Health insurance

Statutory and private German health insurance

All international researchers and scholars are required to have valid health insurance during their stay in Germany. Visit the Study in Germany pages for an overview and further information on the German health insurance system. German “Ausländerbehörde” (immigration offices) require proof of sufficient health insurance coverage before issuing residence permits.

Please make sure your insurance coverage begins on your first day in Germany. If you are taking part in a short-term research stay for up to 90 days, then you will need travel health insurance coverage for the Schengen area with a coverage amount of at least 30,000 euros. For longer stays that require a residence permit, you will need a comprehensive health insurance policy with the same coverage as the statutory German health insurance. We highly recommend purchasing a German health insurance policy. If you need a residence permit for your stay in Germany, you are required to have German health insurance.

The EURAXESS network provides very good information about health insurance in Germany on their homepage. Here, you find an overview and the link to their chatbot which can be a resourceful tool to find the right insuarnce type for you.

Depending on your status while in Konstanz, you have several options for health insurance:

Work contract

Are you employed at the University of Konstanz? If so, you are required to have statutory German health insurance with any provider you choose. If you do not select a statutory German health insurance provider yourself, the university will automatically insure you through AOK or IKK health insurance. If your gross wages are above a certain limit (Versicherungspflichtgrenze), you are not required to have statutory German health insurance but can choose either a private or a statutory German health insurance policy.

Scholarship

Are you receiving a scholarship or other funding from your home country and are insured in your home country? You will need to prove that your health insurance provides the same level of coverage as statutory German health insurance. This case is usually very difficult to prove. Thus, we very highly recommend purchasing sufficient private German health insurance coverage. In certain cases, you may also purchase statutory German health insurance.

Are you receiving a scholarship or other funding from your home country and are not sufficiently insured in your home country? You are required to purchase sufficient private German health insurance coverage. In this case, it is usually not possible to purchase statutory German health insurance. We will be happy to inform you about any possible exceptions.

Doctoral students or candidates

If you are enrolled to complete a doctoral degree at the University of Konstanz, your health insurance options are dependent on your specific situation. Please contact us - we will be happy to inform you about the specifics.

International visitors in Germany with short term residence permits can only conclude a travel insurance as private health insurance. This insurance coverage, however, is not equivalent to a long-term private or a statutory health insurance. Instead, it only comes into effect when beneficiaries experience acute emergencies. Pre-existing conditions and chronic diseases are not covered by travel insurance policies.

EU citizens

Are you an EU citizen? Since 2004, tourists travelling within the European Union can use their European Health Insurance Card / EHIC to receive medical services. The card is issued by your country’s national health insurance providers. While travelling within the EU, you can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and contact participating doctors and hospitals directly in case medical services are needed. Please note that the EHIC is not designed for long term stays abroad. Contact your health insurance provider to find out which services it pays for in Germany. Not all costs are always covered by all foreign health insurance policies.

Statutory German health insurance

Statutory health insurance providers have uniform fees that are determined by law. The fees depend on the applicant’s income. Family members without their own personal income can be insured without being required to pay a fee.

Here you will find some general information about statutory health insurance in Germany.

Here are some statutory health insurance providers in Konstanz: 

Private German health insurance

There are a wide range of private health insurance providers in Germany. You can find some information and options for private substitutive health insurance coverage for scholarship holders at the homepage of EURAXESS Germany.