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Health Insurance

In Germany, every student is obliged to have health insurance. Please note that the Philipps-Universität will ask you to present a written proof which states that you are insured. Without this proof, you will not be accepted for enrolment. Germany holds so-called social insurance agreements with several states. Among these states are the member states of the EU and EEA,  Macedonia and Switzerland. If you hold citizenship of one of these countries and are insured in your home country, your insurance coverage can normally be recognized as equivalent to German standards.

Students from the EU must, in general, present their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to obtain recognition. You receive this card from your health insurance company; your company should not charge you for issuing the card.

Find out more on the EHI Card on this EU website

Are you insured with a private health insurance company in your home country? Under certain conditions, your private health insurance can be accepted in Germany, too. It is imperative in all of the above mentioned cases that you need a certificate issued by a German statutory health insurance company that confirms that you are exempted from buying a health  insurance in Germany. You will have to submit this certificate to your university in order to be enrolled. Students whose health insurance ‘from home’ is not considered as equivalent to German requirements need to acquire a German health insurance. As long as you are under the age of 30 (or as long as you have not studied for more than 14 semesters), you can insure with one of the numerous statutory health insurance companies – they offer favorably priced student rates (approx. 80,00 € per month).

Are you older than 30 years or have you passed your 14th semester? In this case, you may still buy your health insurance from a statutory company, yet you most likely will have to pay a higher monthly contribution (at least 160,00 € per month).

Of course, you may also conclude an insurance policy with a private health insurance company in Germany, but you should know and bear in mind that if you do so you cannot switch to a statutory health insurance scheme while still studying. Being insured with a private company also means that you will first have to pay for medical services and pharmaceuticals and will be reimbursed by your insurance carrier afterwards.

Students who attend the Studienkolleg and students who prepare for the DSH exam are not eligible for statutory health insurance. They are required to obtain a private health insurance. With the beginning of their studies, they can switch to the statutory scheme (as long as they are under the age of 30).

Visit the DAAD website to ckeck out the rules for health insurance in Germany