Health insurance during military service is one of the first practical questions when a stint in the Bundeswehr comes closer. What matters is whether you stay insured with your health fund, who pays the contributions, and what applies to family insurance or private contracts. This guide answers that for the new voluntary military service and separates volunteers from soldiers on fixed terms.
Short answer: In voluntary military service you stay insured with your health fund and, according to Techniker Krankenkasse (page as of 13 January 2026), the federal government pays the contributions. Soldiers on fixed terms (Soldaten auf Zeit) generally do not need statutory cover because the state provides care (Section 30(1) Soldiers Act). Long-term care insurance contributions continue. Last updated: November 2026.
Key points
- An existing membership in statutory health insurance is not lost through military service (Section 193(2) SGB V).
- In voluntary service the federal government pays the contributions according to TK, including for family insurance.
- Soldiers on fixed terms receive free medical care from the armed forces as a benefit in kind (Section 30(1) Soldiers Act) and pay only their long-term care insurance contribution.
- The family insurance age limit of 25 is extended by the length of voluntary military service (Section 10(2) SGB V).
- Private contracts follow the insurer’s terms. Ask about suspension or an expectancy cover before your service starts.
Am I still health insured during military service?
Yes, cover does not break off. Section 193 SGB V governs the continuation of membership during military and civilian service. Employees who keep receiving pay under the Employment Protection Act are treated as not interrupted in their employment (paragraph 1). Compulsorily insured people without that entitlement, and voluntary members, do not lose their membership through military service (paragraph 2). Compulsory membership also continues where the obligation to insure ends on the day before service starts, or where only a weekend or public holiday lies in between.
For the new service, TK describes the practice like this: you stay insured with your fund and pay no contributions, because the federal government covers them. According to its page, this also applies to family insurance. The page does not mention a dormant membership. You must tell your fund about your decision to serve, at TK through a form in the online mailbox or by post. The fund contacts you when the service ends.
Who pays the contributions during military service?
That depends on your status. The Bundeswehr distinguishes volunteers serving six to eleven months from soldiers on fixed terms serving twelve months or more. The overview summarises what the sources say about health insurance.
| Status | Health insurance | Contributions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voluntary service (6 to 11 months) | You stay insured with your fund | The federal government pays the contributions, also for family insurance | TK, as of 13 Jan 2026 |
| Soldier on a fixed term (12 months or more) | Statutory cover generally not needed | You pay only the long-term care contribution | TK, as of 13 Jan 2026; Section 30 Soldiers Act |
| Existing compulsory or voluntary membership | Membership continues | Ask your fund for your individual case | Section 193(2) SGB V |
| Private health insurance | Contract terms apply | Ask the insurer | Contract |
Your status depends on the length of service you agree with the Bundeswehr. How long the new service lasts is explained in Military service length.
What does free medical care by the armed forces mean?
Section 30(1) of the Soldiers Act gives soldiers a claim to pay and benefits in kind, care, and travel and relocation costs. Free medical care by the armed forces (unentgeltliche truppenärztliche Versorgung) counts among the benefits in kind. During service you are therefore treated by the armed forces without paying a contribution to a fund. The law continues social health insurance for family members elsewhere. The Soldiers Act itself does not say how the care relates in detail to statutory health insurance. The Bundeswehr and your fund clarify that in individual cases.
What applies to students who go into service?
If you are compulsorily insured as a student, you keep your membership under Section 193(2) SGB V. During service the federal government bears the contributions if you serve as a volunteer. Whether your semester fee, enrolment and proof of insurance towards the university continue depends on whether you take a leave of absence. Gap Year Health Insurance explains the basics of time away from study. General obligations during your studies are described in Health insurance for students (in German).
If you are covered through your parents, the age limit of 25 is extended by the length of voluntary military service under Section 58b of the Soldiers Act (Section 10(2) SGB V). The other conditions, above all the income limits, remain. Details are in Student Family Insurance: Until When Are You Covered?.
What applies to private health insurance?
Private contracts are governed by contract law, not by Section 193 SGB V. The sources on military service describe only statutory insurance. Ask your insurer in writing before service starts whether the contract can be suspended, which expectancy cover is possible and what the ongoing amount would be. On expectancy cover in private contracts see Private Health Insurance Expectancy for Students. If you want a personal assessment, Academycon explains its approach under So arbeiten wir (in German).
For statutory insurance TK points to two options: voluntary continued insurance, which can make sense, for example, when children are to be insured at no charge, and the expectancy cover (Anwartschaft), where you pay a small monthly amount, receive no benefits and keep the right to return later. Both are a trade-off for your own case.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to tell my health fund about military service?
Yes. TK requires notification as soon as you have decided to serve. The same applies in principle to any fund, so ask for the form and deadline. Without notification, questions about contribution notices and proofs can arise.
Do I keep paying contributions during military service?
In voluntary service the federal government pays the contributions according to TK. Soldiers on fixed terms pay only the long-term care contribution. Other contributions, for example for additional private contracts, continue under your contract.
What about the health insurance of my children or partner?
According to TK, family insurance continues in voluntary service. For soldiers on fixed terms the law provides for continuing social health insurance for family members (Section 30(1) Soldiers Act). You clarify the exact conditions with your fund.
Does this also apply to studies after the service?
After the service your fund contacts you. If you continue your degree, you check with it how insurance as a student continues.
What to do now
- Clarify whether you will be a volunteer (six to eleven months) or a soldier on a fixed term (twelve months or more).
- Report the service to your health fund, or to your insurer if you are privately insured.
- Ask whether family insurance, additional contracts and contribution notices continue.
- Decide with your university whether to take a leave of absence.
- Plan your re-registration after the service and keep your documents ready.
Related guides
- Military service and studies 2026: the overview
- Military service pay: what volunteers earn
- Military service and BAföG
- Voluntary Service Child Benefit and Health Insurance
- Student Family Insurance 2026: Income Limits and Age
Sources: Section 193 SGB V, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German); Section 30 Soldiers Act, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German); Health insurance during voluntary military service, Techniker Krankenkasse, page as of 13 January 2026 (in German); Section 10 SGB V, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German); Questions and answers on the new military service, Federal Government, 5 December 2025 (in German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
