PKV at study start has a fixed time limit: if you want private cover, you must apply for exemption from compulsory student insurance within three months of compulsory insurance beginning. The deadline is the same for the winter semester as for the summer semester. The private contract you need to prove should therefore be in place before the deadline runs out. Without an effective exemption, you remain compulsorily insured as a student, unless family insurance takes precedence.
The key points at a glance
- The deadline is three months from the start of compulsory insurance (section 8(2) SGB V). It applies to the exemption application to your health insurer.
- Compulsory insurance begins with the semester. If you enrol after the semester has begun, it begins on the day of enrolment.
- The exemption takes effect only with proof of other cover, is irrevocable and generally applies for the whole course of study.
- Privately insured students also need a confirmation from a statutory health insurer for enrolment.
- If you are family insured through your parents, you often do not need to make a decision of your own in the first semester.
How much time do you have for PKV at study start?
You have three months to be released from compulsory insurance. The deadline runs from the start of compulsory insurance, not from the day you decide on private insurance. If compulsory insurance begins on 1 October, for example, the deadline ends around the end of December. Your health insurer will give you the exact date.
The three months concern the application to your insurer. The application only takes effect if you prove that you are otherwise covered in case of illness. In practice, this means the private contract must be in place in good time before the deadline. The health questions and the insurer’s review take time, so plan for them early.
How the application itself works is described in the article on the exemption application to your health insurer (in German). This article is about the timeline around it.
Timeline: what is due when?
| Point in time | What is due |
|---|---|
| Before enrolment | Clarify whether you can stay family insured. Compare tariffs, make an anonymous risk enquiry |
| At enrolment | Retrieve the digital confirmation from a statutory health insurer, which the university requires |
| Start of compulsory insurance | The three-month deadline runs |
| Within the three months | Take out the private contract and submit the exemption application with proof to your health insurer |
| At re-enrolment for the next semester | Prove to the university that you are exempted and insured |
What applies to health insurance in the first semester?
Anyone enrolled at a state or state-recognised university is compulsorily insured by statutory insurance, unless a higher-priority insurance exists. Family insurance takes precedence, for example. Then compulsory student insurance does not arise at all.
For family insurance, these key figures apply in 2026:
| Feature | Rule |
|---|---|
| Age limit during study | Up to 25 |
| Income limit | 565 euros a month total income |
| Minijob | 603 euros a month for an exclusively marginal job |
| Not counted as income | BAföG, child benefit, maintenance |
If you are exempted, you lose this option, because exempted students are not family insured. So first check whether you meet the conditions. If you do, you pay no contribution of your own.
Does the deadline differ between the winter and summer semesters?
No. The rules are the same in both cases: compulsory insurance from the start of the semester, three months to apply, exemption for the whole course of study. Differences exist in the university’s dates. For example, FernUniversität Hagen allows the digital confirmation from the health insurer to be retrieved from 1 June for the winter semester and from 1 December for the summer semester. Other universities may differ.
Ask your university when its enrolment and re-enrolment deadlines end and when your semester begins. Without proof of health insurance, the university refuses enrolment or re-enrolment.
Do you still need a statutory insurer if you are privately insured?
Yes. Before enrolment, the university requires a digital confirmation from a statutory health insurer, even if you are privately insured. If you are insured for the first time, you can choose the insurer freely. The insurer reports your status to the university, which can take up to 24 hours.
The route into PKV then runs in this order: choose a health insurer and retrieve the confirmation, take out the private contract, apply for exemption. The steps with documents are shown in the article on the route into private health insurance (in German).
What does it cost to give up compulsory student insurance?
Compulsory student insurance is calculated on 855 euros. With the average additional contribution of 2.9%, you pay about 143 euros a month for health and long-term care insurance in 2026 if you are under 23, and about 148 euros as a childless student from 23. This is a benchmark for private tariffs, but only if you also compare the benefits.
The private contribution depends on entry age, tariff and deductible. If you raise the deductible, you usually lower the monthly contribution, but you bear more of the costs yourself when you claim. How this works is explained in the article on the deductible in private insurance, explained (in German).
Looking ahead is also worthwhile. Insurers review contributions at least once a year and can adjust them if actual benefits deviate from calculated benefits. The article on how PKV contributions develop (in German) explains this. Within an existing contract, you can influence the contribution by switching tariffs with your own insurer (section 204 VVG). The article on saving on PKV contributions (in German) shows how.
What speaks for and against PKV at study start?
In favour of PKV is that you can choose the insurer, tariff and deductible yourself. Student tariffs are aimed at young first-time policyholders up to 30 and are calculated by entry age. Against it are the irrevocability of the exemption, the loss of family insurance, possible contribution adjustments, the health check and the difficulty of returning to statutory insurance.
The application contains health questions that you must answer truthfully. Ongoing treatment or recommended operations can lead to rejection. So make an anonymous risk enquiry before the actual application. It binds you to nothing and shows whether, and on what terms, an insurer would accept you.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have after the start of my studies to apply for exemption?
Three months from the start of compulsory insurance. The application goes to your health insurer and takes effect only if you prove other cover. Plan to have the private contract in place before the deadline ends.
Do I have to be privately insured before enrolment?
For enrolment you need the digital confirmation from a statutory health insurer, even if you will later be privately insured. The private contract must be proven at the latest with the exemption application. If you take it out earlier, you have more room.
What happens if I miss the three-month deadline?
The deadline is set by law. Whether anything is still possible in your case can only be judged by your health insurer. Contact it immediately once you realise time is running short. Without an effective exemption, you remain in compulsory student insurance.
Can I stay family insured in the first semester?
Yes, if a parent is statutorily insured, you study up to the age of 25, and your total income in 2026 is no more than 565 euros a month, or 603 euros for a minijob. Family insurance takes precedence over compulsory student insurance. After an exemption, it is excluded.
So what do you do now?
- Clarify with your parents whether family insurance is an option for you.
- Note the start of your compulsory insurance and the end of the three-month deadline.
- Make an anonymous risk enquiry and compare tariffs before you apply for a contract.
- Get the confirmation from a statutory health insurer for enrolment.
- Submit the exemption application with proof in good time before the deadline.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the way to advice on the Academycon homepage.
You can read reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon was also mentioned, among other places, in a press release on the Süddeutsche Zeitung press portal (in German). An overview of all mentions is on the press page (in German).
Related articles
- Exemption from compulsory insurance as a student: how to apply (in German)
- How to switch to PKV (in German)
- How PKV contributions develop (in German)
- Saving on PKV contributions (in German)
- Switching health insurer as a student (in German)
- Health insurance proof for enrolment (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
