short answer: The facts about BARMER student health insurance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Additional contribution 2026 | 3.29% |
| Membership | open nationwide, substitute health insurer (Ersatzkasse) |
| Student insurance under 23 (health and long-term care) | €146.29 per month |
| Student insurance from 23, childless (health and long-term care) | €151.42 per month |
| Voluntary minimum contribution from 30, childless | €283.31 per month |
| Voluntary minimum contribution from 30, with a child | €275.40 per month |
| Source and status | Additional contribution per GKV-Spitzenverband insurer list, status 24.10.2026. Contributions calculated by us based on the BARMER page for students, status 28.09.2026 |
These amounts apply to compulsory statutory insurance as a student. The additional contribution is set by each insurer and can change. The rate that BARMER itself states is binding. BARMER’s student page lists the amounts €146.29 and €151.42, and the calculation below matches them.
What does BARMER cost as a student?
BARMER does not offer a freely selectable student tariff. Instead, it offers statutory student health insurance (KVdS) under a standard formula. The contribution is based on a fixed assessment base of €855 per month, which matches the 2026 BAföG living allowance. It also applies if you do not receive BAföG.
- Assessment base: €855.00 per month.
- Basic contribution: 10.22% of €855.00 gives €87.38.
- Additional contribution of BARMER: 3.29% of €855.00 gives €28.13.
- Health insurance: €87.38 plus €28.13 gives €115.51.
- Long-term care insurance: €30.78 (3.6%) under 23 or with a child, €35.91 (4.2%) childless from 23.
- Total: €146.29 under 23 or with a child, €151.42 childless from 23.
How BARMER’s additional contribution compares with all other insurers is shown in the table in the guide Additional contributions 2026 for all health insurers (in German). One percentage point of additional contribution equals €8.55 per month for students.
What applies at BARMER from 25 and from 30?
Family insurance ends at 25
Until your 25th birthday, you can be insured as a student through a parent who is a member of a statutory insurer. This applies as long as your total income in 2026 is no more than €565 per month, or €603 for a mini-job (§ 10 SGB V). BARMER states the same income limits and the age limit of 25 on its page. Exceptions exist, for example for disability or after a federal volunteer service or voluntary social year. The age limit can only be extended for such services, not for periods of study. After that, your cover as a student with BARMER continues at the amounts calculated above. From your 23rd birthday, the long-term care supplement for childless people also applies, which is €5.13 more per month. More on family insurance is in the glossary entry Family insurance during studies (in German).
Student health insurance ends at 30
Student compulsory insurance ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30 (§ 5 para. 1 no. 9 SGB V). There has been no maximum number of subject semesters since 2020. The age limit is decisive. An extension is possible if the type of training or personal reasons justify exceeding it, for example in a second educational path or when raising children. The insurer decides this case by case. Details are in the guides Health insurance as a student over 30 and Studying at 30 (both in German).
If student insurance ends, you usually remain a voluntary member with BARMER, unless you can prove other cover. BARMER gives no amounts for this on its page, so the statutory formula with the minimum assessment base applies:
- Minimum assessment base: the reference value of €3,955.00 divided by 3 gives €1,318.33 per month.
- Health insurance: the reduced rate of 14.0% plus additional contribution of 3.29% gives 17.29%, which is €227.94.
- Long-term care insurance: €47.46 (3.6%) with a child, €55.37 (4.2%) childless.
- Total: €275.40 with a child, €283.31 childless.
The minimum contribution assumes low income. For higher income, the contribution is calculated up to the contribution assessment ceiling of €5,812.50 per month.
What applies to working students and mini-jobbers at BARMER?
A working-student job or mini-job usually does not change your insurance with BARMER, as long as studies remain the focus. Hours per week and earnings are decisive. BARMER describes a limit of 20 hours per week during lecture periods on its page. Exceptions apply during semester breaks and for work mainly in the evenings, at night or at weekends. In total, up to 26 weeks per year may exceed the 20-hour limit.
| Situation | Effect on health insurance |
|---|---|
| Working student up to 20 hours per week during lecture periods | No contributions for health and long-term care insurance are paid from the job, and student insurance continues. Pension insurance remains compulsory. |
| Employment permanently above 20 hours | The working-student privilege ends, and compulsory employee insurance may apply. It takes precedence over student insurance. |
| Mini-job up to €603 per month | Student insurance continues. In family insurance, the limit for mini-jobbers is €603 instead of €565. |
Borderline cases such as night work or several jobs are decided by the insurer case by case. The details are in the guide Working student: 20-hour rule (in German).
Which additional benefits and bonus programmes does BARMER offer young members?
BARMER lists several voluntary offers for students on its pages. We reproduce them here without comment. The information comes from BARMER and may change.
- BARMER Bonus: points for activities such as digital health courses, fitness, preventive check-ups and vaccinations. According to BARMER, there is a cash bonus of up to €100 per year and a top cash bonus of up to €200 per year. Children up to 18 can collect points through a parent’s account. Source: BARMER Bonus, last updated 07.09.2026.
- Travel vaccinations Plus: BARMER states a cost coverage of 100%. Source: BARMER, Health insurance during studies, last updated 28.09.2026.
- Other additional services: BARMER also names professional teeth cleaning and a fitness offer, without giving amounts. Source: BARMER, Health insurance during studies, last updated 28.09.2026.
- Money-back tariffs: The page links to money-back tariffs for students. BARMER gives different amounts and periods there, so we do not repeat a figure here. The conditions are in BARMER’s tariff documents.
How do you switch to BARMER?
You register with BARMER, and it takes care of cancelling your previous insurer. The deadlines are set in § 175 SGB V:
- Right to choose: You can choose your insurer freely from age 15. As a student, you must choose your insurer no later than two weeks after compulsory insurance begins.
- Online application: Apply to BARMER. Notifying the new insurer replaces the cancellation. The previous insurer confirms within two weeks at the latest.
- Notice period: Membership ends at the end of the second calendar month after notice. Whoever cancels in January switches on 1 April.
- Commitment: You are generally bound to the new insurer for twelve months. This does not apply if membership ends by law, for example when family insurance ends.
- Special right of termination: If your insurer raises the additional contribution, you can cancel until the end of the month from which the higher rate applies. The twelve-month commitment does not apply then. The cancellation only takes effect once you prove other cover.
Frequently asked questions
Does BARMER have a student tariff?
No, BARMER offers statutory student health insurance. The contribution follows the statutory formula and in 2026, with the additional contribution of 3.29%, is €115.51 per month for health insurance.
What is the additional contribution of BARMER in 2026?
According to the GKV-Spitzenverband insurer list, it is 3.29%. On the assessment base of €855, that is €28.13 per month. The average additional contribution is 2.9%.
Until when am I covered by family insurance at BARMER?
As a student, until your 25th birthday, if your total income in 2026 is no more than €565 per month, or €603 for a mini-job. After that, student insurance usually follows.
What does BARMER cost at 30?
After student insurance ends, the voluntary minimum contribution in 2026 is €283.31 per month for childless members and €275.40 with a child, each including long-term care insurance. Higher income increases the contribution.
Can I stay with BARMER as a working student?
Yes. Up to 20 hours per week during lecture periods, student insurance continues. If you work more on a permanent basis, compulsory employee insurance may apply.
When can I leave BARMER again?
Generally after twelve months of commitment. If the additional contribution rises, you can leave earlier with the special right of termination.
Sources
- GKV-Spitzenverband, insurer list (BARMER additional contribution, status 24.10.2026)
- BARMER, Health insurance during studies: overview (last updated 28.09.2026)
- BARMER, BARMER Bonus (last updated 07.09.2026)
- § 175 SGB V, exercise of the right to choose
- § 5 SGB V, compulsory insurance, § 10 SGB V, family insurance, § 236 SGB V, contribution assessment
- GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on the 2026 calculation figures
If you want to classify your situation, you can use the Academycon online check.
Related guides
- Health insurance for students: all insurers at a glance (in German)
- Additional contributions 2026 for all health insurers and what students pay (in German)
- Switching health insurance as a student: deadlines, process and special right of termination (in German)
- Studying at 30: opportunities, funding and everyday life (in German)
- DAK-Gesundheit for students: contribution 2026, over 30 and benefits (in German)
- Techniker Krankenkasse for students: contribution 2026, over 30 and benefits (in German)
- Working student: 20-hour rule, pension insurance and semester breaks (in German)
- Family insurance during studies (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
