IKK student health insurance costs 124.15 € a month in 2026 for statutory health cover. With care insurance you pay 154.93 € (under 23 or with a child) or 160.06 € (23 or older, no children). The IKK additional contribution is 4.30 %. Student cover ends with the semester of your 30th birthday, after which the voluntary minimum is 296.62 € for people without children.
At a glance: IKK student health insurance facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Additional contribution 2026 | 4.30 % |
| Open to | nationwide, open to all students |
| Student insurance under 23 (health and care) | 154.93 € per month |
| Student insurance from 23, no children (health and care) | 160.06 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, no children | 296.62 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, with a child | 288.71 € per month |
| Source and date | Additional contribution from the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list, amounts calculated by us, as of 24 October 2026 |
These amounts apply to compulsory statutory student insurance. The additional contribution is set by each fund and can change. The rate that IKK itself publishes is the binding one. On its page for students, IKK states the health insurance without care at 124.15 € and the care insurance at 30.78 € or 35.91 €.
What does IKK Die Innovationskasse cost as a student?
IKK offers no freely selectable student tariff. It provides statutory student health insurance (KVdS, Krankenversicherung der Studierenden) under one formula. The contribution rests on a fixed basis of 855 € a month, which matches the BAföG needs rate, and applies whether or not you receive BAföG. The table above follows from this calculation:
- Basis: 855.00 € per month (475 € basic need plus 380 € housing allowance).
- Base contribution: 10.22 % of 855.00 € gives 87.38 €. The rate is seven tenths of the general rate of 14.6 %.
- IKK additional contribution: 4.30 % of 855.00 € gives 36.77 €.
- Health insurance: 87.38 € plus 36.77 € gives 124.15 €.
- Care insurance: 30.78 € (3.6 %) under 23 or with a child, 35.91 € (4.2 %) from 23 without children.
- Total: 154.93 € under 23 or with a child, 160.06 € from 23 without children.
The table in the guide Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen (in German) shows how the IKK rate compares with all other funds. One percentage point of additional contribution equals 8.55 € a month for students.
What applies at IKK from 25 and from 30?
Family insurance ends at 25
Until your 25th birthday you can be covered free of charge through a parent, provided the parent is a member of a statutory fund. This holds while your total income in 2026 does not exceed 565 € a month, or 603 € with a mini job (section 10 SGB V). The age limit can only be extended by periods of statutory or voluntary service, not by study time. After that you stay with IKK as a student at the amounts calculated above. From your 23rd birthday a care insurance surcharge for people without children applies, which adds 5.13 € a month. The glossary entry Familienversicherung im Studium (in German) covers free co-insurance in more detail.
Student insurance ends at 30
Compulsory student insurance ends when the semester in which you turn 30 ends (section 5(1) no. 9 SGB V). There has been no maximum number of subject semesters since 2020, so the age limit decides. An extension is possible if the type of training or personal reasons justify exceeding it, for example on the second educational path or when raising children. The fund checks this case by case and semester by semester. The guides Krankenversicherung als Student über 30 and Studieren mit 30 (both in German) give details.
Once student insurance ends, you normally stay with IKK as a voluntary member unless you prove other cover. A minimum assessment basis then applies. This is how the 2026 minimum contribution works out:
- Minimum basis: 3,955.00 € reference amount divided by 3 gives 1,318.33 € per month.
- Health insurance: reduced rate of 14.0 % plus additional contribution of 4.30 % gives 18.30 %, which is 241.25 €.
- Care insurance: 47.46 € (3.6 %) with a child, 55.37 € (4.2 %) without children.
- Total: 288.71 € with a child, 296.62 € without children.
IKK states 241.26 € as the minimum for health insurance on its page. Our calculation gives 241.25 €, and the difference of one cent is a rounding effect. The minimum applies to low income. With higher income the contribution follows that income, up to the contribution ceiling of 5,812.50 € a month.
What applies to working students and mini jobs at IKK?
A working student job or mini job usually changes nothing about your IKK cover while your studies remain the main activity. Weekly hours and earnings decide.
| Situation | Effect on health insurance |
|---|---|
| Working student up to 20 hours a week | The job triggers no health or care insurance contributions and student insurance continues. Pension insurance stays compulsory. |
| Employment regularly above 20 hours | The working student privilege lapses and compulsory insurance as an employee may arise. It takes priority over student insurance. |
| Mini job up to 603 € a month | Student insurance continues. Under family insurance, mini jobbers have a limit of 603 € instead of 565 €. |
This summary rests on the joint circular of the national associations from 2016. For borderline cases such as night work, semester breaks or several jobs, the fund decides case by case. The guide Werkstudent: 20-Stunden-Regel (in German) describes the details.
Which extra benefits does IKK list for students?
IKK lists several voluntary offers with euro amounts on its page for students. We report them here without judgement. The details come from IKK and can change.
- IK-Geld-Zurück: The page names a premium of up to 600 € a year for a healthy lifestyle. Source: IKK, student insurance, retrieved on 25 October 2026 (the page shows no update date, the contribution figures are labelled 2026).
- Professional teeth cleaning: The page names a subsidy of up to 250 € a year. Source: IKK, student insurance, retrieved on 25 October 2026 (no update date).
- Health bonus: The page names a premium of up to 300 €. Source: IKK, student insurance, retrieved on 25 October 2026 (no update date).
- GESUNA@work: The page names a bonus of 100 € for working students. Source: IKK, student insurance, retrieved on 25 October 2026 (no update date).
Which of these offers suit you depends on your situation. Current terms and amounts are set out in the IKK articles of association and on its website. The statutory benefits catalogue is largely the same at all statutory funds.
How do you switch to IKK?
You register with IKK, and IKK handles the cancellation with your previous fund. Section 175 SGB V sets the deadlines:
- Right to choose: You can choose your fund freely from the age of 15. As a student you must choose a fund no later than two weeks after compulsory insurance begins.
- Application: Apply to IKK. The new fund’s registration replaces the cancellation, and your previous fund confirms within two weeks at the latest.
- Notice period: Membership ends at the end of the second calendar month after the month of your notice. If you give notice in January, you switch on 1 April.
- Lock-in: You are generally bound to the new fund for twelve months. This does not apply if membership ends by law, for example when family insurance ends.
- Special right of termination: If your fund raises its additional contribution, you can give notice until the end of the month from which the higher rate applies. The twelve-month lock-in then does not matter. Notice only takes effect if you prove other cover.
The guide Krankenkasse wechseln als Student (in German) explains this in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Does IKK have a student tariff?
No. IKK offers statutory student health insurance. The contribution follows the legal formula and in 2026 comes to 124.15 € a month for health insurance with the 4.30 % additional contribution.
How high is the IKK additional contribution in 2026?
It is 4.30 % according to the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list. On the basis of 855 € that is 36.77 € a month. The average additional contribution is 2.9 %.
Until when am I covered by family insurance at IKK?
As a student until your 25th birthday, if your total income in 2026 does not exceed 565 € a month, or 603 € with a mini job. Student insurance normally follows.
What does IKK cost at 30?
After student insurance ends, the voluntary minimum in 2026 is 296.62 € a month without children and 288.71 € with a child, both including care insurance. With higher income the contribution rises.
Can I stay with IKK as a working student?
Yes. Up to 20 hours a week your student insurance continues. If you work regularly more, compulsory insurance as an employee may arise.
When can I leave IKK again?
Generally after a twelve-month lock-in, or earlier through the special right of termination if the additional contribution rises.
Sources
- GKV-Spitzenverband, Krankenkassenliste (IKK additional contribution, as of 24 October 2026)
- IKK, student insurance (retrieved 25 October 2026, no update date)
- Section 175 SGB V, exercise of the right to choose
- Section 5 SGB V, compulsory insurance, section 10 SGB V, family insurance, section 236 SGB V, assessment basis
- GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on 2026 reference figures
If you want to place your own situation, you can use the Academycon online check.
Related guides
- Krankenkassen für Studierende: alle Kassen im Überblick (in German)
- Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen und was Studierende zahlen (in German)
- Krankenkasse wechseln als Student: Fristen, Ablauf und Sonderkündigungsrecht (in German)
- Studieren mit 30: Chancen, Finanzierung und Alltag (in German)
- AOK für Studierende: Regionale Unterschiede, Beitrag und Aufnahme (in German)
- Barmer für Studierende: Beitrag, Aufnahme und Fakten (in German)
- Werkstudent: 20-Stunden-Regel, Rentenversicherung und Semesterferien (in German)
- Familienversicherung im Studium (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
