What happens to your private health insurance (PKV) after your studies depends on your first job. If you become employed and subject to statutory health insurance, you can cancel the private contract if you meet the three-month deadline. If you stay privately insured, check whether your student tariff still suits your situation.
The deadlines are short: you have three months to cancel when insurance becomes compulsory, and you must provide any required proof within two months. Tariff changes, contribution adjustments and the question of an employer contribution also need attention.
Key points at a glance
- The exemption from compulsory insurance is irrevocable and normally applies for the whole course of study. A switch to statutory insurance is usually only possible after graduation.
- If you become employed and subject to compulsory insurance, you can cancel your PKV within three months, backdated to the start of the obligation.
- You have a statutory right to change tariffs with your own insurer (section 204 VVG). Additional benefits can trigger a risk surcharge or an exclusion.
- Find out before you start work whether, and how much, your employer contributes to your premium.
How long does the exemption from compulsory insurance last?
It normally applies for the whole course of study and cannot be revoked. This is set out in section 8 SGB V. The Verbraucherzentrale (German consumer advice organisation) summarises the consequence: a switch to statutory insurance is normally only possible after your studies end, for example through employment subject to compulsory insurance.
Your enrolment ends with your deregistration, and your situation changes. You do not have to leave the private contract automatically. You decide whether to keep it, adjust it or cancel it once you know how your career starts.
PKV after studies: which routes are there?
| Start of career | Effect on your PKV |
|---|---|
| Employed with an annual salary below 77,400 EUR (2026) | Statutory compulsory insurance. You can cancel the PKV (see below) |
| Direct civil service appointment on probation | You stay in the PKV |
| Legal traineeship (Referendariat) | Depending on your status, compulsory insurance or self-provision with Beihilfe (state aid for civil servants). More under health insurance during the traineeship (in German) |
| Further study or training | Check with your health fund and insurer beforehand whether your exemption still applies |
For prospective lawyers, the guide for future lawyers (in German) summarises the position during the legal traineeship. If you want to continue studying after your bachelor’s degree, the overview of further education after graduation (in German) offers orientation.
Whether PKV or GKV suits you better in the long run is explained in the decision at career start (in German).
How do you cancel PKV when you become subject to compulsory insurance?
If the insured person becomes subject to statutory health or long-term care insurance, you can cancel within three months, backdated to the start of the obligation (section 205 (2) VVG). Entitlement to family insurance counts as equivalent to the obligation.
- Ask your statutory health insurer to confirm the compulsory insurance.
- Cancel the private contract in writing, no later than three months after the obligation begins, and state the start of the compulsory insurance as the cancellation date.
- Submit the proof if the insurer asks you for it in writing. The cancellation is invalid if the start of the obligation is not proven within two months of the request, unless the missed deadline was not your fault.
Before cancelling, consider whether a deferral (Anwartschaft) makes sense (see below). A new policy taken out later means new health questions, and ongoing treatment makes it harder.
Ordinary cancellation works differently: for contracts with a term of more than one year, it is possible at the end of the first or a later contract year with three months’ notice. An agreed minimum insurance period takes precedence. If you cancel a contract that fulfils your insurance obligation, the cancellation only takes effect once you prove seamless follow-on cover within two months of the cancellation notice (section 205 (6) VVG).
What changes with the student tariff and the contribution?
The student tariff is aimed at students who were exempted at the start of their studies, and it is partly designed according to the conditions of private student health insurance (PSKV). The contribution depends on your age at entry. The tariff targets young first-time insured persons up to 30, after which it is usually no longer open. Whether and how it continues after your studies is set out in your policy conditions, so check whether another tariff suits you better.
Tariff change with your own insurer
You are entitled to switch to other tariffs with similar cover at the same insurer (section 204 VVG). Acquired rights and the ageing provisions are credited. For additional benefits, the insurer may require an exclusion or a reasonable risk surcharge and possibly a waiting period. A reduction of the deductible also counts as an additional benefit.
According to the guidelines of the PKV association (German PDF), requests should be answered within 15 working days. This is a voluntary commitment by member companies, not a legal requirement.
Contribution adjustments
The insurer compares the required and the calculated benefits at least once a year. If the deviation exceeds the threshold, it reviews the contributions and adjusts them where necessary. By law the threshold is 10 percent, while the policy conditions may lower it to 5 percent. A trustee must consent. After notification you have two months to terminate specially, effective at the time of the planned change (section 205 (4) VVG).
Is there an employer contribution towards PKV?
As an employee, ask the HR department before the contract starts whether your employer contributes to your premium and how much. Get the commitment in writing.
Deferral (Anwartschaft): an option if you want to pause
With a deferral you secure access to PKV without paying the full tariff. The small deferral preserves your state of health but does not build up ageing provisions, so the later premium depends on your age when you resume. The large deferral preserves your state of health and entry age and continues to build the ageing provisions.
Providers typically quote around 5 to 10 percent of the tariff contribution for the small deferral and around 25 to 45 percent for the large one. Reactivation usually has to happen within two months after the reason for the pause has ended.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to my PKV after my studies?
The contract initially continues. Whether you keep, adjust or cancel it depends on your career start. If you become subject to compulsory insurance as an employee, you can cancel. With a direct civil service appointment on probation, you stay in the PKV.
Can I return to statutory health insurance after my studies?
Before the age of 55 this is generally possible, for example through employment subject to compulsory insurance below the annual earnings threshold of 77,400 EUR (2026). A minijob is not enough. From age 55 the return is generally ruled out.
How long do I have to cancel PKV?
If you become subject to statutory compulsory insurance, you can cancel within three months, backdated to the start of the obligation. If the insurer requests proof, you must provide it within two months, otherwise the cancellation is invalid.
Will my contribution go up after my studies?
That depends on the tariff. The contribution in the student tariff depends on your age at entry. When changing tariffs, risk surcharges or exclusions may apply for additional benefits. In addition, the insurer may adjust contributions after review.
What is the difference between a small and a large deferral?
The small one is much cheaper and only records your state of health. The large one also secures entry age and ageing provisions and therefore costs more. Which one fits depends on how long you pause and how important the later premium is to you.
What you should do now
- Read your contract and note the tariff, minimum insurance period and cancellation periods.
- Clarify your career start: salary in relation to the earnings threshold, civil service appointment, further study.
- Put the deadlines in your calendar: three months for cancellation when compulsory insurance applies, two months for proof.
- Ask your insurer about tariff change options and get any surcharges and exclusions in writing.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the route to advice on the Academycon homepage.
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Related articles
- Health insurance during the traineeship: civil service benefits, PKV or GKV? (in German)
- PKV at career start: advantages and decision for graduates (in German)
- Health insurance during the legal traineeship: guide for lawyers (in German)
- Further education after graduation: options at a glance (in German)
- Deregistration and health insurance: avoiding gaps (in German)
- Health insurance after graduation without a job: options and costs (in German)
- Teacher training: insurance from studies to traineeship (in German)
- Unemployment benefit after studies: entitlement, registration and health insurance (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This article provides general information and does not replace individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
