VIACTIV student health insurance costs you 153.98 € a month in 2026 if you are under 23 or have a child, and 159.11 € from age 23 without a child. The VIACTIV additional contribution is 4.19 %. Student cover ends with the semester of your 30th birthday, after which the voluntary minimum without a child is 295.17 €.
VIACTIV student health insurance: the key figures
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Additional contribution 2026 | 4.19 % |
| Open to | nationwide, company health insurance fund (Betriebskrankenkasse) |
| Student insurance under 23 (health and care) | 153.98 € per month |
| Student insurance from 23, no children (health and care) | 159.11 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, no children | 295.17 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, with a child | 287.26 € per month |
| Source and date | Additional contribution from the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list; amounts calculated by us; as of 24 October 2026 |
These amounts apply to compulsory statutory student insurance. The additional contribution is set by each fund and can change. The rate that VIACTIV itself publishes is the binding one.
What does VIACTIV student health insurance cost?
VIACTIV provides statutory student health insurance (KVdS, Krankenversicherung der Studierenden) under one 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. Here is the calculation step by step:
- Basis: 855.00 € per month (475 € basic need plus 380 € housing allowance).
- Basic contribution: 10.22 % of 855.00 € gives 87.38 €. This rate is seven tenths of the general contribution rate of 14.6 %.
- VIACTIV additional contribution: 4.19 % of 855.00 € gives 35.82 €.
- Health insurance: 87.38 € plus 35.82 € gives 123.20 €.
- Care insurance: 30.78 € (3.6 %) under 23 or with a child, 35.91 € (4.2 %) without a child from 23.
- Total: 153.98 € under 23 or with a child, 159.11 € without a child from 23.
One percentage point of additional contribution equals 8.55 € a month for students. The table of all funds is in our guide Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen und was Studierende zahlen (in German).
What applies with VIACTIV from 25 and from 30?
Family insurance ends at 25
Until your 25th birthday you can be insured as a family member through a parent who is a member of a statutory fund, as long as your total income in 2026 is no more than 565 € a month, or 603 € for a mini-job (§ 10 SGB V). The age limit can be extended only for periods of statutory or voluntary service, not for study periods. From your 23rd birthday the care surcharge for people without children applies, which is 5.13 € more a month. More on this in our glossary entry Family insurance during studies (in German).
Student insurance ends at 30
Compulsory student insurance ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30 (§ 5 para. 1 no. 9 SGB V). Since 2020 there is no maximum number of subject semesters, so the age limit is decisive. An extension is possible if the type of training or personal reasons justify going beyond the limit. The fund reviews each case individually. Details are in Health insurance as a student over 30 (in German) and Studying at 30 (in German).
The voluntary minimum contribution after student insurance ends is calculated as follows:
- Minimum assessment basis: 1,318.33 € per month.
- Health insurance: 14.0 % plus the 4.19 % additional contribution gives 18.19 %, which is 239.80 €.
- Care insurance: 4.2 % without a child gives 55.37 €; 3.6 % with a child gives 47.46 €.
- Total: 295.17 € without a child (239.80 € plus 55.37 €), 287.26 € with a child (239.80 € plus 47.46 €).
What applies to working students and mini-job earners at VIACTIV?
| Situation | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Working student up to 20 hours a week | Student insurance continues. Details in Working student: the 20-hour rule (in German). |
| Mini-job alongside studies | Earnings up to 603 € a month do not affect family insurance up to age 25. The fund assesses individual cases. |
| Permanently more than 20 hours a week | Compulsory insurance as an employee may apply. See the same guide. |
Which additional benefits and bonus programmes does VIACTIV list for young insured people?
VIACTIV lists the following offers for students on its website. Each item shows its source and date.
- Sports courses: a grant of 550 euros a year towards taking part in sports courses. Source: viactiv.de, Versicherung für Studierende (in German), accessed 25 October 2026. The page gives no update date.
- Osteopathy: grant of up to 400 euros a year. Source: viactiv.de, Versicherung für Studierende (in German), accessed 25 October 2026, no update date.
- Professional teeth cleaning: grant of 30 euros, twice a year, with free choice of dental practice. Source: viactiv.de, Versicherung für Studierende (in German), accessed 25 October 2026, no update date.
- Travel vaccinations: according to the page, the costs of recommended vaccinations are covered at 100 per cent. The page names no euro amount. Source: viactiv.de, Versicherung für Studierende (in German), accessed 25 October 2026, no update date.
- Bonus programme: the page mentions premiums but names no amounts. Source: viactiv.de, Versicherung für Studierende (in German), accessed 25 October 2026, no update date.
Which offers suit you depends on your situation. The current conditions are set out in the VIACTIV statutes and on its website. The statutory benefits catalogue is largely the same at all statutory funds.
How do you switch to VIACTIV?
You register with VIACTIV, and the new fund takes care of cancelling your current membership. The deadlines are set by § 175 SGB V:
- Right to choose: from age 15 you may choose your fund freely. As a student you must choose your fund within two weeks of the start of compulsory insurance.
- Application: submit the application to VIACTIV. The new fund’s notification replaces the cancellation, and confirmation from your previous fund follows within two weeks at the latest.
- Notice period: membership ends at the end of the second calendar month after notice is given. Anyone who gives notice in January switches on 1 April.
- Binding period: 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 may terminate by the end of the month from which the higher rate applies. Termination takes effect only once you can prove other cover.
Switching health insurance as a student (in German) explains the process in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a student tariff at VIACTIV?
Students are covered by statutory student health insurance under one formula. For 2026, with the additional contribution of 4.19 %, the health insurance part is 123.20 € a month. With care insurance it is 153.98 € under 23 or 159.11 € from 23 without a child.
What is the VIACTIV additional contribution in 2026?
According to the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list it is 4.19 %. Applied to the 855 € assessment basis, this is 35.82 € a month. The average additional contribution is 2.9 %.
How long am I covered by family insurance at VIACTIV?
As a student until your 25th birthday, if your total income in 2026 is no more than 565 € a month, or 603 € for a mini-job. After that, student insurance usually follows.
What does VIACTIV cost after 30?
After student insurance ends, the voluntary minimum contribution in 2026 is 295.17 € a month without a child and 287.26 € with a child, each including care insurance. Higher income raises the contribution.
Can I stay with VIACTIV as a working student?
Up to 20 hours a week, student insurance continues. If you work more than that on a permanent basis, compulsory insurance as an employee can arise.
When can I leave VIACTIV again?
In principle after a binding period of twelve months. If the additional contribution rises, you can leave earlier under the special right of termination.
Sources
- GKV-Spitzenverband, fund list (additional contribution of VIACTIV, as of 24 October 2026)
- VIACTIV, Versicherung für Studierende (in German) (grants and bonus information, accessed 25 October 2026, no update date)
- § 175 SGB V (in German), § 5 SGB V (in German), § 10 SGB V (in German)
- GKV-Spitzenverband, Faktenblatt Rechengrößen 2026 (in German)
If you want to classify your own situation, you can use the Academycon Online Check (in German).
Related reading
- Health insurance funds for students: all funds at a glance
- Additional contribution 2026 for all funds and what students pay (in German)
- Switching health insurance as a student (in German)
- Studying at 30 (in German)
- Working student: the 20-hour rule (in German)
- Family insurance during studies (in German)
- BKK Dürkopp Adler for students (in German)
- BKK Linde for students (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
