As soon as you begin your studies in Germany, you have to become a member of a public health insurance provider like Barmer, AOK, or others.
This means you’ll need an incoming travel insurance to bridge the gap between arriving in Germany and enrolling at university.

If you need a student visa before travelling to Germany, you will have to prove this incoming travel insurance during the visa application process.

For nationalities who don’t require a student visa to enter Germany, you also need to make sure you are appropriately covered from the moment you arrive in Germany until you enrol at university.

In some cases, a reciprocal healthcare agreement may exist between Germany and the country you are currently insured in – which would provide some basic healthcare cover in the time between arriving in Germany and enrolling at university.

To check this, you need to contact your current insurance provider directly for confirmation. But even if a reciprocal healthcare agreement exists, a private incoming travel insurance is an extra safety net well worth having when you first arrive in Germany.

In Germany everyone has to have an health insurance!
Statutory and private health insurance options are available to you, like Barmer, AOK,
or others.

Once you begin your course of studies, you cannot change between public and private health insurances! Your decision is binding for the duration of your course.

Students are required to pay a monthly contribution of
around € 146.29 (under the age of 23 without children) or
around € 151.42 (from the age of 23 without children).
Students with children receive a reduction on their long-term care contribution rate of 0.25% per child (from two to five children under the age of 25).

In Germany, all students need to prove that they have appropriate health insurance for the duration of their studies. Here are some good tips depending on your nationality and age.

Cancellation
You need to inform your insurance when you leave Germany permanently so that they can cancel your health insurance.
Please visit the residents’ registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) to deregister your address and submit a copy of this document to your insurance along with a copy of your flight ticket and certificate of exmatriculation.