Cheapest Health Insurance in Germany for Students
Studying in Germany can be pretty expensive, especially when you have to pay monthly bills, such as your health insurance. As a student, you can enjoy lower insurance prices until you are 30 years old; after that, it can get pricey.
The cheapest public health insurances for international students in Germany are:
- AOK – 110 EUR
- TK – 110 EUR
- Barmer – 112 EUR
Exchange and language students can sign up for affordable private insurance for incomings from Feather. The price is 72 EUR per month.
International students in Germany need health insurance to enroll at university and get a visa. So, having health insurance coverage is a requirement set by the state and university. In this article, we have picked and compared the cheapest health insurance providers for students in Germany.
To find the cheapest insurance check out the German comparison tool: Tarifcheck.de.
Cheap Health Insurance for Students in Germany
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 coming to Germany for Erasmus don’t need extra coverage.
For public insurance, you will pay almost the same price at any German provider. Students under 23 years old pay 2 EUR less.
As a student, you can sign up for both private or public health insurance in Germany. Some private companies can give you a better price since almost all public providers charge the same price for students.
Here are the cheapest insurances you can get as a student, but they provide fewer benefits than the normal comprehensive coverage.
Private companies can offer cheaper policies, but the coverage might be less than the public one.
Germany has a wide range of insurance providers, which are divided into private and public companies. As a student, you can choose whether to opt for a public or private one.
1. Feather – from 72 EUR to 110 EUR
Read the full review on insurance from Feather.
2. DR. WALTER – from 33 EUR to 110 EUR
DR.Walter is another affordable insurance provider for international students in Germany.
They have coverage for almost any situation, particularly for international students, researchers, trainees, language & exchange students, and Au-Pairs.
The cheapest package for students from DR.Walter is EDUCARE24 which starts from 33 EUR per month. Depending on the benefits of the coverage, the maximum price can be up to 59 EUR per month.
You can also use EDUCARE24 for your visa application. Dr.Walter guarantees a 100% approval rate.
Advantages of health 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
Another student insurance from this provider will cost 110 EUR, but you will get more comprehensive coverage. It’s public health insurance.
Hence, it will cover all your medical costs during your studies in Germany.
Also, if you need a good and reliable banking account for Germany which is absolutely free, check out DKB – a great deal including free European debit and Visa card.
Don’t forget to open a bank account in Germany! You will need it to make all transactions within Germany and the EU, including health insurance.
If you would like to read more about DR.Walter, click here.
3. AOK – 110 EUR
AOK is a large public insurance provider in Germany, a branch of which can be found in each big or middle-sized German city. They are one of the cheapest big insurance companies in the country.
In 2021 public student insurance at AOK will cost you 110,69 EUR. I personally was a customer of theirs for over a year and never had any problems.
For application, we will recommend using Feather. They provide insurance from AOK at zero additional costs but many other perks, such as 24/7 English-speaking support.
4. Techniker Krankenkasse (TK)– 110 EUR
The Techniker Krankenkasse is also known as TK, a nationwide and largest public health insurance in Germany that serves around 10 million people just in DE.
Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) insurance is top-rated among students, including German and international ones.
You can sign up online 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.
In 2022, the monthly contribution for public insurance with TK was 110,69 EUR.
5. Barmer – 112,95 EUR
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.
Barmer is the most expensive student insurance on our list, with a monthly price of 112,95 EUR.
Luckily, Feather is the official partner of Barmer as well, so you don’t need to speak German to get insurance with them!
Conclusion for students
For students, our top pick is the TK provider by Feather. Statistics have proven that most local and international students choose this company. Moreover, by applying through Feather, you will get the best service at no additional costs.
You can also use a price estimator for your German insurance on Feather’s website.
Note: While the price of student insurance doesn’t differ much across the providers, students older than 30 will pay around 180 EUR per month for public insurance.
Don’t forget about the German bank account
Apart from health insurance, you also need a banking account. Our recommendation is DKB, they have special deals for students, and it doesn’t take long to set up an account. They work fully online.
For more information, read this post about the best banking accounts for students in Germany.
German health insurance for the visa application
To apply for a student visa, you need to prove valid health insurance in Germany. Embassies and immigration offices don’t require comprehensive coverage, and simple incoming 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, so you can simply print it out and show it in the embassy or already in 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 you have arrived in Germany, you will need to exchange visa insurance for comprehensive and long-term health insurance. TK from Feather will be your best bet.
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.
Always have those two main insurances in Germany: health and personal liability.
Public insurance for international students in Germany
With public insurance, students pay quite fixed rates between 102,05 EUR and 116,33 EUR, depending on the company.
Most of the above-mentioned insurances are public, and it’s also a classical way to get health care coverage in Germany. However, not all students are eligible for public insurance.
Students who can receive public health insurance in Germany
- All full-time students under the age of 30
Students who can’t receive public health insurance in Germany
- Guest researchers/scientists, postdoctoral researchers, scholarship holders – (without an employment contract)
- Exchange students from non-EU countries
- Non-EU scientists
- Participants in German language courses and Studienkollegs
- Students older than the age of 30
All these students will need to get private health insurance, incoming plan is the most suitable in that case.
To find the cheapest insurance check out the German comparison tool: Tarifcheck.de.
