Health insurance information

Compulsory health insurance for students and registration obligation of the university

• All students at German universities are subject to compulsory health insurance. As a rule, they are subject to compulsory health insurance until the end of their 14th semester, but at the   latest until the end of the semester in which they reach the age of 30. After that, there is the possibility of voluntary continued insurance.
• The universities have a duty to report to the statutory health insurance funds. This is regulated in detail by the Student Health Insurance Notification Ordinance of March 27, 1996.
• In addition to the completion of each enrollment, the universities notify the health insurance funds of all de-registrations that have taken place. The health insurance funds report to the universities cases in which the insured status changes. In addition, the health insurance companies notify the universities of the termination of an insurance relationship and the non-fulfillment of imposed obligations (payment of contributions), which leads to the denial of enrollment or re-enrollment.

European Insurance Card for International Students:

    To enroll, you must present proof of health insurance. You can obtain this proof either from a German statutory health insurance company (if you have health insurance in Germany) or from your health insurance company in your home country. There you will receive a European Insurance Card (please submit a copy).

Health Insurance Verification

Before enrolling, applicants must contact a statutory health insurance company to obtain an insurance certificate for the semester for which they wish to enroll.

The health insurance company will either issue a certificate stating,

•     that the person concerned is insured (= certificate of enrollment at the university) or
•     that the person concerned is exempt from compulsory insurance or is not subject to compulsory insurance (exemption certificate).

The insurance certificate must be submitted with the application documents to the university, i.e. no enrollment can take place without an insurance certificate from a statutory health insurance company!

Private health insurance companies are not health insurance companies in the sense of the Social Security Code, which regulates health insurance for students. Therefore, privately insured students must also contact a statutory health insurance company to obtain the required proof for enrollment.