PKV without health check, meaning private health insurance without questions about your health, is not a normal entry route. The application for a regular tariff contains health questions that you must answer truthfully. Exceptions exist only for certain groups, for example in the basic tariff or in the opening campaign for civil servants (Beamte). For most students, the health check remains, and acceptance is not guaranteed.
The key points at a glance
- Regular PKV tariffs check your health in the application, and ongoing treatment often leads to rejection.
- The basic tariff accepts applicants without risk surcharges or benefit exclusions, but it is open only to certain groups.
- Civil servants, including those on probation, have the opening campaign, with a risk surcharge of at most 30 percent and no benefit exclusions.
- Compulsory student insurance and family insurance do not require a health check.
Is there PKV without health check for students?
Not for regular comprehensive cover. There is no right to be accepted into a normal tariff, and the insurer decides based on your answers. With ongoing treatment or recommended operations, the decision is often negative. For this reason, an anonymous risk enquiry before you apply makes sense. The process is explained in the article private insurance for students with pre-existing conditions (in German).
The article the health check in the application (in German) explains what the questions look like in detail. The steps to a contract are shown in how to switch to private insurance as a student (in German).
Which routes lead into PKV without or with less checking?
| Route | For whom | What applies to your health | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic tariff | Among others, people entitled to state allowance (Beihilfe) or free medical care, voluntarily insured members of statutory insurers (within six months), and people without sufficient cover who are not subject to compulsory insurance | Acceptance without risk surcharges or benefit exclusions, cover starts immediately | Benefits as in statutory insurance, contribution up to the statutory maximum, dependants are not insured |
| Opening campaign | Civil servants on probation, for a fixed term, for life, and since 2019 also on probation (Widerruf) | Risk surcharge of at most 30 percent, no benefit exclusions, no maximum entry age | Application within six months of first appointment as a civil servant, at the earliest after any preparatory service, only allowance-compliant tariffs |
| Trainee tariff | Civil servant trainees | Switch to the standard tariff after the legal traineeship without a new health check | Applies only to civil servant trainees insured in the trainee tariff |
| Expectancy policy | People who are already privately insured and want to pause PKV | Your health status stays secured, and you can return without a new check | It costs ongoing contributions, but requires an existing contract |
The figures for the opening campaign are set out in the information sheet of the PKV association (in German). Important: the entitlement only applies to the first insurer to which you submit a formal application.
How does admission to the basic tariff work?
In the basic tariff there is an obligation to contract: the insurer must accept you, without risk surcharges and without benefit exclusions. The scope of benefits corresponds to statutory insurance, and the maximum contribution to the statutory maximum. If you are in need, the contribution is halved on application. Privately insured people who have had a contract since 1 January 2009 can switch only under certain conditions, for example from the age of 55, when drawing a pension, or when receiving social assistance or basic security benefits.
For students in compulsory insurance, the basic tariff is therefore not the normal case. Check in advance whether you belong to one of the groups named.
What does an expectancy policy achieve?
An expectancy policy secures your health status for later, but it requires an existing contract for which you have already passed the health check. It therefore does not replace an entry without a check. The small expectancy policy does not build up ageing provisions, while the large one does. Reactivation usually takes place within two months after the reason for the pause has ended.
Which cover works without health questions?
Compulsory student insurance arises with enrolment, if no higher-priority insurance exists. The basic contribution in 2026 is 87.38 euros a month nationwide, plus long-term care insurance and your insurer’s additional contribution. Contribution-free family insurance applies to children of statutorily insured parents up to 25 during study, if total income in 2026 is no more than 565 euros a month. Private insurance comes into play through the exemption, for which the application must be submitted within three months of the start of compulsory insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an acceptance guarantee in private health insurance?
Not in a regular tariff, where the insurer checks the application. The basic tariff is the exception: there is an obligation to contract, but only for certain groups. The opening campaign for civil servants also guarantees acceptance, under the conditions described above.
May I leave health questions in the application unanswered?
No. Under section 19 VVG you must disclose known material circumstances that the insurer has asked about. If you breach this duty, the insurer may withdraw from the contract. Without intent or gross negligence, it can terminate with one month’s notice. These rights expire five years after the contract is concluded, or after ten years in cases of intent or fraud.
Can I switch tariffs later without a new health check?
Only to a limited extent. Within the same insurer, you are entitled to switch to tariffs with similar cover, and your acquired rights are credited. For additional benefits, however, the insurer may require a benefit exclusion, a risk surcharge or a waiting period. A reduction of your deductible also counts as an additional benefit. What the deductible means in PKV is explained in the deductible in private insurance, explained (in German).
What is the alternative if I am rejected?
Without other cover, the exemption does not take effect, and you remain in compulsory student insurance. As an alternative, family insurance may apply if the conditions are met.
So what do you do now?
- Check whether you belong to a group with special access, for example through civil service appointment.
- If you have pre-existing conditions, make an anonymous risk enquiry before you apply for anything.
- Answer the health questions completely and truthfully.
- Keep the three-month deadline for the exemption application in view.
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 Leinetal24 (in German). An overview of all mentions is on the press page (in German).
Related articles
- Improving sleep during study: why it matters so much (in German)
- Private or statutory insurance as a student: which is better value? (in German)
- Disadvantages of PKV for students: what to know beforehand (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
