ZF BKK student health insurance costs you 147.23 € a month in 2026 if you are under 23 or have a child, and 152.36 € from age 23 without a child. The ZF BKK additional contribution is 3.40 %. Student cover ends with the semester of your 30th birthday, after which the voluntary minimum without a child is 284.76 €.
ZF BKK is open to students with a place of residence or study in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The list of the GKV-Spitzenverband is decisive. The student page of the fund does not name a federal state.
ZF BKK student health insurance: the key figures
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Additional contribution 2026 | 3.40 % |
| Open to | regional: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia |
| Student insurance under 23 (health and care) | 147.23 € per month |
| Student insurance from 23, no children (health and care) | 152.36 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, no children | 284.76 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, with a child | 276.85 € 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 ZF BKK itself publishes is the binding one.
What does ZF BKK student health insurance cost?
ZF BKK 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. The fund states the individual amounts of 116.45 € for health insurance and of 30.78 € and 35.91 € for care insurance on its page. The calculation:
- 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 %.
- ZF BKK additional contribution: 3.40 % of 855.00 € gives 29.07 €.
- Health insurance: 87.38 € plus 29.07 € gives 116.45 €.
- Care insurance: 30.78 € (3.6 %) under 23 or with a child, 35.91 € (4.2 %) without a child from 23.
- Total: 147.23 € under 23 or with a child, 152.36 € 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 ZF BKK 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 fund’s page states that family insurance ends at age 25, with an extension if you have completed compulsory military or voluntary service. 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. The fund names voluntary insurance for people over 30. 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 3.40 % additional contribution gives 17.40 %, which is 229.39 €.
- Care insurance: 4.2 % without a child gives 55.37 €; 3.6 % with a child gives 47.46 €.
- Total: 284.76 € without a child (229.39 € plus 55.37 €), 276.85 € with a child (229.39 € plus 47.46 €).
What applies to working students and mini-job earners at ZF BKK?
| Situation | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Working student up to 20 hours a week | The fund’s page says a working student job is possible regardless of earnings, but for no more than 20 hours a week. Details in Working student: the 20-hour rule (in German). |
| Mini-job alongside studies | The earnings limit for a mini-job is 603 € a month according to the page, regardless of the number of hours. |
| Family insurance | If your monthly income exceeds 565 €, family insurance may end. |
Which additional benefits and bonus programmes does ZF BKK list for young insured people?
ZF BKK lists the following offers on its student page. The page is in English; the details have been translated here.
- Health bonus: 10 euros per prevention measure or health-promoting activity, with no upper limit. Source: ZF BKK, students (English page), accessed 25 October 2026. The page gives no update date.
- Travel vaccinations: grant of up to 250 euros a year. Source: ZF BKK, students (English page), accessed 25 October 2026, no update date.
- Optional premium payment: up to 350 euros a year if no benefits other than preventive check-ups are claimed. Source: ZF BKK, students (English page), accessed 25 October 2026, no update date.
- Alternative medicine: refund of up to 100 euros a year. Source: ZF BKK, students (English page), accessed 25 October 2026, no update date.
- HPV vaccination: full cost coverage according to the page, regardless of age. Source: ZF BKK, students (English page), accessed 25 October 2026, no update date.
Which offers suit you depends on your situation. The current conditions are set out in the ZF BKK statutes and on its website. The statutory benefits catalogue is largely the same at all statutory funds.
How do you switch to ZF BKK?
You register with ZF BKK, 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 ZF BKK. 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 ZF BKK?
Students are covered by statutory student health insurance under one formula. For 2026, with the additional contribution of 3.40 %, the health insurance part is 116.45 € a month. With care insurance it is 147.23 € under 23 or 152.36 € from 23 without a child.
What is the ZF BKK additional contribution in 2026?
According to the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list it is 3.40 %. Applied to the 855 € assessment basis, this is 29.07 € a month. The average additional contribution is 2.9 %.
How long am I covered by family insurance at ZF BKK?
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 ZF BKK cost after 30?
After student insurance ends, the voluntary minimum contribution in 2026 is 284.76 € a month without a child and 276.85 € with a child, each including care insurance. Higher income raises the contribution.
Can I stay with ZF BKK 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 ZF BKK 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 (in German) (additional contribution of ZF BKK, as of 24 October 2026)
- ZF BKK, students (English page) (individual amounts, age limits, working students, bonus offers, 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.
