If you come to Germany on an Erasmus exchange from another EU or EEA state or from Switzerland, you usually remain insured in your home system. You do not need German student insurance for the exchange period, provided your home insurance stays in force and your life is still centred there. Your university may ask for a confirmation from your home fund, and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers medically necessary care during your stay.
Key facts
| Key fact | Stand |
|---|---|
| For an exchange semester, home cover usually applies, and no German student insurance is needed (Stand 20.10.2026). | 20.10.2026 |
| The EHIC covers medically necessary care under the conditions for insured persons in Germany, but not repatriation. | 20.10.2026 |
| Your life centre moving to Germany changes the picture, for example through self-financing, marriage, children or a long-term stay. | 20.10.2026 |
Do Erasmus students need German health insurance?
For a standard exchange semester or year, no. Your home statutory fund or home private insurer stays responsible. Some universities still want a German fund to confirm your status, which is a formal step rather than a new contract. If you are unsure whether your home cover counts as compulsory insurance in your country, ask your home fund for a written confirmation that you are insured during the stay.
What does the EHIC cover in Germany?
The EHIC gives you access to medically necessary care under the conditions that apply to insured persons in Germany. It is designed mainly for unexpected illness and accidents. Some planned treatment, such as pregnancy checks, can be harder to arrange with it. It does not cover the cost of bringing you home to your country, which is why many students add a separate private repatriation cover. That supplement is a personal decision, not a legal duty for exchange students.
| Situation | Insurance that applies | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange semester or year, EU or EEA, insured at home | Home insurance with EHIC | Get a confirmation from your home fund |
| Exchange student from Switzerland | Home insurance under the agreement, EHIC or Swiss card | Check with your fund which card the university accepts |
| Life centre moves to Germany | German statutory insurance from enrolment | Apply for membership with a German fund |
| Exchange student from outside the EU | Different rules, see the article on international students | Check the visa proof and the exemption rules |
When do you have to join German insurance?
You must join a German fund if you stop being insured at home, or if your life centre moves to Germany. A move of this kind can follow from self-financing your studies, from marriage, from having children, from receiving German student funding, or from planning a long-term stay. In such a case the normal student insurance applies from enrolment, and the rules of the article on international students apply. For the detailed exemption procedure, see Health insurance for international students (in German: Krankenversicherung für internationale Studierende).
How do you get the confirmation for your university?
- Ask your home fund or insurer for a written confirmation of your cover for the study period.
- Ask your German university which form it needs, and whether it accepts the EHIC or wants a German fund’s confirmation.
- If the university asks for a German fund’s confirmation, contact a German fund that deals with exchange students and ask for it in writing.
- Carry the EHIC or your insurance card during the stay, and keep a copy of the confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Do Erasmus students need German health insurance?
Usually not for an exchange period. Your home insurance normally continues, and your university may only need a confirmation of it.
What does the EHIC cover in Germany?
Medically necessary care under the conditions for insured persons in Germany. It does not cover repatriation.
When do I have to join German statutory insurance?
When you lose your home insurance or your life centre moves to Germany, for example through self-financing, marriage, children or a long-term stay.
Do I need an extra insurance for repatriation?
Not as a legal duty for an exchange period, but the EHIC does not pay for the return home. Many students add a separate repatriation cover for that reason.
Check your situation with the online check: Online check for your situation.
Sources and review
- Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems, EUR-Lex.
- Krankenkassen-Information für Studierende aus der EU (EHIC and home insurance), krankenkassen.de, retrieved 20.10.2026.
- § 5 Abs. 7 SGB V (precedence of other compulsory cover), gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20.10.2026.
Related guides
- Health insurance for students in Germany
- German Health Insurance Terms for Newcomers
- Health Insurance for International Students in Germany
- Student Health Insurance Costs by Age in Germany
Information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative. Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.
