Health Insurance

Students are required by law to provide proof of sufficient health insurance coverage at the time of enrollment and to maintain this cover during their studies. PhD students and incoming scholars are obliged to take out health insurance for themselves and their accompanying family members.
Guide to the German health care system
The German healthcare system is still one of the best in the world - but not the easiest to understand. The guide is intended to help shed light on the subject in 14 languages.
InformedHealth.org
This website offers trustworthy and easy-to-understand information on a broad range of health topics.
Health Insurance for International Students
List of statutory health insurance companies in Germany
for the Federal State of North Rhine Westfalia
In Germany, there are two kinds of health insurance, statutory / public and private health insurance.
All students are generally required to be insured with a German statutory health insurance, i.e. they must join a statutory health insurance. Under certain conditions, however, it is possible to be actively exempted from compulsory insurance and instead join a private health insurance company. When you enroll, you have to decide whether you want statutory or private health insurance. This decision is binding for the duration of your studies. The health insurance status must be maintained for the duration of your studies.
Every student who has the opportunity to be accepted into statutory health insurance should use this option in order to be covered in the event of illness, a doctor or hospital visit or, if applicable, an existing pre-existing illness.
If you decide to take out private health insurance, we strongly advise against opting for the cheapest tariff.
Students over the age of 30, PhD students and participants in a German language course must take out private health insurance. Please scroll down and read the specific information for your specific situation.
EU-/EEA-citizens and citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Morocco, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey, Tunisia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland may be able to remain insured in their home country. Please scroll down and read the specific information for your home country.
How can I prove my health insurance status for enrollment?
I would like to take out statutory health insurance in Germany, or I already have statutory health insurance. What do I have to do?
I come from a country in the EU / the EEA or Switzerland and am insured there. What do I have to do?
I come from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Morocco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey or Tunisia. What do I have to do?
I live in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. What do I have to do?
I would like to take out private insurance in Germany, or I already have private insurance. What do I have to do?
What do I have to consider when I turn 30 or if I am already over 30?
I have foreign private health insurance, is it recognized in Germany?
I am a PhD Student or a participant in a German language course.
Health Insurance for International Scholars
Note: students with a scholarship, please refer to the information provided above for international students. For the application of the visa and the first days of your stay, it is sufficient to take out a travel health insurance. However, you must have proof of health insurance for the entire time of your stay when you apply for your resident permit in Germany. That is why it makes sense to deal with your insurance coverage before you enter Germany and take out health insurance in Germany if needed.