1. German Health Insurance for My Visa Application

1.1 Do I Need Health Insurance and, If So, Which One Should I Get for My German Student Visa?

Health insurance in Germany is mandatory for anyone entering the country without a tourist visa or for nationals of certain countries.

Most types of permanent visas require health insurance or travel health insurance, because it's mandatory for anyone residing in Germany — including international students — to have medical insurance.

The German health insurance system consists of public and private providers. International students have several options for complying with mandatory health insurance, depending on the duration and purpose of their stay.

However, depending on the courses and programs, German regulations allow students to opt for different types of health insurance. Only a specific residence status will give you access to the public system.

In this article, we'll talk about all groups of international students who plan to study in Germany. We'll advise you so you can choose appropriate health insurance for your studies in Germany:

• Health insurance for international students (full-time bachelor's and master's)
• Health insurance for language course students
• Health insurance for preparatory course students (Studienkolleg)
• Health insurance for exchange students

1.2 Which Insurance Is Essential for My German Visa Application?

There are two types of health insurance for international students:

1. Public/statutory health insurance = gesetzliche Krankenversicherung or GKV for short (German)
2. Private health insurance = private Krankenversicherung or PKV for short (German)

Below, EDUBAO will present the two types of health insurance for your visa application.

Travel Health Insurance for the Entry Visa

International students must present a health insurance certificate covering the travel period and up to 6 months of their stay in Germany.

So, private travel health insurance is always the right choice to be insured during this initial period, because:

• It's easy to obtain when you're still in another country.
• No additional steps or documents are necessary.
• Not offered by public insurance.

Let's say you've decided to enroll at a German university and obtain a German student visa. You're still in your home country. In this case, you need travel health insurance for the travel period and the first few days, or even the first few months, until you enroll at the university. After enrollment, you can enter the public system — since it's open to bachelor's and master's students — or opt for private health insurance.

Public or Private Health Insurance for Extending Your Visa in Germany?

Public health insurance, which can also be called "statutory health insurance", is offered by state-owned providers. Coverage and pricing are strictly regulated by law and vary little from one provider to another and from one state to another.

Private health insurance, on the other hand, operates freely. It provides students with various additional services based on their demands and needs, for example, travel insurance, legal insurance, supplementary insurance, etc.

In most cases, international students are free to choose whether they want to be insured by the public or private sector.

The entry visa obtained from the German embassy in your home country is generally valid for six months. This means you need to extend your entry visa after enrolling at the university in order to get a visa for the entire duration of your studies.

For the visa extension, you must present a German health insurance certificate. The Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' registration office), which is responsible for extending your visa, will check whether you have comprehensive health insurance for the duration of your studies. However, there's no preference regarding the choice of insurance.

In the following section, we'll present in more detail the type of health insurance you can subscribe to as a:

• full-time bachelor's or master's student
• language course student
• preparatory course student
• exchange student

2. German Health Insurance for International Students

2.1 What Types of Health Insurance Can You Choose as an International Student?

As we mentioned above, students can choose between public and private health insurance in Germany.

In the first three months after obtaining your student status, you choose a health insurance. Make sure to make a smart decision because you won't be able to change it later. Once you've chosen one, you'll keep it until the end of your studies.

Note: There's no detailed list of statutory health insurance providers that lists all services individually. However, there's a statutory benefits catalog that includes relevant guidelines. The Social Code (SGB = Sozialgesetzbuch) specifies that insured persons can request benefits in case of illness.

The guidelines include:

• Medical, dental, and psychotherapeutic treatment of diseases (ärztliche und zahnärztliche Behandlung).
• Early detection and prevention of diseases (Früherkennungsuntersuchungen/Vorsorge).
• Home nursing care (Pflegebedürftigkeit).
• Rehabilitation measures and provision of medication (Rehabilitation).

2.2 As an International Student, How Much Do I Have to Pay Per Month?

Students must pay between 115€ and 125€ per month for their public health insurance, depending on the region where they're staying.

Nursing care insurance ("Pflegeversicherung" in German) and an additional contribution ("Zusatzbeitrag" in German) are included in the monthly fees.

Since 2020, students can remain insured via public health insurance even if their studies last more than 14 semesters. The regulation stating that students in their 15th semester must be privately insured is no longer in effect.

3. Health Insurance for Language Course and Preparatory Course Students

Health insurance is also mandatory for international students taking language courses in Germany. Generally, language courses or preparatory courses (Studienkolleg) last between one semester and one year, until students take the (language) exams and are admitted to German universities.

International students from these two groups aren't yet enrolled at a German higher education institution. Therefore, students only have the option of subscribing to private health insurance for the duration of the language course or preparatory course. Once admitted, they can contact a mandatory insurance provider to be fully insured for their studies and life in Germany.

4. Health Insurance for Exchange Students

German universities offer many exchange programs, not only for German students but also for international students. These programs include cultural trips, professional exchanges, and even opportunities to do internships at different universities or in other countries.

Moreover, students who come to Germany can benefit from the German education system, for example by participating in workshops, discovering German culture, and much more. The duration of exchange programs varies enormously depending on the program itself. However, these exchange programs are part of your studies, and students are always enrolled at their home university. The health insurance you'll need to choose as an exchange student will depend on your enrollment status in Germany or in your home country. Contact EDUBAO for advice.

5. What Should I Do After Arriving in Germany?

International students are required to follow these steps after arriving in Germany:

• Register your residence address in Germany at your city's registration office (Bürgeramt);
• Update your address with the blocked account and open a current account (Girokonto);
• Update your address with your health insurance provider and obtain another health insurance certificate for the next steps;
• Enroll at your university;
• Extend your student visa for up to 2 years at the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' registration office).

You must therefore provide your personal information to your health insurance provider after arriving in Germany to activate your health insurance. After activating your health insurance, you'll receive health insurance certificates for your university enrollment and for your visa extension.

Conclusion

We hope this article will help you choose the right health insurance as an international student in Germany. With EDUBAO, you don't have to worry about the insurance you need because we've already made the right choice for you at every step of the process! Don't hesitate to contact us for more information!