Best German Health Insurance for International Students
Healthcare in Germany is excellent, but you need health insurance to use it. Moreover, international students must provide proof of health insurance coverage when applying for their visas. You will also need it for a residence permit application.
The best health insurances for international students in Germany include student plans from Feather, DR.WALTER, AOK, TK, and Barmer. They all provide comprehensive public health insurance at affordable prices. Moreover, as an international student, you will receive English customer support.
Germany has a wide range of health insurance options for international students. In some cases, you can also keep your home coverage. For example, students from the EU countries coming to Germany for Erasmus don’t need extra coverage. This article compares the best health insurance providers for students in Germany.
Best Health Insurance for International Students in Germany
Germany has a wide range of insurance providers, divided into private and public companies. As a student, you can choose whether you want to opt for a public or private one.
Both of them have advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we list only the best of the best, where you can get a completely painless health insurance policy online and even before arriving in Germany.
For most of them, the application can be submitted online, and you receive the insurance almost immediately.
Hence, you don’t need to call them, visit the office and bring/send your documents, as with some old-school German insurance companies.
Feather
DR. WALTER
DR.WALTER is another great insurance provider for international students in Germany.
They also have coverage for almost any situation, for example, this insurance I had while doing my Au Pair program in Germany.
It’s a budget-friendly option for students to come to Germany with an insurance guarantee and secure their entire stay in the country.
Moreover, they offer travel insurance and insurance for an exchange semester; you will need to have all of them during your stay in Germany and studying abroad in terms of your program.
The student insurance by DR.WALTER is a customized insurance plan for international students in Germany. It’s affordable, comprehensive insurance offering public and private health insurance services.
It will cover all your medical costs during your studies in Germany.
You can also use this insurance as proof of insurance coverage that is required for the student visa application. DR.WALTER guarantees a 100% approval rate.
Thus, this insurance solution is recognized by all official institutions, such as German embassies and immigration offices in Germany.
Advantages of student insurance from DR.WALTER:
- Fulfills all visa requirements
- Can be applied online from abroad
- Immediate confirmation and insurance contract sent online
- Comprehensive coverage of statutory and private health insurance
- Direct billing with doctors and hospitals
Costs are very affordable, too; the student policy starts from 33 EUR per month. EDUCARE24 is the cheapest package.
However, it’s more appropriate for exchange students. If you plan to complete a full program in Germany, you should sign up for better coverage. The costs are similar to the Feather insurance, around 105 EUR per month.
Don’t forget to open a bank account in Germany. You will need it to pay your monthly insurance premium.
If you would like to read more about DR.Walter, click here.
To find the best bank for you, read this article about the best banking accounts for international students in Germany.
AOK
AOK is a large public insurance provider in Germany; usually, you can find their office almost in each big or middle-sized city.
For visa application, we recommend Feather; they provide insurance from AOK at zero additional costs but many other perks, such as 24/7 English-speaking support.
Moreover, for the application at the AOK offices, you must present a student residence permit and confirmation from the university. These documents will be in your hands only a few weeks after arrival.
Here are some benefits of public health insurance from AOK:
- Fair monthly price
- Comprehensive coverage
- Wide choice of doctors with your insurance card
Coverage
Overall, AOK health insurance will cover all your needs, with some exceptions for dentist services. Only necessary dental treatments and inexpensive materials are included in the policy. To get better coverage, sign up here.
However, as will all public insurances, you will only have access to state doctors. There are some distinctions between doctors in Germany. Some work only with clients of public insurance companies, some only with private, and some do both.
The public student insurance at AOK will cost you 103,19 EUR. I was their customer for a long time and never had any problems.
Everything was paid automatically; the bills were sent directly to the insurance company.
Although I wasn’t a student then, the employer paid for my insurance. Public health insurance will cost you more than private if you are a student.
Techniker Krankenkasse – TK
The Techniker Krankenkasse, also known as TK, is the nationwide and largest public health insurance in Germany. It was founded in 1884 and, for a long time, was only available for members of technical professions.
Nowadays, it’s available for people of all professions and, of course, students.
You can sign up for TK insurance by opting for Feather or DR.WALTER because they are official providers of TK for international students, expats, and all other foreigners in Germany.
The Techniker Krankenkasse serves 10 million customers in Germany. Insured persons receive competent and personal advice at around 250 offices throughout Germany.
Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) is also popular among students, whether they are German or international. Moreover, thanks to companies like Feather or DR.WALTER, you can now apply for insurance online.
Therefore, if you need insurance for your visa application, you can receive one already from your home country. And after coming to Germany, you should change it to comprehensive public health insurance from TK.
Coverage
TK pays for your health-related issues, such as costs for doctor visits, treatments, medication, screening examinations, rehabilitation, and basic dentist treatments with the TK dental partners.
The cost for TK health insurance is the same as mentioned before policies, which comes to between 103,94 EUR and 105 EUR per month (depending on some factors).
Don’t forget to sign up for the best liability insurance for international students to protect yourself in Germany.
Barmer
Barmer is another big player in the German public insurance market; currently, it’s the second-biggest provider in Germany after Techniker Krankenkasse (TK). With offices all over the country, it has around 9 million clients in Germany.
Luckily, Feather is the official partner of Barmer as well, so you don’t need to speak German to get insurance with them!
Coverage
As typical public insurance covers all treatments, inpatient and outpatient care, with exceptions in dental care.
Barmer’s public health insurance for students costs 108,77 EUR per month.
Conclusion: there is a countless amount of different options for public and private health insurance; however, benefits and price don’t have a significant difference.
Our top pick is TK provider by Feather. By applying through Feather, you will get the best service at no additional cost.
You can also use a price estimator for your German insurance on Feather’s website.
If you are looking for the cheapest student health insurance in Germany, read this article, we have compared all options!
Health insurance for Erasmus exchange in Germany
If you are coming only for a short time in Germany, for example:
- Exchange programs
- Internships
- Language courses
- Au Pair
- Volunteering
- PHD
- Research
You don’t need comprehensive health care coverage; a cheap policy will be enough for German embassies and your stay in Germany.
Feather
Incoming insurance from Feather was made for such occasions. It’s significantly cheaper than regular student insurance and easier to get. In fact, you will get it online in 2 minutes.
Who needs health insurance in Germany?
Not everyone must sign up for German health insurance when coming to study in Germany. For example, rules are different for EU/EEA citizens and nationals of some other countries.
Nonetheless, health insurance is an official requirement to get a German student visa and enroll at a German university. Thus, international students who need a visa for Germany must also get German health insurance.
Moreover, legally everyone visiting and residing in Germany must have valid health insurance coverage. It doesn’t have to be a German one.
Also, some nationalities can keep the coverage from their home country without signing for a German one. For example, many Erasmus exchange students have a right to do so, as well as EU/EEA citizens.
Therefore, students from the EU countries and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Morocco, Macedonia, Montenegro, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia, Tunisia, and Turkey don’t need separate insurance in Germany.
Germany has a social security agreement with these countries. Thus, any public insurance provider in Germany can recognize their home insurance. In the end, it will equal German public health insurance.
Also, students from EU countries usually receive an international insurance card (EHIC ‐ EuropeanHealth Insurance Card) in their home country, which is already recognized in Germany (and by doctors).
Note: As soon as EU- or EEA students take up a part-time job or a paid internship, they also have to apply for German health insurance.
Consequently, students from countries that don’t have a social security agreement with Germany need to apply for German health insurance that fulfills all requirements.
Do you want the cheapest health insurance in Germany? Read this article about the most affordable policies.
Health insurance for your visa application
To apply for a student visa, you must prove valid health insurance in Germany. For this, embassies and immigration offices don’t require comprehensive coverage, and a simple expat/visitor insurance from Feather is enough.
Besides that, you can get EDUCARE24 from DR.WALTER or classic student insurance from the same provider.
In all cases, the policy will be sent to you via email. You can simply print it out and show it in the embassy or Germany when applying for a residence permit in the local immigration office.
Usually, embassies and immigration offices want to see at least minimum coverage which includes:
- a minimum coverage of 30,000 EUR
- prescribed medications
- analgesic dental treatment
- inpatient treatment
- repatriation to the home country (in case of death)
- rehabilitation measures as a follow-up treatment
- treatment costs in case of failed suicide
After arriving in Germany, you could exchange visa insurance for comprehensive and long-term health insurance. Feather and DR.WALTER are your best options.
Besides health insurance, you should have liability insurance and a bank account when coming to Germany as a student.
Check out this article about the best bank accounts for international students and this one about the best liability insurance for international students in Germany.
To avoid any problems, always have those two primary insurances in Germany: health and personal liability.
