Public health insurance for international students under 30
What kind of health insurance do you need as a international student in Germany - and which one do we recommend?
Overview
Health insurance for international students from non-EU countries
Of course, compulsory insurance also applies to students who come to Germany from non-EU countries. Health insurance policies from non-EU countries are rarely recognized by German universities because they generally do not meet the requirements for statutory health insurance set by the EU. A similar problem applies when applying for a visa: health insurance must also meet a number of requirements.
TK for international students under 30
Visitors from non-EU countries must therefore usually take out health insurance if they wish to apply for a visa and study in Germany. The cheapest and most recommended option is to join the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK). TK is a German statutory health insurance company. Here you can find out why we recommend TK.
TK offers a low-cost student tariff that provides you and your accompanying family with the same health cover as a member who pays the full premium. This low-cost student tariff is available to anyone studying in Germany who is not yet 30 years old. As soon as you turn 30, you can remain insured with TK, but you will then pay the full membership fee. And in this case, there are better and cheaper alternatives. Our consulting tool will tell you what these are.
Why is TK ideal for foreign students under 30?
If you compare the various insurance offers for foreign students, you will find rates that, on the surface, appear to be cheaper than TK's student insurance.
When making your choice, however, you should not only pay attention to how much the insurance costs, but also to what it covers and whether it meets all existing requirements.
1. Guaranteed to be recognized by offices, authorities and universities
A simple, private travel health insurance policy does not usually meet all the requirements placed on it by authorities and universities. The main difference between standard travel health insurance and statutory health insurance is their purpose and function.
Travel health insurance is intended to protect against the high costs that can arise from necessary treatment and measures in the event of illness when traveling, i.e. for shorter stays abroad. Statutory health insurance, on the other hand, has the task of providing the insured person with both immediately necessary treatment and long-term health protection at the location where they are staying for a longer period of time, as in the case of studying.
The latter is also the reason why TK is guaranteed to be recognized by all authorities and universities: As a statutory health insurance company, it naturally meets all the statutory requirements for health insurance in Europe.
2. Family is insured at no extra charge
If you come to Germany with your family (spouse, children), they are fully insured - at no extra cost. With private health insurance, you usually have to take out and pay for a separate policy for each family member.
3. Carefree future
Another very important aspect when choosing health insurance: your future. Plans can change over the years. Today your plan may be: Return home after your studies. But can you be one hundred percent sure? Perhaps you will get your dream job in Germany straight after your studies. You may meet the love of your life in Germany and want to stay. Or you may find out after a few semesters that you would like to change your course of study, which could extend your stay by years.
The problem with this uncertain future is that private insurance policies usually have a maximum duration. In the case of student insurance, this usually is 5 years. Once these 5 years have expired, it is very difficult for a foreign guest to find follow-up insurance.
But as a member of TK, you don't have to worry about that either, at least as long as you are under 30 and enrolled at a German university. The TK student tariff is not limited to 5 years. And if you take up employment subject to social insurance contributions in Germany after your studies, you are also in good hands with TK.
How am I insured before I start my studies? Answer: free of charge!
With GERMAN STUDENT INSURANCE you are not only insured during your studies, but also before. As a registered student, you are covered by TK. However, this health cover only applies from the first day of your official studies.
If you arrive in Germany beforehand, e.g. to look for accommodation or make other preparations, you will also need health insurance for the period between your arrival and the start of your studies, and this must also be recognized by the visa authorities.
That's why, if you take out TK through us, you will also receive free, guaranteed, recognized international health insurance for the period between your arrival and the start of your studies, with a maximum term of 92 days. This means: free health insurance for up to three months, saving you up to €100!
Health insurance for international students from Schengen countries
If you wish to enrol at a German university, you must provide proof of health insurance that is valid in Germany. If you come to Germany from a Schengen country and have statutory health insurance in your home country, this insurance is usually recognized by universities.
Does this mean that the “health insurance in Germany” problem is closed for you? No, because your home health insurance does not cover all costs that may arise if you fall ill during your stay in Germany and require medical treatment.
Put simply, your home country's health insurance will only pay for medical treatment and procedures that it would pay for in your home country. There are three crucial cost risks that arise as a result:
1. Treatment in Germany more expensive than at home
Although statutory health insurers in Europe are obliged by EU law to provide almost identical basic medical care, the benefits may differ in detail. This is often the case with eyeglasses and visual aids, for example, or with certain types of dental treatment.
Each country's statutory health insurance schemes have uniform contribution rates - i.e. every doctor receives the same amount of money from the health insurance scheme for a certain type of treatment.
However, these contribution rates vary from country to country. It can therefore happen that the treatment you need in Germany costs more than the same treatment in your home country. You will then have to pay the difference out of your own pocket.
2. Medical return transportation
The different contribution rates can therefore result in costs for you, but in most cases these are manageable sums. The situation becomes much more serious when it comes to very expensive medical procedures that your home health insurance will not pay for, not even partially. This includes medical transportation home. Depending on the distance to your home country, this can involve amounts in the four to five-digit euro range. Which you will have to pay yourself without international health insurance.
3. Repatriation of a deceased person
No, this is not a pleasant topic, but unfortunately there is no way around it if you want to understand why additional international health insurance is so important while studying in Germany. The repatriation of a deceased person within Europe can also cost over 10,000 euros - money that the family of the deceased has to raise, as the home health insurance does not pay for this either.
For these reasons, we strongly recommend that you take out private travel health insurance in addition to your health insurance to protect yourself against these cost risks. Ideal for this: Provisit Educare25 travel health insurance.