What is the PKV cost for students? There is no fixed amount, because the insurer calculates each premium individually. Decisive factors are your age at entry, your health information, the tariff level and the deductible. For comparison, statutory student health insurance serves as the benchmark. It costs about €143 (under 23) or about €148 (from 23, without children) per month in 2026, including long-term care insurance. Every private offer has to measure up to this amount.
Important for the calculation: you must apply for exemption from compulsory insurance within three months of the start of compulsory insurance, and the exemption cannot be revoked.
The most important points in brief
- The PKV premium is calculated individually. Entry age, health information, tariff level and deductible determine the amount.
- Benchmark 2026: statutory student insurance costs about €143 (under 23) or about €148 (from 23, without children) per month, each including long-term care insurance and an additional contribution of 2.9 %.
- The exemption from compulsory insurance is irrevocable and normally applies for the entire course of study.
- Private premiums are not fixed. The insurer reviews them at least once a year and adjusts them if necessary.
What is the PKV cost for students per month?
No insurer will quote a uniform price, because its offer depends on your age and your health information. That is why it is worth looking at the alternative first. Anyone enrolled at a state or state-recognised university is generally subject to statutory insurance (§ 5 SGB V), as long as no primary insurance such as family insurance applies.
The contribution in student health insurance is based on a fixed foundation: €855 (BAföG basic amount of €475 plus housing allowance of €380) at a contribution rate of 10.22 %. This gives a base premium of €87.38 per month, the same nationwide and independent of whether you receive BAföG. The additional contribution of your health insurer and the long-term care insurance are added to this.
| Case | Base premium | Additional contribution (2.9 %) | Long-term care insurance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 23 or with a child | €87.38 | €24.80 | €30.78 | about €143 |
| From 23, without children | €87.38 | €24.80 | €35.91 | about €148 |
The additional contribution differs from insurer to insurer. The table assumes the average rate of 2.9 % for 2026. You will find your own insurer’s rate directly with them. Over a year, €143 per month adds up to around €1,716. For every private offer, you should also check whether the quoted premium includes long-term care insurance.
Until the age of 25, family insurance through your parents can also be free of contributions, as long as your total income does not exceed €565 per month (€603 for a minijob). During an exemption from compulsory insurance, it is excluded.
What does the PKV premium for students depend on?
Four factors determine the premium. You can influence two of them, namely the tariff level and the deductible. Age and state of health are fixed.
| Factor | Effect on the premium | What to look out for |
|---|---|---|
| Entry age | The age at the start of the contract is part of the calculation. | Get an offer for your actual age |
| Health information | Your answers in the application help decide whether the insurer accepts you. | Submit an anonymous risk enquiry in advance |
| Tariff level | Reimbursement rates and the catalogue of aids determine what the tariff pays. | Read the tariff conditions and compare the benefits side by side |
| Deductible | A higher deductible lowers the premium, because you bear more costs yourself. | Check whether you can afford the amount in the event of illness |
How does age affect the PKV premium?
Entry age flows directly into the calculation, which is why example premiums for other people tell you little. In comprehensive private health insurance, the insurer generally adds a statutory surcharge of 10 % to the premium. It starts at the latest in the calendar year after the 21st birthday, ends in the calendar year of the 60th birthday and flows into the ageing reserve, which is meant to reduce premiums in old age. How this reserve works is explained in our guide on ageing reserves in PKV (in German).
How does the tariff affect the PKV premium?
The student tariff is aimed at students who obtain an exemption from compulsory insurance at the start of their studies. In part, it is based on the conditions of private student health insurance, which only a few insurers offer, and it is usually open to young first-time insured persons up to the age of 30. Within the tariffs, reimbursement rates differ (common rates are 75, 90 or 100 %, often with maximum amounts), and so does the catalogue of aids. An open catalogue reimburses all medically necessary aids, while a closed one only covers the items explicitly listed.
For comparison, the medical bill under the German scale of medical fees (GOÄ) also matters. For personal medical services, the threshold is 2.3 times the standard rate and the maximum is 3.5 times. Above the threshold, the doctor must justify each service in writing. The tariff conditions state up to which factor your tariff reimburses. How tariffs differ in their features is shown in our article PKV tariffs for students compared (in German).
Is a higher deductible worth it?
That depends on how often you need services and how much reserve you have. The deductible is the amount you bear yourself within a year before the insurer pays.
Example with assumed figures: the deductible rises from €500 to €1,000, and in return the premium falls by €20 per month. That saves €240 per year. If you stay healthy, you have gained €240. If treatment costs of €1,000 or more arise, you bear €500 more of your own costs than before and end up €260 down after deducting the savings. The €20 is an assumption for the calculation and does not reflect a market price.
If you choose a high deductible, you therefore need money in reserve. The article on planning health costs during your studies (in German) describes how to prepare.
What comes on top of the monthly premium?
PKV works on the principle of cost reimbursement. You first pay the doctor’s bill yourself and submit it to the insurer, which reimburses it according to your tariff. For inpatient treatment, the hospital usually bills the insurer directly.
You have three years to submit bills, counted from the end of the year in which the bill was issued. A bill from March 2026 can therefore be submitted until 31 December 2029.
If you submit no bills for a year, some tariffs pay back part of the annual premiums. In the usual performance-linked variant, this requires surpluses at the insurer. Up to around 50 % of an annual premium is possible, but it is not guaranteed. Whether it pays to forgo small bills is covered in our article on premium refunds in PKV (in German).
Can the PKV premium rise during your studies?
Yes. The insurer compares the required benefits with the calculated benefits at least once a year. If the deviation exceeds the threshold, it reviews the premiums and adjusts them if necessary. By law the threshold is 10 %, but the tariff conditions may lower it to 5 %. A trustee must approve the adjustment.
What you can do after receiving the notification is explained in our guide on a premium increase in PKV (in German).
What does PKV cost for children of civil servants?
As an eligible child of a parent entitled to Beihilfe (state aid for civil servants), you have part of your medical costs reimbursed through Beihilfe. For children, the Beihilfe rate is usually 80 %, but the federal government and the states have their own rules and sometimes differ. The Beihilfe office will tell you which rate applies to you.
With Beihilfe, the PKV premium during your studies can initially be low. Beihilfe usually ends with the 25th birthday, when the family supplement falls away, and then the burden rises significantly. Plan for this jump early.
What does the exemption mean for the costs?
PKV during your studies requires the exemption from compulsory insurance. You submit the application to your health insurer within three months of the start of compulsory insurance. It takes effect retroactively to the start if you have not yet claimed any benefits. Otherwise, it takes effect from the calendar month after the application is submitted. The exemption only becomes effective once you prove other cover in case of illness, i.e. with a private contract. The process and the documents are explained in our article on switching to PKV as a student (in German).
The exemption cannot be revoked and normally applies for the entire course of study. Returning to statutory insurance then generally only happens through employment subject to compulsory insurance below the compulsory insurance threshold of €6,450 per month (2026). A minijob is not enough for this. So also factor in the development of contributions beyond your studies. The Verbraucherzentrale (in German) summarises the options during your studies.
What does disability insurance cost as a student?
Occupational disability insurance is a separate contract and does not belong to health insurance. You can take it out during your studies. There is no flat sum, because age, state of health and choice of occupation determine the premium. Many providers have entry-level tariffs with a low starting premium. The Verbraucherzentrale advises against tariffs marked „t.e.“, because the premium rises with the same benefits. More on this is in the article Everything about disability insurance for students (in German).
Frequently asked questions
How much does PKV cost per month as a student?
The insurer sets the premium based on entry age, health information, tariff and deductible, so there is no uniform amount. For comparison, statutory student insurance costs about €143 (under 23) or about €148 (from 23, without children) per month, each including long-term care insurance and an additional contribution of 2.9 %. You will receive a concrete offer as soon as you provide your age and health details.
Is PKV cheaper for students than statutory student insurance?
This cannot be said across the board. Statutory insurance uses the same basis for all students, while PKV calculates each contract individually. For the comparison, the total amount including long-term care insurance, the deductible and later adjustments count, because private premiums are reviewed regularly. So plan some leeway beyond the entry premium.
How does the PKV premium develop over time?
At entry, the premium is calculated according to your age. Later, the insurer can adjust it as soon as the gap between calculated and actual benefits exceeds the threshold, which is 10 % by law. The premium also contains a statutory surcharge of 10 %, which flows into the ageing reserve and is meant to reduce premiums in old age.
By when do I have to decide on PKV?
You submit the application for exemption from compulsory insurance to your health insurer within three months of the start of compulsory insurance. It becomes effective once you prove a private contract. The exemption is irrevocable and normally applies for the entire course of study. So plan enough time for the risk enquiry and the offers.
How to proceed now
- Calculate the benchmark: ask your health insurer for its additional contribution and add it to the base premium of €87.38 and to the long-term care insurance (€30.78 or €35.91).
- If you have pre-existing conditions, submit an anonymous risk enquiry before you apply.
- Compare offers side by side: premium including long-term care insurance, deductible, reimbursement rates, catalogue of aids and premium refund.
- Note the three-month deadline for the exemption, and decide only once you know the options for returning to statutory insurance.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the way to advice on the Academycon homepage (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
- PKV contribution calculation for students explained (in German)
- PKV or statutory insurance as a student: what pays off more? (in German)
- The disadvantages of PKV for students at a glance (in German)
- Health insurance during your studies by age (in German)
- Contribution assessment base (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
