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September 1, 2023

Best Public Health Insurance For International Students In Germany

By Sreeraj Pillai

If you want to enrol in a German university, one of the essential documents you have to produce is health insurance. Without health insurance, international students are not permitted to enrol in higher education institutions in Germany. Students who are planning on moving to Germany for higher studies should be aware of how to obtain health insurance and which insurance companies are the best.

In the event of an illness or accident, you will not have to pay for hospital bills and medication out of your own pockets.

These are the best public health insurance in Germany in 2023. Let’s take a detailed look at the insurance options for foreign students in Germany in this article.

About Statutory Health Insurance in Germany

Health insurance makes sure that, in the event of an illness or accident, we will not have to pay for hospital bills and medication out of our own pockets.

Check out the video on the best Public & Private Insurances in Germany for students.

You will need to purchase insurance if you do not already have it through a recognized health insurance provider in Germany. For students up to age 29 or until the end of their 14th subject-related semester, the statutory health insurance providers in Germany are required to offer a reasonable rate. It should be noted that students who are 30 years old and have not been covered by the student tariff for at least a year are not eligible to switch to a statutory health insurance provider.

Check-ups, illness or accident treatment, & medications will all be covered by your health insurance.

The student rate, which is approximately 110 EUR per month, is available until you turn 30 or have finished your 14th subject-related semester. Because each health insurance company may impose unique additional contributions, the monthly charges may vary slightly.

The standard rate charged by statutory health insurance providers is considerably higher than the standard rate charged to students. Therefore, private health insurance may be a better choice for students who are already 30 years old when they start their studies in Germany. Also, keep in mind that you might be required to pay social insurance contributions that are higher than those for student health insurance if you decide to work in addition to your studies. If you are looking for a job in Germany but have no knowledge of how to land one, you can go through our comprehensive guide regarding the same.

Best Options for International Students

You can choose from a variety of statutory health insurance companies to secure coverage. The basics of coverage remain constant: check-ups, illness or accident treatment, and some medications are all covered by your health insurance. Hospital stay expenses in general are also covered. But you should consider more factors than just the monthly cost when selecting a health insurance provider. Compare the special services offered, accessibility, and customer service offered as well.

The top 3 best statutory health insurance providers are TK, AOK and Barmer. These are the best options for foreign students who want to study in Germany.

TK Health Insurance

Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) is one of Germany's largest healthcare funds. It provides public healthcare coverage for over 8.8 million people in Germany. This is a significant portion of the country's citizens.

One of the many advantages of selecting TK is that it provides online and phone support seven days a week, as well as an application form and support portal in English. This is an important point for many foreign students as they are always intimidated by the prospect of having to deal with the German language. However, if one can learn German, they will find life in Germany more comfortable.

Before travelling to Germany, you can register with TK online. You can use this to help with your student visa application. You will also be able to rest your mind about healthcare coverage.

Insurance Costs with TK

Student coverage with TK costs the standard (discounted) monthly amount of €120.34 (students under the age of 23) or €125.21 (students between the ages of 23 and 30) for long-term care, which includes both fundamental public healthcare and nursing insurance for care in later life.

AOK Health Insurance

The General Local Health Insurance Fund in Germany is known as AOK. Eleven regional, independent health insurance companies from all over Germany make up the AOK. Some of these companies include the AOK Baden-Württemberg, the AOK Bayern, and the AOK Hessen. In Germany, the statutory health care system receives the most funding from the AOK and its eleven companies.

A health card will be issued to you when you take insurance with AOK. You will only have to present this health card when seeking medical attention. After that, AOK will handle any hospital, pharmacy, or other third-party bill issues. The maximum you will have to pay is a small additional fee for certain services.

Insurance Costs with AOK

These are the most recent AOK insurance premiums for international students, effective as of January 1, 2023. With effect from January 1, 2023, the monthly rate is €82.99. Depending on which AOK you are registering with, a small additional fee of between €15 and €18 may also be required. You will also be required to make a monthly statutory contribution for care insurance of €24.77. Those who are insured and are over 23 without children must pay €27.61.

Barmer Statutory Health Insurance

Barmer provides advanced, high-quality healthcare as one of Germany's largest statutory health insurance providers. It has a reputation for being dedicated to improving the healthcare system. You can apply to join Barmer before your visit to Germany. You will only need to register once, either through the Barmer App or the My Barmer web portal. The health insurance policy is valid for short-term stays in the EU, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Iceland as well as for studying abroad in Germany. This makes it easy to go on study trips or holidays in these countries.

You are covered by Barmer for all medically necessary healthcare procedures and procedures. This covers treatment from doctors, specialists, licensed therapists, hospitals, basic dental care, prescription drugs, and more. If you need healthcare, there is always a service or treatment available to you. As soon as you register with Barmer, they will apply for your Social Security Number (Sozialversicherungsausweis) and mail it to your postal address.

Insurance Costs with Barmer

The basic health insurance coverage for students costs €95.17 per month, and the cost of nursing care insurance ranges from €24.77 to €27.61. The total monthly expense can range from €119.94 to €122.78.

Other Public Health Insurance Options

Statutory insurance providers in Germany are required by law to provide affordable premiums for Students.

Most international students who plan to study in Germany select one of these three insurances. Students can easily register online thanks to the services offered by all three of these businesses. Other options include DAK-Gesundheit, Kaufmännische Krankenkasse, and Siemens-Betriebskrankenkasse, among others. As a result of a government mandate to offer insurance to students at a lower cost, the price these companies charge is fairly consistent.