All students in Germany must have health insurance (from a private or a public health insurance company). Without a valid health insurance policy you cannot enroll at any university in Germany!

Since January 2015, the monthly rates for students consist of a standard basic amount, a private nursing insurance amount and an individual amount set by the respective health insurance company. Therefore, the amount students have to pay varies slightly – depending on the individual amount of their health insurance company. On average, the monthly health insurance contribution is between € 125 and € 150.

Exceptions:

• Students over the age of 30
• Students who have already completed their 14th subject-related semester (Fachsemester)
• PhD students
• Students who additionally work more than 20 hours per week
• Students who are entitled to family health insurance:
  • Until the age of 25 some students are included in to their parents' health insurance
  • Married students: only one spouse needs to pay for health insurance, the other one is then covered by family health insurance

Students who do not qualify for student health insurance must take out a private health insurance or a voluntary insurance policy (freiwillige Versicherung) at a public insurance. The monthly rates for a voluntary insurance are higher than the ones for a student health insurance. Rates for private health insurances can differ significantly from company to company.

Students from countries which have a mutual social security agreement with Germany
All students from EU countries, countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) and countries which have a social security agreement with Germany (e.g. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey) do not necessarily need to take out a health insurance policy in Germany. For example, if they are covered by family health insurance in their home country, they only need to present proof of such an insurance and/or get an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) from their respective insurance company. They can then apply for an exemption from compulsory health insurance at any public health insurance company in Germany.

Students who want to use their private health insurance from their home country in Germany
All other students with private health insurance in their home country need to bring a confirmation in English or German stating that it covers all costs in the case of medical treatment. With this document they can then be exempted from the obligatory health insurance by any German public health insurance company. A travel insurance is not sufficient for this purpose.

Students who wish to seek medical advice in a language other than German can use the search engine on the webpage of the Regional Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigung) of Baden-Württemberg or Bavaria (only in German!). There, you can find out about general practictioners, specialists and psychotherapists practicing in foreign languages in your area.

Public Health Insurance

There are various public health insurance providers in Ulm and Neu-Ulm; which provider you choose is completely up to you!

• Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse Ulm (AOK)

• Barmer

• Deutsche Angestellten Krankenkasse (DAK)

• Techniker Krankenkasse (TK)
   

Private health insurance

If you are over the age of 30 or have already started your 15th subject-related semester (Fachsemester), you will have to take out a private health insurance policy or a voluntary insurance policy with a public health insurance company. The rates for a voluntary insurance policy is higher than the one for students and the rates for private health insurance policies are calculated individually and can vary significantly.

Students from EU/EEA countries covered by a private health insurance policy from their home countries have to submit a certification of their health insurance when enroling at a German university. In case of illness, they will have to advance the costs for all medical treatment and medication in Germany and then coordinate the reimbursement of these costs with their health insurance provider in their home countries.

You can find an overview of affordable private health insurance companies on these webpages:
www.verivox.de
www.test.de

Private travel or emergency insurances are NOT ACCEPTED. They might be required to apply for a visa, but they are neither sufficient to enroll at a university nor to apply for a residency permit at the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' office).