Health insurance for foreign students in Germany — GKV, private & Care Student

Pakistan (Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore), India (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Türkiye, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Ukraine, Russia, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia, North Macedonia and Albania.

Used since 2009 by foreign students at TU Berlin, LMU Munich, Heidelberg, RWTH Aachen, Goethe Frankfurt and most German universities — typically accepted at matriculation and by the Ausländerbehörde under § 5 AufenthG.

As a rule, GKV (statutory) is the default for foreign degree students under 30. DAK-Gesundheit student tariff costs ~145–150 €/month including long-term care; it ships the M10 notification to the university automatically and gives you the electronic health card (eGK). Private student insurance (Care Student) is only the right path for students who are over 30, filed a GKV exemption (Befreiung), or are on a PhD programme. Individual case review applies.

The M10 is an electronic message that the Krankenkasse (e.g. DAK-Gesundheit) or recognised private insurer sends directly to the German university. Since 2022 paper insurance certificates are no longer accepted at matriculation — the M10 is the only valid format. DAK-Gesundheit and Care Student both ship the M10 automatically once the policy is active, so the matriculation office sees the proof before the appointment.

DAK-Gesundheit student tariff: from 135,52 €/month for students with a child, ~150,65 €/month for childless students aged 23+, including the statutory long-term-care contribution. Care Student (private, HanseMerkur): 101,54 €/month total — 35 € outpatient/inpatient + 58,04 € hospital + 8,50 € long-term care — with a 300 €/year deductible. Both are M10-recognised by German universities; the choice depends on age (under or over 30) and the GKV exemption decision.

Generally no. Foreign travel insurance bought in the home country (Indian, Turkish, Pakistani, Nigerian, Filipino, Brazilian) is typically not accepted by the German embassy for the national D-visa for studies, nor by the Ausländerbehörde under § 5 AufenthG. EU/EEA students with a valid EHIC card are the exception. For everyone else, DAK-Gesundheit (GKV, under 30) or Care Student / Care College (private) are the standard substitutes — both ship a bilingual German + English certificate ready for the embassy file.

Pure language-school and Studienkolleg students do not qualify for the GKV student tariff — universities and the Ausländerbehörde require a recognised private plan instead. Care College from 27,50 €/month (under 30) is the standard product for the language-course and study-preparation visa, accepted by Studienkollegs nationwide. Once you matriculate into the regular degree programme you switch to DAK-Gesundheit (under 30) or Care Student (over 30 / GKV-exempt).

Yes. The Befreiung von der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung is filed once with the chosen Krankenkasse within the first three months of the semester. Once granted, it locks the student out of statutory student insurance for the entire degree programme — no return path, even after a job, a Werkstudent contract or a switch of subject. Most students under 30 should stay in GKV (DAK-Gesundheit) unless a recognised tax adviser or insurance broker explicitly recommends the exemption. Individual case review applies; not legal advice.

If your weekly hours stay below 20 during semester time, the student GKV tariff (DAK-Gesundheit ~150 €/month) continues unchanged. Above 20 hours per week or above the mini-job earnings threshold, you typically switch to the regular employee GKV tariff (≈ 17.8 % of gross, split between employer and employee). The Krankenkasse re-classifies you automatically once the employer files the new DEÜV message; the M10 stays valid until de-enrolment. Mini-job side income (Minijob im Studium) below the earnings threshold does not change the student tariff. Semester breaks (Semesterferien) keep the cover continuous — there is no pause, no refund of contributions during the lecture-free weeks. At the end of studies the de-enrolment (Exmatrikulation) terminates the GKV student tariff automatically on the day matriculation ends; the next product is either employee GKV (job offer), §-16 AufenthG jobseeker cover, or Care Expatriate for a longer transition phase.

Exchange students on a stipend or Erasmus grant typically keep student status during their Auslandssemester — DAK-Gesundheit (under 30) or Care Student (over 30 / GKV-exempt) are the standard products. PhD candidates with a research-employment contract at a German university or Max-Planck institute are employees, not students — regular GKV via the employer applies (≈ 17.8 % of gross). A Doktorandenversicherung funded by a Promotionsstipendium (DAAD, DFG, Humboldt, Konrad-Adenauer) stays in the student / private path — DAK-Gesundheit under 30 or Care Student over 30. Caseworker discretion applies; not legal advice.

No. Health insurance is mandatory and is not free for international students in Germany. The statutory student tariff (DAK-Gesundheit, Techniker Krankenkasse, Barmer, AOK and other GKV Krankenkassen) costs roughly 135–150 €/month for foreign degree students under 30, including the statutory long-term-care contribution. The recognised private student path (Care Student, HanseMerkur) is 101,54 €/month total. Language-school and Studienkolleg students typically use Care College from 27,50 €/month. EU/EEA students with a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) can use that cover for the first months but most German universities still ask for a Krankenversicherungsnachweis or M10.

There is no single 'best' Krankenkasse — § 5 SGB V requires every recognised GKV to offer essentially the same student tariff and benefit catalogue, so DAK-Gesundheit, Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), Barmer, AOK and BKK funds all cover the same statutory benefits at a similar premium (~135–150 €/month). The differences are service language (English hotline, English app), how fast the M10 reaches the matriculation office, and bonus programmes. Foreign degree students under 30 normally pick DAK-Gesundheit through us because of its English-language enrolment file and automatic M10 to the university. Over-30 students, GKV-exempt students or PhD candidates on a stipend should compare Care Student (101,54 €/month, HanseMerkur) against MAWISTA, Hallesche and DKV private student plans for benefit and recognition fit.

GKV student tariffs (DAK-Gesundheit, TK, Barmer, AOK, BKK) include the statutory dental benefit catalogue under § 28 SGB V — annual check-up, fillings, plus the statutory share for prosthetics; cosmetic dentistry is excluded. Pregnancy, prenatal care and birth are fully covered as statutory benefits. Care Student (HanseMerkur) covers outpatient and inpatient dental treatment plus maternity care within the agreed terms and waiting periods. Care College's outpatient dental benefit is capped per tariff tier — see the bilingual policy terms. Caseworker discretion applies; not insurance advice.

Under § 5 SGB V every recognised statutory fund offers the same student benefit catalogue. That means Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), Barmer, AOK and the BKK funds all sit at roughly the same price for foreign students — around 135–150 €/month including the long-term-care contribution. A side-by-side comparison of Krankenkassen for students mostly comes down to the English service hotline, the quality of the app and how quickly the M10 reaches the matriculation office. New applicants who enrol with us default to DAK-Gesundheit because of its bilingual enrolment file and reliable M10 delivery.

Recognised private student insurance in Germany (sometimes labelled Incoming student insurance) is only required when the statutory path is closed — typically for students over 30, those with a § 8 SGB V exemption or PhD researchers on a contract outside the student tariff. The market includes MAWISTA, the older Mawista-Barmer combination, HanseMerkur, Hallesche, DKV and short-stay travel products such as Allianz Travel. To be accepted at matriculation, any private student plan must include outpatient and inpatient care plus the statutory long-term-care contribution. Our recommended package is Care Student (underwritten by HanseMerkur) at 101,54 €/month all-in.

Stipend-funded researchers without an employment contract stay in the student or private path. A doctoral student health insurance (Doktorandenversicherung) tied to a Promotionsstipendium — whether the grant comes from DAAD, DFG, the Humboldt Foundation or Fulbright — typically means DAK-Gesundheit under 30 or Care Student over 30; both are M10-recognised as proof of cover during the doctorate. A PhD candidate on a regular employment contract instead enters employee GKV (around 17.8 % of gross). The same logic applies to a research stay or a visiting-scholar appointment in Germany: if the role is paid by stipend it stays in the student path, if it is paid by payroll it follows the employee rules.

For a Studienkolleg place or a Sprachkurs, the Hochschule needs a Krankenversicherungsnachweis showing a recognised plan; pure language-school students do not qualify for the statutory student tariff. Care College for language courses in Germany (from 27,50 €/month under 30) is the product Studienkollegs accept for matriculation and for the residence permit. It covers the whole language-preparation phase and the study-preparation visa period, until you switch to DAK-Gesundheit or Care Student the moment regular matriculation begins.

A Werkstudent job keeps you inside the student tariff as long as the weekly hours stay below 20 during lecture periods — the contribution is the usual DAK-Gesundheit rate of around 150 €/month. A Minijob during studies with side income below the earnings threshold also keeps the student tariff. Cover during the Semesterferien runs without interruption — there is no pause and no refund during the lecture-free weeks. At Exmatrikulation the GKV student tariff ends on the day matriculation closes; the next step is either employee GKV (with a job offer), the jobseeker cover under § 16 AufenthG or Care Expatriate for a longer transition phase.

The recognition rules are the same worldwide, but D-visa caseworkers handle very different volumes by country. India and China are the two largest sending nations for foreign students in Germany, followed by Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Nigeria, Brazil and Indonesia. In every case the German embassy and the Ausländerbehörde accept DAK-Gesundheit (under 30) or Care Student and Care College on the private side — home-country travel cover is not accepted for the student visa file.

The monthly cost depends on the route. The DAK-Gesundheit student tariff runs between 135 € and 150 € per month including long-term care, Care Student is fixed at 101,54 € per month all-in (Pflegeversicherung included) and Care College starts at 27,50 € per month under 30 for the Basic language-course tier. On paper the cheapest option is Care College, but it is only valid during the Studienkolleg or Sprachkurs phase before matriculation into a regular degree. The cheapest recognised plan during actual studies is Care Student for over-30 or GKV-exempt students. Health insurance for international students is mandatory in Germany and is never free.

§ 5 SGB V sets the Krankenversicherungspflicht — the legal duty for matriculated students under 30 to hold statutory cover. Since 2022 the only valid enrolment proof is the M10, an electronic message sent by the Krankenkasse to the university. DAK-Gesundheit or a recognised private insurer like HanseMerkur (for Care Student) transmits the M10 directly to the matriculation office. The Krankenkasse then issues the electronic health card (eGK), which the student uses at every German doctor and hospital. The opt-out is the Befreiung von der Versicherungspflicht under § 8 SGB V — a one-off, irreversible filing in the first three months of the semester, most relevant for students over 30 whose GKV exemption decision sends them into the recognised private path.

Erasmus and exchange students from the EU or EEA can rely on the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) during the first months of an Auslandssemester, but most German universities still ask for a Krankenversicherungsnachweis at matriculation. Erasmus participants therefore usually pair the EHIC with a short top-up policy or a brief DAK-Gesundheit enrolment to satisfy the registrar. Foreign guest students on a short visiting-scholar exchange typically take Care Economy or Care College depending on how long the stay lasts.

For the student visa the German embassy expects two things together: a blocked account (BASTI from 4,90 €/month) holding the 11,904 € annual living-cost proof, and a recognised health insurance plan. After arrival, the Bürgeramt Anmeldung is needed for the residence permit, and the same DAK-Gesundheit or Care Student certificate works for both steps. For students under the age-30 limit on the GKV tariff, the practical answer to “how do I get student health insurance in Germany?” is a ten-minute online enrolment with DAK-Gesundheit. When people ask which plan offers the best English service or simply which is the best for international students, our default recommendation is still DAK-Gesundheit because of its M10 speed and bilingual enrolment file.

Yes. Dental basics for international students — an annual check-up, fillings and the statutory share of prosthetics — and pregnancy care — prenatal visits, birth and the maternity stay — are part of the standard benefit catalogue in both the GKV student tariff with DAK-Gesundheit and the recognised private Care Student plan from HanseMerkur. Cosmetic dentistry, adult orthodontics and other elective procedures remain out of scope under § 28 SGB V; Care Student applies the agreed waiting periods. See the dental and maternity FAQ above for the full breakdown.