Private Insurance (PKV) for Students in Germany

Private cover is the usual route for students outside the compulsory student insurance of the public system (GKV): participants in language courses and the Studienkolleg (these do not count as university studies for GKV), students aged 30 or over who have never been insured in German GKV, and students under 30 who opt out of GKV with an exemption — for example for a short exchange stay. If you turn 30 while insured in GKV, your membership normally continues as voluntary insurance (about €273–€291/month) unless you opt out. The former 14-semester limit was abolished in 2020; only age counts.

Entry plans start at €27.50/month (Care College Basic). Across the 5 private student tariffs we list, entry prices range from €27.50 to €79 per month; higher plan levels of the same tariff cost more. What you pay depends on the plan level and your age. For comparison, the GKV student rate is €139.28–€151.42/month in 2026.

Yes. According to the insurers, every private student tariff we list meets the requirements for a German student visa. The insurer — not student-insurance.com — issues the insurance certificate you submit with your application. For enrolment at a university you also need an electronic notice from a German public insurer (see the next question).

If you are under 30 and enrol in a degree, you are compulsorily insured in GKV. To use a private plan instead, apply to any public insurer (Krankenkasse) for an exemption within three months of the start of your compulsory insurance — usually the start of the semester — and show proof of your private cover. The insurer reports the exemption electronically to your university. The exemption cannot be revoked and applies for your entire studies (§ 8 SGB V).

It depends on when you took out the private plan. If a public insurer exempted you from compulsory insurance at enrolment, the exemption cannot be revoked — you stay privately insured for the rest of your studies. If you had private cover before your degree (for example for a language course or the Studienkolleg) and enrol in a degree before turning 30, you become compulsorily insured in GKV and can cancel the private plan.

All 5 private student tariffs we list cover medically necessary doctor visits, hospital treatment, prescribed medication and dental pain relief — often with caps or co-payments. The differences are in the details: outpatient psychotherapy is included in only 2 of the 5 tariffs (in at least one plan level), dental prosthetics and glasses are limited or excluded in entry plans, and in 3 tariffs childbirth is covered only after a waiting period of up to 8 months. Check the terms on each tariff page.