Health Insurance

Mandatory for everyone in Germany. Compare English-friendly digital providers alongside traditional statutory options.

Public or private, and why it matters more than the price

Germany runs two parallel health insurance systems and roughly 90 percent of residents are in the public one. Public insurance, the gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, charges a premium based on income rather than health, covers family members at no extra cost, and cannot refuse you or price you differently because of a pre-existing condition.

Private insurance prices on age and health instead. For someone young and healthy it can look considerably cheaper, and the service differences are real: shorter waits for specialist appointments and broader treatment options. The trade-off is that premiums rise with age, every family member needs a separate policy, and returning to the public system later is difficult and sometimes impossible.

For students the decision is effectively permanent. You may apply for an exemption from statutory insurance in order to take a private policy, but that exemption binds you for the whole duration of your studies. Entry-level private plans advertised at €30 or €40 a month are usually travel-style products with limited coverage and exclusions, and by the time that becomes apparent you cannot switch back.

What it costs in 2026

Every statutory insurer charges the same base premium of €87.38 for students, because the rate is set by law rather than by the insurer. With long-term care insurance and the supplementary contribution added, the total lands at roughly €141 a month.

That means comparing public insurers on price is close to pointless, since the difference between the cheapest and most expensive is a few euros. What genuinely differs is service: English-language support, campus presence, the quality of the app, and how easily you can get a human to answer a question. For an international student in their first year those things are worth more than the price gap.

The student rate ends the month after your 30th birthday, or once you exceed your 14th subject semester. At that point you move to voluntary statutory insurance at roughly €240 to €275 a month. If you are approaching either threshold with time left on your course, budget for it now rather than discovering it on a payslip.

Getting insured, in order

Insurance is needed earlier than most people realise. Proof of cover forms part of the visa application, so it must exist before your embassy appointment, which is usually before you have a German address or bank account.

The workable sequence is to take a short incoming or travel policy to cover the visa application and your first days, then switch to German public insurance once you arrive and enrol. Treat the incoming policy as a bridge rather than a destination, because universities require confirmation from a recognised German insurer for enrolment and immigration offices increasingly check the same.

Your insurer issues a Versicherungsbescheinigung, the confirmation certificate. That document, not a payment receipt or an app screenshot, is what your university and the immigration office want to see.

Which insurer to pick

If you are a student under 30 and enrolled on a degree programme, take public insurance. It is cheaper than any equivalent private cover, it cannot be withdrawn, and it removes the risk of a decision you cannot reverse. Choose between the public insurers on English-language support rather than price.

If you are employed, your employer handles enrolment and deducts contributions from payroll, splitting the cost with you. Below the earnings threshold the public system is mandatory in any case.

If you are freelancing or self-employed you have a genuine choice, and it is worth taking advice. Public premiums are income-based with a minimum floor, while private premiums depend on your age and health today and will rise over time.

If you are here for under a year and returning home afterwards, an international or incoming policy may be appropriate, but confirm in writing that your specific visa type accepts it before relying on it.

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