Health insurance for a master’s degree after working years often changes the type of cover, and that is where most mistakes happen. If you return to university from work, your cover through the employer ends with the employment relationship, so you need a suitable solution before the master begins.
Short answer: Membership from employment ends on the last day of the employment relationship (§ 190 para. 2 SGB V, last updated October 2026). Student health insurance starts at the earliest with enrolment, from the semester on. The gap in between must be covered by voluntary membership, family insurance or private insurance.
The most important points
- While you are in compulsory employment, you are covered by that employment. Student health insurance is then excluded (§ 5 para. 7 SGB V).
- Membership ends with the end of employment. That is the point where you need a solution.
- Student health insurance applies until the end of the semester in which you turn 30 (§ 5 para. 1 no. 9 SGB V).
- For voluntary membership you have three months to apply, provided the conditions are met (§ 9 para. 2 SGB V).
- Family insurance for students ends at age 25, unless an exception applies (§ 10 SGB V).
The end of employment as the key date
Cover through your employer ends on the day the employment relationship for pay ends (§ 190 para. 2 SGB V). If your contract ends in September and the master starts in October, a gap arises on paper. Plan the key date together with the start of the semester and the notice date, not separately.
A termination agreement or a notice with a set period can shift the date. Ask for the last working day in writing, because it determines when the fund ends your membership.
Which cover fits the gap
The table shows the usual options. The figures refer to the status of October 2026.
| Option | Requirements | What you need to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntary membership in the GKV | Former compulsory members with sufficient prior insurance periods, application within three months (§ 9 SGB V) | Contributions depend on income. Minimum contribution for 2026 calculated at 222.80 euros per month (health insurance) |
| Family insurance | Suitable age and training, parents insured under statutory insurance (§ 10 SGB V) | For students the age limit is 25. Older master’s students usually do not qualify |
| Student health insurance | Enrolment and no other compulsory insurance (§ 5 para. 7 SGB V) | Contribution 2026 calculated at 87.38 euros per month plus additional contribution |
| Private health insurance | Health check and acceptance by the insurer | Premium depends on tariff and age. Decide with a long-term view |
The figures for student insurance and voluntary membership are calculation parameters. They help you classify your situation, but they do not replace a statement from your fund for your own case.
Worked example: student health insurance in 2026
Assumption: The contribution base for students who do not live with their parents is 855 euros per month. The contribution rate is 10.22 percent, which is seven tenths of the general rate of 14.6 percent. The average additional contribution is 2.9 percent. Then 855 × 10.22 percent gives 87.38 euros, plus 855 × 2.9 percent = 24.80 euros additional contribution, a total of 112.18 euros per month for health insurance. Your actual additional contribution is stated on your fund’s notice.
The calculation shows why a period without cover can get expensive if you find no other solution. If you want to check the amounts for your case, ask your fund for the figures.
Master’s alongside work: when you stay compulsorily insured
If you keep working during the master, you stay covered through the employment or fall under student health insurance. What matters is the scope and nature of the work. For working students, the working-student privilege applies: up to 20 hours a week, students are exempt from compulsory health, long-term care and unemployment insurance. Evening, night and weekend work can exceed 20 hours if the studies predominate.
Several jobs are added together. Whether semester breaks are treated differently depends on duration and scope. The joint circular from 2016 describes the distinction, although the administrative practice may have been updated since. Have your situation checked by your fund before you sign a contract.
For a fuller overview of working-hour limits and working students, read PKV for working students (in German). The English overview of the 20-hour rule is in Student Job 20-Hour Rule, Pension and Semester Breaks.
Keeping the age limit of 30 in view
Compulsory student insurance ends at the latest with the end of the semester in which you turn 30 (§ 5 para. 1 no. 9 SGB V). If you start your master after several years of work, check this date early, because other rules apply afterwards. Which options then exist depends on your personal situation and cannot be stated in general terms.
A second degree also has its own features for insurance and contributions. For the differences between a first degree and a master after work, see PKV and a second degree (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Am I automatically in student health insurance during the master?
Not automatically. Enrolment starts student health insurance only if you are not already compulsorily or family insured (§ 5 para. 7 SGB V). Check this with your fund before the semester starts.
What happens if I enrol later?
Then a gap arises. Membership from your job ends with the day employment ends. You must notify voluntary membership within three months if the conditions are met (§ 9 SGB V). So plan early.
Can I stay on family insurance?
Only if you meet the conditions. For students the age limit is 25 (§ 10 SGB V). Older master’s students therefore usually fall outside it and need their own solution.
Do I have to tell my employer about the enrolment?
An employment contract with hours and pay determines which cover applies. Keep the employment contract, pay slips and the enrolment confirmation so the fund can check any changes. A notice to the employer is a separate matter.
What does student health insurance cost in 2026?
According to the GKV-Spitzenverband, the contribution for students’ health insurance in 2026 was calculated at 87.38 euros per month, plus the fund’s additional contribution (contribution base 855 euros, status 1 January 2026). The average additional contribution of 2.9 percent adds a calculated 24.80 euros.
What to do next
- Ask your fund which cover applies after your employment ends.
- Line up the end date of your employment and the start of the semester before you give notice.
- If the conditions are met, apply for voluntary membership within three months.
- Check your side jobs against the 20-hour limit before the semester starts, so the type of cover is right.
Related articles
- Private Health Insurance for Working Students in Germany
- Student Family Insurance 2026: Income Limits and Age
- Student Job 20-Hour Rule, Pension and Semester Breaks
- Dentist in PKV: Dentures, Prevention, Orthodontics
- Health insurance after deregistration and re-enrolment (in German)
Sources: Social Code Book V (SGB V), § 5 (compulsory insurance), gesetze-im-internet.de, last updated October 2026; Social Code Book V (SGB V), § 190 (end of membership), gesetze-im-internet.de, last updated October 2026; Social Code Book V (SGB V), § 10 (family insurance), gesetze-im-internet.de, last updated October 2026; GKV-Spitzenverband, calculation parameters for contributions, status 1 January 2026; Joint circular on employed students (2016), tk.de
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
