DAK student health insurance costs 114.74 € a month in 2026 for statutory health cover. With care insurance you pay 145.52 € (under 23 or with a child) or 150.65 € (23 or older, no children). The DAK additional contribution is 3.20 %. Student cover ends with the semester of your 30th birthday, after which the voluntary minimum is 282.12 € for people without children.
At a glance: DAK-Gesundheit facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Additional contribution 2026 | 3.20 % |
| Open to | nationwide, substitute fund (Ersatzkasse) |
| Student insurance under 23 (health and care) | 145.52 € per month |
| Student insurance from 23, no children (health and care) | 150.65 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, no children | 282.12 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, with a child | 274.21 € 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 DAK-Gesundheit itself publishes is the binding one.
What does DAK student health insurance cost?
DAK-Gesundheit 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. DAK itself shows the totals 145.52 € and 150.65 € on its page on costs for students (as of 1 October 2026).
- 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 %.
- DAK additional contribution: 3.20 % of 855.00 € gives 27.36 €.
- Health insurance: 87.38 € plus 27.36 € gives 114.74 €.
- Care insurance: 30.78 € (3.6 %) under 23 or with a child, 35.91 € (4.2 %) from 23 without children.
- Total: 145.52 € under 23 or with a child, 150.65 € from 23 without children.
The table in the guide Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen (in German) shows how the DAK rate compares with all other funds. One percentage point of additional contribution equals 8.55 € a month for students.
What applies at DAK 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 DAK 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 (in German) and Studieren mit 30 (in German) give details.
Once student insurance ends, you normally stay with DAK 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 3.20 % gives 17.2 %, which is 226.75 €.
- Care insurance: 47.46 € (3.6 %) with a child, 55.37 € (4.2 %) without children.
- Total: 274.21 € with a child, 282.12 € without children.
DAK states 274.22 € to 282.13 € on its page. 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 DAK?
A working student job or mini job usually changes nothing about your DAK 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 and bonus schemes does DAK list for young members?
DAK-Gesundheit lists several voluntary offers on its pages for students. We report them here without judgement. The details come from DAK and can change.
- DAK AktivBonus: Bonus points for check-ups, vaccinations and sport. According to DAK one point equals one euro as a cash reward, points are doubled for fitness trackers, and DAK names a subsidy of up to 500 € a year for sports equipment. Registration runs through the DAK app. Source: DAK AktivBonus (in German), page dated 16 October 2026.
- Garantietarif 90: An optional tariff with a premium of 90 € a year for a minimum term of three years. In return certain benefits such as periodontitis treatment or travel costs are excluded, otherwise a deductible of 120 € applies.
- Further details from DAK: 120 € subsidy for osteopathy, 60 € a year for professional teeth cleaning, a subsidy for travel vaccinations and an online video consultation through the DAK app. Source: DAK, Vorteile für Studierende (in German), retrieved on 25 October 2026 (the page shows no update date).
Which of these offers suit you depends on your situation. Current terms and amounts are set out in the DAK articles of association and on its website. The statutory benefits catalogue is largely the same at all statutory funds.
How do you switch to DAK-Gesundheit?
You register with DAK and DAK 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.
- Online application: Apply to DAK. 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 DAK have a student tariff?
No. DAK-Gesundheit offers statutory student health insurance. The contribution follows the legal formula and in 2026 comes to 114.74 € a month for health insurance with the 3.20 % additional contribution.
How high is the DAK additional contribution in 2026?
It is 3.20 % according to the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list. On the basis of 855 € that is 27.36 € a month. The average additional contribution is 2.9 %.
Until when am I covered by family insurance at DAK?
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 DAK cost at 30?
After student insurance ends, the voluntary minimum in 2026 is 282.12 € a month without children and 274.21 € with a child, both including care insurance. With higher income the contribution rises.
Can I stay with DAK 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 DAK 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 (DAK additional contribution, as of 24 October 2026)
- DAK-Gesundheit, costs of health insurance for students (updated 1 October 2026)
- DAK-Gesundheit, AktivBonus (updated 16 October 2026)
- DAK-Gesundheit, benefits for students (retrieved 25 October 2026)
- 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)
- Barmer und DAK 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.
