Student Health Insurance in Germany: A Complete Guide for Foreigners

The importance of health insurance in Germany for students is twofold. The law in Germany requires everyone to have health insurance including international students, visiting researchers, and those taking language courses. A crucial need for your student visa and university enrollment is proof of health insurance. In most situations, low-cost public insurance is available to foreign students who are enrolled in degree programs in Germany.

Public or private health insurance in Germany covers the following services for students:

• Treatment in a hospital
• Doctor's appointments
• The use of prescription drugs
• Wheelchairs, hearing aids, or further assistance
• Cancer screening
• Dental check-ups
• Dental procedures like dentures and crowns

Some businesses might provide supplemental insurance with a marginally higher cost, including liability insurance, international travel insurance, coverage for contraception, and supplemental dental care, among other things.

There are two forms of health insurance available in Germany: public (mandated) and private. Depending on your age and academic standing, you may be qualified for either public or private health insurance.

Public Health Insurance

Most foreign students studying in Germany have access to public health insurance. Almost 90% of German citizens are enrolled in a public health insurance program.

Techniker Krankenkasse is one of the most well-liked public health insurance providers among international students (TK). This is a result of the business's reasonable monthly donations (about €105/month) and top-notch customer support.

You may enroll in the public/statutory health insurance program if you are under 30 and have been admitted to a degree program in Germany, such as a BA or MA.

Private Health Insurance

International students over 30 years old studying in Germany who are not entitled to government-sponsored health insurance must enroll in a private health insurance plan. Ph.D. students are typically affected by this. You must get a private health insurance policy in Germany that is appropriate for overseas students if you fall into one of the following categories:

• You are older than 30
• You are taking a preparatory or language course
• Scholars, postgraduate students, and guest scientists (without a contract of employment)

The basic services that private health insurance and public health insurance in Germany cover are the same. With private health insurance, you do have the option to "customize" your plan more. With rising services and costs, numerous suppliers provide basic, medium, and luxury packages. Private health insurance has the distinction of not covering any illnesses or events that occurred before you were covered by the firm. This covers, for instance, pregnancy and chronic conditions. Another crucial thing to bear in mind is that with private health insurance, you are responsible for paying your own doctor, prescription, and treatment fees before turning in the receipt to your insurance company.

In Germany, foreign students enrolled in preparatory or language programs are not eligible for public health insurance because they are still not considered students enrolled in degree-granting programs. Instead, a private insurance provider is where they must acquire student health insurance. After completing their prerequisite coursework, individuals can apply for public health insurance and enroll at the German institution of their choice.

A public health insurance company will charge overseas students between €103.94 and €111.75 per month for health insurance in Germany that includes both long-term care insurance and basic medical treatment.

Starting at about €33 per month, the price of private health insurance in Germany rises based on the extra services you choose and if you plan to stay for 18 months or more.

Depending on your age, location, and health status, the premium may vary.

It's not difficult to obtain health insurance in Germany as an exchange student. Typically, exchange students only stay in Germany for one semester at a time. These students may be able to use their European Health Insurance Card to pay for medical services. However, since exchange students frequently enroll in degree programs, they are qualified to enroll in public (statutory) health insurance and benefit from the student discount just like other full-time international students in Germany.

Since German Ph.D. students are often older than 30 years old, they are not covered by the government's health insurance program. Whether or not PhD students are employed by their university determines the type of health insurance that they are eligible for. The two types of PhD students are as follows:

• PhD candidates who work for the university
• PhD candidates who are not university employees

If you are from one of the following nations, you are excused from purchasing health insurance in Germany because health insurance purchased it is also valid in Germany:

• An EU State
• Norway
• Switzerland
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Israel
• Morocco
• Macedonia
• Montenegro
• Serbia
• Tunisia
• Turkey

If you are from one of the specified nations, you may utilize the health insurance coverage you now have there.

In Germany, there are over 113 public health insurance companies (known as Krankenkassen). You are free to select the one that best suits you. To let the business, know your choice, all you have to do is give them a call. When you contact them, they will walk you through the process, fees, and paperwork you need to submit. Also, a lot of them have an online application process. Moreover, an email with a downloadable PDF version of your student health insurance certificate will be sent to you.

You must individually contact your private health insurance company and get a certificate in order to show that you have student health insurance in Germany. This certificate should include information on your insurance policy, such as how much and how long it covers.

The majority of the time, health insurance companies will be able to supply you with the necessary documentation and will be able to provide you with the information you need.

Even if you have a private health insurance policy, you must still show documentation that you have been exempt from statutory or public health insurance and that your current private policy satisfies the standards by visiting a public health insurance provider in your neighborhood. This also holds true if you currently have a respectable health insurance program through your nation of residence (only applicable to the countries that have social security agreements with Germany).

In the event of an accident or illness, health insurance in Germany guarantees that the expenses for medical care and prescription drugs won't have to be covered privately. In Germany, it is required by law to have health insurance. When enrolling, international students must show documentation of their health insurance.