The PKV advantages for students mainly lie in the choice of tariff. You set the scope of cover and the deductible yourself, the premium depends on your age at entry, and if you submit no bills for a year, you can get back part of the annual premium. Set against this is the exemption from compulsory insurance, which you must apply for within three months of starting your studies and which cannot be revoked. Which advantages actually count for you depends on your age, your health and your career plans. An overview of costs and benefits is given in everything about PKV for students (in German).
The most important points in brief
- Student tariffs are aimed at young first-time insured persons up to the age of 30. The premium depends on the entry age.
- The tariff determines what is reimbursed. This includes the deductible, reimbursement rates and an open or closed catalogue of aids.
- A premium refund of up to around 50 per cent of an annual premium is possible if you submit no bills for a year.
- You apply for the exemption within three months of the start of compulsory insurance. It applies irrevocably for the entire course of study.
- You must answer health questions truthfully. Ongoing treatments often lead to rejection.
What are the PKV advantages for students?
The following table classifies the advantages and shows who they apply to. Each point has limits, which are set out in the sections below.
| Advantage | What lies behind it | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Choice of tariff | You set the scope of cover, the deductible and the catalogue of aids with the tariff. | Anyone who knows exactly which benefits they need |
| Premium by entry age | Student tariffs are aimed at first-time insured persons up to 30. The entry age determines the premium. | Young students in good health |
| Ageing reserve | A statutory surcharge of 10 per cent flows into the ageing reserve and dampens premiums in old age. | Anyone who stays privately insured for a long time |
| Premium refund | Anyone who submits no bills for a year can get back part of the annual premium. | Anyone who rarely uses benefits |
| Tariff change | With your own insurer, you have a right to switch to other tariffs with similar cover, and the ageing reserve is credited. | Anyone who wants to adjust their cover later |
What does statutory student insurance cost for comparison?
Statutory student insurance (KVdS) is the benchmark. The base premium is €87.38 per month, the same nationwide and independent of BAföG. Long-term care insurance and the additional contribution of your health insurer are added to it.
| Item (2026) | Under 23 or with a child | From 23, without children |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance, base premium | €87.38 | €87.38 |
| Long-term care insurance | €30.78 | €35.91 |
| Total without additional contribution | €118.16 | €123.29 |
| Additional contribution at 2.9 % on €855 | €24.80 | €24.80 |
| Total, rounded | about €143 | about €148 |
The additional contribution is set by each health insurer. The 2.9 per cent is the average rate set by the Federal Ministry of Health for 2026, but many insurers charge more than 3 per cent on average. You should always compare a PKV offer with this total and read the benefits. The discounts you receive with your student ID can also help your overall budget. More on this is in our article on benefits with student status (in German).
How much freedom of choice does PKV give with doctors and services?
In PKV, freedom of choice lies mainly in the tariff. Privately insured persons first pay the doctor’s bill and submit it to the insurer. The amount reimbursed depends on the tariff. There is no direct contractual relationship between doctor and insurer.
The doctor bills according to the German scale of medical fees (GOÄ). For personal medical services, the threshold is 2.3 and the maximum rate is 3.5. If the bill exceeds the threshold, the doctor must justify this on the bill.
How far the tariff covers aids becomes clear when you compare it with statutory insurance. Statutory insurance pays for glasses for adults only in cases of severe visual impairment or more than 6.0 dioptres of short- or long-sightedness, and never for frames. For dental prosthetics, the fixed subsidy is 60 per cent of the standard supply, and from 2027 it falls to 50 per cent by law. In PKV, the catalogue of aids decides: an open catalogue reimburses all medically necessary aids, a closed one only those explicitly listed. Common reimbursement rates are 75, 90 or 100 per cent, often with maximum amounts.
On the statutory side, there is also a rule on waiting times: the central appointment service under the number 116117 must offer a specialist appointment within one week, and the waiting time must not exceed four weeks. A referral is needed except for eye doctors, gynaecologists, general practitioners and paediatricians. Details are in the flyer of the Federal Ministry of Health (in German).
Is the premium for young students really stable?
A low entry premium is possible, but it is not a promise for later years. The premium depends on the entry age, and the calculation includes a statutory surcharge of 10 per cent. It starts at the latest in the calendar year after the 21st birthday, ends in the year of the 60th birthday and flows into the ageing reserve.
Premiums can still rise. At least once a year, the insurer compares the required benefits with the calculated benefits. If the deviation exceeds the threshold of 10 per cent, the premiums are reviewed and adjusted if necessary, and an independent trustee must approve the change. Tariff conditions may lower the threshold to 5 per cent.
For whom are the advantages of PKV as a student particularly worthwhile?
Young and healthy first-time insured persons
Student tariffs are aimed at first-time insured persons up to 30, and the premium follows the entry age. An early entry therefore affects the amount of the premium. At the same time, the insurer checks your health before the contract is concluded.
Those who expect to stay privately insured
Anyone who is appointed as a civil servant on probation directly after their preparatory service remains in PKV. For employment below the compulsory insurance threshold of €77,400 per year (2026), statutory insurance is compulsory. Graduates should therefore look at their future career before they commit for the entire course of study.
Those who know the downside
The exemption applies for the entire course of study, and free family insurance is excluded during this time. Other disadvantages are listed under PKV disadvantages for students (in German).
What happens during the health check?
The application contains health questions that you must answer truthfully. Under § 19 of the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG), you must disclose known circumstances that are material to the insurer and about which you are asked in text form. If you breach this duty, the insurer can withdraw from or terminate the contract, depending on fault.
Ongoing treatments and recommended operations often lead to rejection. If you are unsure, you can make an anonymous risk enquiry before the application.
By when do you have to decide on PKV?
You must submit the application for exemption from compulsory insurance to your health insurer within three months of the start of compulsory insurance. It takes effect retroactively from the start of the obligation if you have not yet used any benefits from the fund. Otherwise, it takes effect from the month after the application is submitted. The exemption only takes effect once you prove an entitlement to cover in case of illness elsewhere, in practice a private contract.
The exemption cannot be revoked. A switch to statutory insurance is normally only possible after your studies, for example through employment subject to compulsory insurance. From age 55, the return is generally excluded. For enrolment, the university nevertheless requires confirmation from a statutory health insurer. More on the conditions is in our article on PKV requirements for students (in German) and from the Verbraucherzentrale (in German).
Frequently asked questions
What are the advantages of PKV over GKV for students?
The tariff determines benefits, deductible and reimbursement, and the premium depends on the entry age. In addition, there is the possible premium refund and the ageing reserve. For comparison, the statutory student contribution is about €143 to €148 with the average additional contribution. What matters most is which benefits you actually need.
Is PKV worth it for healthy students?
It can be, if you are young, answer the health questions without any conspicuous points and know that you will remain privately insured in the long term. Against this stand the irrevocable exemption and the possibility of rising premiums. There is no blanket answer, and an offer can only be assessed with your data.
Can I take out private insurance with a pre-existing condition?
That depends on the condition. Ongoing treatments and recommended operations often lead to rejection. Before you apply, an anonymous risk enquiry is recommended. In any case, you must answer the health questions in the application truthfully.
Can I stay in PKV after my studies?
That depends on your career path. With a direct appointment as a civil servant on probation, you remain in PKV. As an employee below the compulsory insurance threshold of €77,400 (2026), you become subject to statutory insurance.
How to proceed now
- Note the date on which your compulsory insurance begins. The three months for the exemption application start from this day.
- Gather your health information from recent years, and if in doubt, make an anonymous risk enquiry.
- Compare offers by deductible, reimbursement rates, catalogue of aids and premium refund, not just by the monthly premium.
- Request confirmation from a statutory insurer for your enrolment. It is also required of privately insured persons.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the way to advice on the Academycon homepage (in German). How such a conversation works is set out in our article on PKV advice for students (in German).
You can find reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon was mentioned, among other things, in a report in the VersicherungsJournal. An overview of all mentions is on the press page (in German).
Related articles
- Private health insurance for students: costs and benefits (in German)
- PKV disadvantages for students: what you should know first (in German)
- PKV requirements during your studies: who may join? (in German)
- Private health insurance for students: advice and process (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
