For R+V BKK student health insurance, the statutory contribution in 2026 is 117.22 € a month for health cover. With care insurance you pay 148.00 € (under 23 or with a child) or 153.13 € (from 23, no children). The R+V BKK additional contribution is 3.49 %. Student cover ends with the semester of your 30th birthday, after which the voluntary minimum without children is 285.95 €.
At a glance: the R+V BKK student health insurance facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Additional contribution 2026 | 3.49 % |
| Open to | nationwide |
| Student insurance under 23 (health and care) | 148.00 € per month |
| Student insurance from 23, no children (health and care) | 153.13 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, no children | 285.95 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, with a child | 278.04 € per month |
| Source and date | Additional contribution from the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list, amounts calculated by us and stated by the fund, as of 24 October 2026 |
Check the fund’s own website for membership conditions and regional scope. The amounts apply to compulsory statutory student insurance. The additional contribution is set by each fund and can change. The rate that R+V BKK itself publishes is the binding one.
What does R+V BKK cost as a student?
R+V BKK provides statutory student health insurance (KVdS, Krankenversicherung der Studierenden), and its contribution follows the statutory formula. The contribution rests on a fixed basis of 855 € a month, which matches the BAföG needs rate, and applies whether or not you receive BAföG. The totals of 148.00 € and 153.13 € follow from the 2026 reference figures and the R+V BKK additional contribution.
- Basis: 855.00 € per month (475 € basic need plus 380 € housing allowance).
- Base contribution: 10.22 % of 855.00 € gives 87.38 €. The rate is seven tenths of the general rate of 14.6 %.
- R+V BKK additional contribution: 3.49 % of 855.00 € gives 29.84 €.
- Health insurance: 87.38 € plus 29.84 € gives 117.22 €.
- Care insurance: 30.78 € (3.6 %) under 23 or with a child, 35.91 € (4.2 %) from 23 without children.
- Total: 148.00 € under 23 or with a child, 153.13 € from 23 without children.
The table in the guide Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen (in German) shows how the R+V BKK rate compares with all other funds. One percentage point of additional contribution equals 8.55 € a month for students.
What applies at R+V BKK from 25 and from 30?
Family insurance ends at 25
Until your 25th birthday you can be covered free of charge through a parent, provided the parent is a member of a statutory fund. This holds while your total income in 2026 does not exceed 565 € a month, or 603 € with a mini job (section 10 SGB V). The age limit can only be extended by periods of statutory or voluntary service, not by study time. After that you stay with R+V BKK as a student at the amounts calculated above. From your 23rd birthday a care insurance surcharge for people without children applies, which adds 5.13 € a month. The glossary entry Familienversicherung im Studium (in German) covers free co-insurance in more detail.
Student insurance ends at 30
Compulsory student insurance ends when the semester in which you turn 30 ends (section 5(1) no. 9 SGB V). There has been no maximum number of subject semesters since 2020, so the age limit decides. An extension is possible if the type of training or personal reasons justify exceeding it, for example on the second educational path or when raising children. The fund checks this case by case and semester by semester. The guides Krankenversicherung als Student über 30 and Studieren mit 30 (both in German) give details.
Once student insurance ends, you normally stay with R+V BKK as a voluntary member unless you prove other cover. A minimum assessment basis then applies. This is how the 2026 minimum contribution works out:
- Minimum basis: 3,955.00 € reference amount divided by 3 gives 1,318.33 € per month.
- Health insurance: reduced rate of 14.0 % plus additional contribution of 3.49 % gives 17.49 %, which is 230.58 €.
- Care insurance: 47.46 € (3.6 %) with a child, 55.37 € (4.2 %) without children.
- Total: 278.04 € with a child, 285.95 € without children.
The minimum applies to low income. With higher income the contribution follows that income, up to the contribution ceiling of 5,812.50 € a month.
What applies to working students and mini jobs at R+V BKK?
A working student job or mini job usually changes nothing about your R+V BKK cover while your studies remain the main activity. Weekly hours and earnings decide.
| Situation | Effect on health insurance |
|---|---|
| Working student up to 20 hours a week | The job triggers no health or care insurance contributions and student insurance continues. Pension insurance stays compulsory. |
| Employment regularly above 20 hours | The working student privilege lapses and compulsory insurance as an employee may arise. It takes priority over student insurance. |
| Mini job up to 603 € a month | Student insurance continues. Under family insurance, mini jobbers have a limit of 603 € instead of 565 €. |
This summary rests on the joint circular of the national associations from 2016. For borderline cases such as night work, semester breaks or several jobs, the fund decides case by case. The guide Werkstudent: 20-Stunden-Regel (in German) describes the details.
Which extra benefits does R+V BKK list for young members?
R+V BKK lists benefits for students on its page, such as vaccinations, cancer screening, prevention courses, professional teeth cleaning, health trips and online courses. The page gives no concrete amounts for these. We report the details without judgement. Source: R+V BKK, benefits for students (in German).
Which of these offers suit you depends on your situation. Current terms are set out on the website of R+V BKK. The statutory benefits catalogue is largely the same at all statutory funds.
How do you switch to R+V BKK?
You register with R+V BKK and R+V BKK handles the cancellation with your previous fund. Section 175 SGB V sets the deadlines:
- Right to choose: You can choose your fund freely from the age of 15. As a student you must choose a fund no later than two weeks after compulsory insurance begins.
- Online application: Apply to R+V BKK. The new fund’s registration replaces the cancellation, and your previous fund confirms within two weeks at the latest.
- Notice period: Membership ends at the end of the second calendar month after the month of your notice. If you give notice in January, you switch on 1 April.
- Lock-in: You are generally bound to the new fund for twelve months. This does not apply if membership ends by law, for example when family insurance ends.
- Special right of termination: If your fund raises its additional contribution, you can give notice until the end of the month from which the higher rate applies. The twelve-month lock-in then does not matter. Notice only takes effect if you prove other cover.
The guide Krankenkasse wechseln als Student (in German) explains this in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Does R+V BKK have a student tariff?
No. R+V BKK offers statutory student health insurance. The contribution follows the legal formula and in 2026 comes to 117.22 € a month for health insurance with the 3.49 % additional contribution.
How high is the R+V BKK additional contribution in 2026?
It is 3.49 % according to the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list. On the basis of 855 € that is 29.84 € a month.
Until when am I covered by family insurance at R+V BKK?
As a student until your 25th birthday, if your total income in 2026 does not exceed 565 € a month, or 603 € with a mini job. Student insurance normally follows.
What does R+V BKK cost at 30?
After student insurance ends, the voluntary minimum in 2026 is 285.95 € a month without children and 278.04 € with a child, both including care insurance. With higher income the contribution rises.
Can I stay with R+V BKK as a working student?
Yes. Up to 20 hours a week your student insurance continues. If you work regularly more, compulsory insurance as an employee may arise.
When can I leave R+V BKK again?
Generally after a twelve-month lock-in, or earlier through the special right of termination if the additional contribution rises.
Sources
- GKV-Spitzenverband, Krankenkassenliste (R+V BKK additional contribution, as of 24 October 2026)
- R+V BKK, benefits for students (benefits page; not re-checked for this guide)
- Section 175 SGB V, exercise of the right to choose
- Section 5 SGB V, compulsory insurance, section 10 SGB V, family insurance, section 236 SGB V, assessment basis
- GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on 2026 reference figures
If you want to place your own situation, you can use the Academycon online check.
Related guides
- Krankenkassen für Studierende: alle Kassen im Überblick (in German)
- Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen und was Studierende zahlen (in German)
- Krankenkasse wechseln als Student: Fristen, Ablauf und Sonderkündigungsrecht (in German)
- Studieren mit 30: Chancen, Finanzierung und Alltag (in German)
- BKK Faber-Castell & Partner für Studierende: Beitrag, Aufnahme und Fakten (in German)
- BKK firmus für Studenten 2026: Beitrag, ab 30, Leistungen (in German)
- Werkstudent: 20-Stunden-Regel, Rentenversicherung und Semesterferien (in German)
- Familienversicherung im Studium (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
