Knappschaft student health insurance costs 124.15 € a month for health insurance in 2026. With long-term care insurance, the total is 154.93 € if you are under 23 or have a child, and 160.06 € if you are childless and 23 or older. The additional contribution rate is 4.30 %. Student coverage ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30. After that, the voluntary minimum contribution without a child is 296.62 € a month.
Knappschaft is open nationwide. Students from all federal states can be accepted, provided the requirements of student insurance are met.
Short answer: the key facts about Knappschaft
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Additional contribution 2026 | 4.30 % |
| Opening | Open nationwide, Knappschaft |
| Student insurance under 23 (health and long-term care) | 154.93 € a month |
| Student insurance from 23, childless (health and long-term care) | 160.06 € a month |
| Voluntary minimum contribution from 30, childless | 296.62 € a month |
| Voluntary minimum contribution from 30, with child | 288.71 € a month |
| Source and date | Additional contribution from the GKV-Spitzenverband health insurance list, as of 24 Oct 2026. Contributions are our own calculation. |
These amounts apply to compulsory insurance as a student. The additional contribution depends on the insurer and can change. The rate that Knappschaft itself states applies.
What does Knappschaft cost as a student?
Knappschaft does not offer a separate student tariff. Instead, students pay the statutory student health insurance (KVdS), calculated with a fixed formula. The assessment base is 855 € a month. The contribution is calculated as follows:
- Assessment base: 855.00 € a month.
- Basic contribution: 10.22 % of 855.00 € is 87.38 €.
- Additional contribution of Knappschaft: 4.30 % of 855.00 € is 36.77 €.
- Health insurance: 87.38 € plus 36.77 € is 124.15 €.
- Long-term care insurance: 30.78 € (3.6 %) if you are under 23 or have a child, 35.91 € (4.2 %) if you are childless and 23 or older.
- Total: 154.93 € under 23 or with a child, 160.06 € childless from 23.
How the additional contribution of Knappschaft compares with other insurers is shown in the table of Additional contributions 2026 for all health insurers (in German). One percentage point of additional contribution equals 8.55 € a month for students.
What applies with Knappschaft from 25 and from 30?
Family insurance ends at 25
Until your 25th birthday you can be insured as a family member through a parent who is a member of a statutory health insurer, as long as your total income in 2026 does not exceed 565 € a month, or 603 € for a mini-job (section 10 SGB V). The age limit can only be extended by periods of statutory or voluntary service, not by periods of study. From your 23rd birthday, the childless surcharge for long-term care insurance applies, which is 5.13 € more a month. More on this in the glossary entry Family insurance during studies (in German).
Student insurance ends at 30
Compulsory student insurance ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30 (section 5 para. 1 no. 9 SGB V). There has been no maximum number of semesters since 2020, so the age limit is what counts. An extension is possible if the type of training or personal reasons justify it. The insurer decides this on a case-by-case basis. Details are in Health insurance as a student over 30 and Studying at 30 (both in German).
If student insurance ends, you usually stay with Knappschaft as a voluntary member, unless you can prove other coverage. A minimum assessment base then applies. The 2026 minimum contribution is calculated as follows:
- Minimum assessment base: the 2026 reference income of 3,955.00 € divided by 3 is 1,318.33 € a month.
- Health insurance: reduced rate of 14.0 % plus additional contribution of 4.30 % is 18.30 %, which is 241.25 €.
- Long-term care insurance: 47.46 € (3.6 %) with a child, 55.37 € (4.2 %) childless.
- Total: 288.71 € with a child, 296.62 € childless.
The minimum contribution assumes low income. With higher income, the contribution is based on actual income up to the contribution assessment ceiling of 5,812.50 € a month. The contribution for an individual case depends on the income at the time of calculation.
What applies to working students and mini-jobbers at Knappschaft?
A working student job or mini-job usually does not change your insurance as long as studying remains the priority. Weekly hours and earnings are what count.
| Situation | Effect on health insurance |
|---|---|
| Working student up to 20 hours a week | No health and long-term care contributions are due from the job, and student insurance continues. |
| Work consistently over 20 hours | The working student privilege ends and compulsory insurance as an employee may apply. It takes precedence over student insurance. |
| Mini-job up to 603 € a month | Student insurance continues. For family insurance, the limit for mini-jobbers of 603 € applies instead of 565 €. |
The details are described in Working student: the 20-hour rule, pension insurance and semester breaks (in German).
Which additional services and bonus programmes does Knappschaft list for young members?
The offers of Knappschaft are listed at knappschaft.de. We could not retrieve them as of 25 Oct 2026, so we do not state any details here.
How do you switch to Knappschaft?
You apply to Knappschaft, and it notifies your previous insurer of the change. The deadlines are set by section 175 SGB V:
- Right of choice: as a student you can choose your health insurer freely. You must make the choice within the statutory deadline after compulsory insurance begins.
- Application: submit the application to Knappschaft. The notification replaces the termination with your previous insurer.
- Notice period: membership ends at the end of the second calendar month after notice is given. Notice given in January takes effect on 1 April.
- Binding period: you are generally bound to the new insurer for twelve months.
- Special right of termination: if your insurer raises its additional contribution, a special right of termination applies. The details are described in the guide on switching insurers (in German).
The guide Switching health insurance as a student: deadlines, process and special right of termination (in German) covers this in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Does Knappschaft have a student tariff?
No. Knappschaft offers the statutory student health insurance. The contribution follows the statutory formula and in 2026, with the additional contribution of 4.30 %, is 124.15 € a month for health insurance.
What is the additional contribution of Knappschaft in 2026?
According to the GKV-Spitzenverband health insurance list, it is 4.30 %. Applied to the assessment base of 855 €, that is 36.77 € a month.
Until when am I covered as a family member at Knappschaft?
As a student, until your 25th birthday, if your total income in 2026 is at most 565 € a month, or 603 € for a mini-job. After that, student insurance usually applies.
What does Knappschaft cost from 30?
After student insurance ends, the 2026 voluntary minimum contribution is 296.62 € a month for childless members and 288.71 € with a child, both including long-term care insurance. Higher income increases the contribution.
Can I stay with Knappschaft as a working student?
Yes, as long as you work up to 20 hours a week. If you work consistently more, compulsory insurance as an employee may apply.
When can I leave Knappschaft again?
In principle after twelve months of binding. If the additional contribution rises, the special right of termination applies earlier.
Sources
- GKV-Spitzenverband, health insurance list (additional contribution of Knappschaft, as of 24 Oct 2026)
- Knappschaft, health insurance for students (retrieved 25 Oct 2026, the page did not state any amounts, the figures in this article come from the health insurance list and our calculation)
- Section 175 SGB V, exercise of the right of choice, section 5 SGB V, compulsory insurance, section 10 SGB V, family insurance
If you want to classify your own situation, you can use the online check from Academycon.
Related articles
- Health insurers for students: an overview of all insurers (in German)
- Additional contributions 2026 for all health insurers (in German)
- Switching health insurance as a student (in German)
- Studying at 30: options, funding and daily life (in German)
- Working student: the 20-hour rule, pension insurance and semester breaks (in German)
- Family insurance during studies (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This article provides general information and does not replace individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
