A deadline calendar for winter semester 2026/27 collects the dates students should keep in view for health insurance, funding, side jobs and tax. Every date comes with its status, source and the date the source was checked. Items that are not yet decided are marked “planned” or “estimate”.
Quick answer
There is no single deadline for winter semester 2026/27, but several fixed dates matter. These include the announcement of the 2027 supplementary contribution by 1 November 2026, new limits for mini-jobs and the minimum wage from 1 January 2027, and the special right to terminate your health fund until 31 January 2027 if it raises its rate. The table gives each date with source, status and the date checked.
Which dates apply from winter semester 2026/27?
The table is in date order. “Official” means current law or an official publication. “Calculated” means the figure is derived from an official value. “Planned” and “estimate” mark figures that are not yet binding.
| Date | Deadline or event | Status | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov 2026 (Sunday) | The Federal Ministry of Health announces the average supplementary contribution rate for 2027, due by this date. The estimate of the statutory health insurance forecast panel (14 October 2026) is 2.9 per cent. | Estimate, official setting pending | Federal Social Security Office, forecast panel (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 1 Jan 2027 | The minimum wage rises to €14.60 per hour. The mini-job limit rises to €633 per month (2026 €603). | Official | Minijob-Zentrale, mini-job limit 2027 (in German) and BMAS, minimum wage adjustment (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 1 Jan 2027 | Family insurance. The total income limit is calculated at €590 per month (2026 €565). Family-insured people with only a mini-job may earn €633 (2026 €603). | Calculated (draft), mini-job figure official | Section 10 SGB V (in German) and BMAS, 2027 ordinance (draft, in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 1 Jan 2027 | Child benefit rises to €267 per child and month in the government draft (2026 €259). | Planned, not adopted | Federal Government, income tax reform 2027 (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 31 Jan 2027 | Special right to change health fund. If your fund raises its supplementary contribution on 1 January 2027, you can terminate until the end of the month from which the contribution rises. The 12-month commitment period then does not apply. | Official (only if your fund raises its rate) | Section 175(4) SGB V (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 1 Apr 2027 | Interest rate adjustment for the KfW student loan (currently 6.38 per cent effective) and the education loan (currently 4.09 per cent effective). Both are adjusted twice a year on 1 April and 1 October. | Official (next adjustment, new figures pending) | KfW student loan FAQ (in German) and Federal Office of Administration, education loan interest (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 1 Apr 2027 | BAföG reform, Article 1. The housing allowance for students living away from home is to rise from €380 to €440. The draft is not adopted. The first reading in the Bundestag was on 15 October 2026. | Planned | Bundestag, printed paper 21/8405 (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 1 Aug 2027 | BAföG reform, Article 2. The basic requirement for students is to rise to €503. The Bundestag and the ministry refer to winter semester 2027/28. | Planned | Bundestag, printed paper 21/8405 (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 2 Aug 2027 (Monday) | Deadline for the 2026 income tax return without a tax adviser. The standard date, 31 July 2027, is a Saturday, so the deadline moves to the next working day. | Official | Section 149 AO (in German) and Section 108 AO (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 1 Oct 2027 | Scenario that applies only if the BAföG reform is adopted. The assessment basis for student health insurance would rise from €855 to €943. | Planned (draft), scenario | Bundestag, printed paper 21/8405 (in German) and Section 236 SGB V (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 29 Feb 2028 (Tuesday) | Deadline for the 2026 income tax return with a tax adviser. | Official | Section 149 AO (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
Your university sets when the semester starts and ends. The start of lectures and the re-enrolment deadline are in its regulations. The guide Re-enrolment and semester fee (in German) explains the process.
Which deadlines depend on your own date?
Some deadlines do not fall on a calendar day but start with an event in your studies. They belong in no fixed calendar, so note them yourself.
| Trigger | Deadline | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start of compulsory student health insurance | You apply for exemption within 3 months of the start of compulsory insurance. The application cannot be withdrawn and only works with proof of other cover. | Section 8 SGB V (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Choosing a health fund | You are bound to your chosen fund for 12 months. Termination takes effect at the end of the second calendar month after the month of notice. | Section 175(4) SGB V (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Your 30th birthday | Compulsory student health insurance generally ends with the semester in which you turn 30. Grounds for an extension are narrow. | Section 5(1) no. 9 SGB V (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
| End of a training stage | For child benefit, a gap of up to four months between two training stages, such as school and university, is allowed. | Section 32(4) EStG (in German) | 20 Oct 2026 |
The former limit of 14 subject semesters for student health insurance has not applied since 2020. The age limit of 30 is what counts.
How much does a supplementary contribution increase cost?
You can calculate the effect for student health insurance because the assessment basis is fixed at €855 per month (2026 figures).
- Extra amount per month for 0.3 percentage points more. €855.00 times 0.3 per cent is €2.565, rounded €2.57.
- Extra amount per year. €2.565 times 12 is €30.78.
- Whether a change pays off also depends on your fund’s benefits. The guide Supplementary contribution 2027 (in German) puts this in context.
What to do now
- Note 1 November 2026 and read the Ministry of Health announcement on the 2027 average supplementary contribution afterwards.
- Watch for letters from your health fund in November and December. Check whether it raises the supplementary contribution on 1 January 2027.
- If it does, note 31 January 2027 as the last day for the special termination and read Changing health fund as a student (in German) beforehand.
- If you work alongside your studies, compare your earnings from January with the mini-job limit of €633. The guide Mini-job limit 2027 for students (in German) shows the effects.
- Note the filing deadline for the 2026 tax return (2 August 2027 without a tax adviser) if you want or need to file.
- Treat the BAföG reform drafts as a planning status and do not rely on planned amounts. The guide BAföG reform 2027 (in German) summarises the status.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fixed date for changing health fund?
No. You are bound to your fund for 12 months and then terminate at the end of the second calendar month after the notice. If the supplementary contribution rises, the 12-month commitment does not apply. You must terminate by the end of the month from which the contribution rises.
Is the 2027 supplementary contribution already fixed?
No. The forecast panel expects 2.9 per cent on average, and the official setting by the Ministry of Health is announced for 1 November 2026. Individual funds deviate from the average.
Does the BAföG reform already apply in winter semester 2026/27?
No. The 30th BAföG Amendment Act is a government draft. The current rates apply until it is promulgated. The draft names 1 April 2027 and 1 August 2027 as dates.
Why does the calendar give no semester dates?
Because start, end and re-enrolment deadline differ by university and cannot be sourced uniformly. You find your university’s dates in its regulations and in the student portal.
How to cite this page
If you quote from this page, please give the date and the retrieval date. The figures change with the annual limits.
- APA: Academycon GmbH (2026, October). Deadline calendar winter semester 2026/27. Academycon. Retrieved (date), from https://academycon.de/en/ratgeber/deadline-calendar-winter-semester-2026-27/
- In text: Academycon GmbH (2026), Deadline calendar winter semester 2026/27, as of 10/2026, https://academycon.de/en/ratgeber/deadline-calendar-winter-semester-2026-27/, retrieved (date).
- Link: Deadline calendar winter semester 2026/27 (Academycon, October 2026)
Please check quoted figures against the primary source named in the table.
Sources and review
- Social Code Book V, sections 5, 8, 10, 175 and 236, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German), retrieved on 20 October 2026.
- Fiscal Code, sections 108 and 149, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German), retrieved on 20 October 2026.
- Forecast panel, Minijob-Zentrale, Federal Government, Bundestag, KfW and Federal Office of Administration as linked in the table, each retrieved on 20 October 2026.
- Figures marked planned, draft or estimate are not yet binding and are updated once they are officially set.
Information, not individual advice. If you want to talk through your situation, the online check helps with a first assessment.
Related reading
- Supplementary contribution 2027 for students (in German)
- BAföG reform 2027 (in German)
- Student health insurance 2026 in figures (in German)
- Re-enrolment and semester fee (in German)
- Student finance in figures 2026/27 (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
