Health insurance for a PhD without a job in Germany depends on two questions: whether you are enrolled at your university and how old you are. This guide explains when student health insurance (Krankenversicherung der Studierenden, KVdS) ends, what applies from your 30th birthday, and which options follow.
Short answer: If you pursue a PhD without a job and are enrolled at a university, you are usually insured through student health insurance (KVdS). This obligation ends when the semester ends in which you turn 30. After that, for example, voluntary statutory health insurance is an option, with a minimum premium of 270.26 euros per month in 2026 (last updated October 2026, calculation based on the average supplementary contribution of 2.9 percent).
The most important points at a glance
- KVdS requires that you are enrolled as a student at a state or state-recognised university.
- The obligation ends when the semester ends in which you complete your 30th year of life.
- KVdS contributions do not depend on your income. They are based on a statutory assessment base of 855 euros per month (2026).
- After the end, voluntary statutory insurance, family insurance or a job with mandatory insurance are the main options.
- Voluntary insurance is considerably more expensive than KVdS because a minimum contribution applies.
- Joining voluntary insurance must be reported within three months.
Am I insured through my university as a PhD candidate?
KVdS applies to students at state or state-recognised universities (§ 5 para. 1 no. 9 SGB V). Whether you fall under it as a PhD candidate depends on your enrolment, not on the description of your activity. Your proof is the enrolment certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung). The health insurance fund checks whether the conditions are met. Without enrolment, KVdS does not apply, and you need other cover, for example through a job or voluntary insurance.
What does KVdS cost in 2026?
For students who do not live with their parents, the assessment base is 855 euros per month. It consists of 475 euros basic need and 380 euros housing allowance under the BAföG student finance rules (§ 236 SGB V). The health insurance contribution is 10.22 percent, which is seven tenths of the general rate of 14.6 percent (§ 245 SGB V). The supplementary contribution comes on top and depends on your fund. The table shows a calculation example using the 2026 average.
| Component (example) | Amount per month | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance without supplementary contribution | 87.38 euros | 855 euros times 10.22 percent |
| Supplementary contribution (2026 average: 2.9 percent) | 24.80 euros | 855 euros times 2.9 percent |
| Long-term care insurance without childless surcharge | 30.78 euros | 855 euros times 3.6 percent |
| Long-term care insurance with childless surcharge (from 23, no children) | 35.91 euros | 855 euros times 4.2 percent |
Under 23 without children, the total for health and long-term care insurance is 142.96 euros per month. From 23 without children, it is 148.09 euros. Your actual total differs if your fund charges another supplementary contribution.
What applies from your 30th birthday?
Compulsory insurance as a student only applies up to the completion of the 30th year of life (§ 5 para. 1 no. 9 SGB V). Under § 190 para. 9 SGB V, membership ends when the semester ends in which you complete your 30th year. What matters is therefore the semester, not the day of your birthday. Plan your cover for the time afterwards early.
Anyone who remains in voluntary statutory insurance pays at least on a minimum assessment base. This equals one third of the monthly reference income of 3,955 euros (2026). The model calculation for 2026 looks like this:
| Component (voluntary members, 2026) | Amount per month |
|---|---|
| Health insurance: 14.0 percent (reduced rate) plus 2.9 percent supplementary contribution on 1,318.33 euros | 222.80 euros |
| Long-term care insurance without childless surcharge: 3.6 percent of 1,318.33 euros | 47.46 euros |
| Total without childless surcharge | 270.26 euros |
| Total with childless surcharge (from 23, no children) | 278.17 euros |
These figures are a model calculation with the average supplementary contribution (assumption). If your income is above the minimum assessment base, the contribution rises accordingly, up to the contribution assessment ceiling of 5,812.50 euros per month (2026). Source: GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on 2026 calculation values (in German).
Which cover is possible after the 30th birthday?
- Family insurance: possible if your partner is a member of a statutory health fund and your total income in 2026 does not exceed 565 euros per month (§ 10 SGB V).
- Voluntary statutory insurance: possible if, as a former compulsory member, you meet the required prior insurance period. Joining must be reported within three months (§ 9 para. 1 no. 1 and para. 2 SGB V).
- A job with earnings: usually leads to compulsory insurance as an employee (§ 5 para. 1 no. 1 SGB V). KVdS then ends.
- Compulsory insurance without other cover: if you have no other health cover and were last statutorily insured, you may be compulsorily insured under § 5 para. 1 no. 13 SGB V. The health fund checks this.
- Private health insurance: possible, but with a health check and its own tariff rules. Whether it suits your situation depends on age, health and tariff. Academycon offers a personal assessment within a consultation, see So arbeiten wir (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be insured at all?
Yes. Anyone with residence in Germany must insure themselves against medical costs, unless they are statutorily insured or compulsorily insured (§ 193 para. 3 VVG). If a private contract is concluded more than one month after the obligation arises, a premium surcharge applies (§ 193 para. 4 VVG).
What changes if I am deregistered before my 30th birthday?
Then KVdS ends when the semester ends in which you are deregistered (§ 190 para. 9 SGB V). The options for cover afterwards are the same as above. Before deregistration, it is worth asking whether leave of absence (Beurlaubung) is possible and what it means for your insurance.
Can I be covered by my partner’s insurance?
This is possible if the conditions of § 10 SGB V are met. Your partner must be statutorily insured, and your total income must not exceed 565 euros per month (2026). Marginal employment has a special rule up to 603 euros. Whether income from a scholarship counts is decided by the health fund in each case.
Do I always pay the minimum contribution in voluntary insurance?
No. The minimum contribution is the lower limit. If your contribution-relevant income is higher, you pay accordingly, up to the contribution assessment ceiling. Your actual income and the rules of your health fund decide the amount in each case.
Does a scholarship change anything about my insurance?
The rules in this guide apply to insurance as a student and to statutory membership. How a scholarship is treated depends on the type of funding and the health fund. Only the fund can give a binding answer, not this guide.
What to do now
- Check your date of birth and the semester in which you turn 30. This determines until when KVdS applies.
- Ask your university to confirm that your PhD runs as an enrolment, and keep your enrolment certificate.
- Clarify with your health insurance fund which cover applies afterwards and whether family insurance is an option.
- Note the three-month deadline for joining voluntary insurance as soon as the end is certain.
- If needed, get personal advice on private insurance before you submit an application.
Related reading
- Health Insurance for PhD Students in Germany
- Health Insurance for Students Over 30 in Germany
- Doing a PhD in Germany: paths, duration, funding and doctoral title (in German)
- Health insurance after university: statutory, private, family and transition
Sources: § 5 SGB V, § 9 SGB V, § 190 SGB V, § 236 SGB V (all gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed October 2026); GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on 2026 calculation values (status 1.1.2026, in German).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
