Contents (8 sections)
- Health insurance for PhD candidates and students over 30: why age 30 matters
- PhD with an employment contract
- PhD on a scholarship: voluntary public or private?
- Students over 30: voluntary public or a private student tariff
- International students under 30: student health insurance
- International PhD candidates: what's different
- After the doctorate: your first job
- Checklist for doctoral candidates and students over 30
- Public student insurance is only compulsory up to age 30 (§ 5 (1) no. 9 SGB V) and costs €136.80 to €160.82 a month in 2026, depending on the fund.
- Doctoral candidates are not insured as students at all (Federal Social Court, 7 June 2018) – whatever their age.
- With an employment contract, PhD candidates are publicly insured as employees; the employer pays about half.
- On a scholarship or as a student over 30, voluntary public insurance costs at least about €261–298 a month in 2026; private student tariffs are open up to age 39 at several insurers, from about €95 a month.
- International newcomers without prior public insurance often have no voluntary public route – unless they hold a § 18d research permit.
Health insurance for PhD candidates and students over 30 in Germany: public student insurance (€136.80–160.82 a month in 2026) ends with the semester in which you turn 30 – and doctoral candidates are never insured as students. With an employment contract you are publicly insured as an employee; on a scholarship you need voluntary public insurance (from about €261 a month), if it is open to you, or a private policy (as of October 2026).
Health insurance for PhD candidates and students over 30: why age 30 matters
Germany has a cheap public tariff for students (Krankenversicherung der Studenten, KVdS). It is compulsory for students at state or state-recognised universities, but only “until the completion of the thirtieth year of life” (§ 5 (1) no. 9 SGB V). It ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30; longer only if special reasons, such as a second-chance education, justify it. The former limit of 14 semesters no longer exists.
A doctorate is a different case: according to the Federal Social Court, doctoral candidates who start a doctorate after completing a degree are not compulsorily insured as students (judgment of 7 June 2018, B 12 KR 15/16 R). That applies at 26 as much as at 34. With around 216,200 doctoral candidates in Germany in 2025, an average age of 30.5 and a quarter from abroad (Destatis), this affects many newcomers.
| Your situation | Health insurance (usually) | Cost per month 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Student under 30 | Public student insurance | €136.80–160.82 |
| Student over 30 | Voluntary public insurance or private | from about €261 public |
| PhD with an employment contract | Public as an employee | about half of the contribution on your salary |
| PhD on a scholarship, prior public insurance | Voluntary public insurance or private | from about €261 public |
| PhD on a scholarship, new from outside the EU | Private – or public with a § 18d permit | depends on offer / income |
PhD with an employment contract
Many doctoral candidates are employed as research assistants, often part-time. Then you are simply an employee: below the income threshold of €77,400 (2026) you are publicly insured by law, the employer pays about half, and a spouse without own income and children living in Germany are covered free of charge. Doctoral candidates are not regular students for social security purposes, so the student employment privilege doesn't apply. More on employed researchers: health insurance for researchers and postdocs.
PhD on a scholarship: voluntary public or private?
A scholarship is not a salary, so it doesn't make you compulsorily insured. You have two routes:
Voluntary public insurance
Open if you leave compulsory insurance with enough prior public insurance – for example straight from student insurance or a job – and declare it within three months (§ 9 SGB V). Researchers from outside the EU with a § 18d permit can also join within three months of taking up residence.
Private insurance
A full private policy or a student/training tariff. Several insurers offer these up to age 39. The premium depends on age, tariff and the health questions in the application.
Contributions for voluntary members follow your total income – the scholarship counts – but at least the minimum assessment of €1,318.33 a month (2026):
| Monthly income | With child | Childless |
|---|---|---|
| Up to the minimum assessment (€1,318.33) | €270.26 | €278.17 |
| Scholarship €1,650 | €338.25 | €348.15 |
Scholarships of the German study foundations that are funded by the federal research ministry add up to €100 a month towards health insurance. Check what your scholarship provider pays.
Students over 30: voluntary public or a private student tariff
When your student insurance ends at 30, your fund usually continues it as voluntary membership – unless you declare your exit within two weeks of its notice and prove other cover (§ 188 (4) SGB V). Then you choose:
- Stay public: from about €261 a month (cheapest fund, with child) to about €298 (most expensive fund, childless) in 2026. Family members can be insured free of charge.
- Private student tariff: public examples range from about €95 to over €300 a month, depending on insurer, age and deductible. Student tariffs build no ageing reserves – after your studies the premium jumps when you move to a normal tariff.
Exemption is for good.Students under 30 can apply to be exempted from student insurance within three months of its start to stay private – but the exemption cannot be revoked and applies for the whole course of study (§ 8 (2) SGB V). Think twice before you sign.
International students under 30: student health insurance
If you come to Germany to study and are under 30, public student insurance usually applies to you, too. Students enrolled at state or state-recognised universities are compulsorily insured whether or not they live in Germany – unless they are entitled to benefits in kind under supranational or international law (§ 5 (1) no. 9 SGB V). That can be the case, for example, if you are publicly insured in another EU/EEA country; a public fund decides.
- Before enrolment: your university needs a confirmation from a public fund that you are insured, exempt or not compulsorily insured (§ 199a SGB V).
- Cost: €136.80 to €160.82 a month in 2026, depending on the fund's additional contribution.
- Private instead: with private cover you can apply for an exemption within three months – but it cannot be revoked and applies for your whole course of study (§ 8 (2) SGB V).
- End: student insurance ends with the semester in which you turn 30 – then the options in the sections above apply.
This section covers health insurance only, not visas: whether your insurance is sufficient for a student visa or residence permit is decided by the German mission abroad or the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). In-depth guide in German: health insurance for students in Germany (in German).
International PhD candidates: what's different
Newcomers from outside the EU usually have no prior public insurance periods in Germany or the EU. On a scholarship that often leaves only private insurance – with one important exception: a residence permit for research under § 18d AufenthG opens voluntary public insurance within three months of taking up residence (§ 9 (1) no. 6 SGB V). Which permit you receive is decided by the immigration authorities; ask your graduate school or welcome centre early. Whether your cover is sufficient for the visa is decided by the German mission or the immigration office – this is not immigration advice.
Thinking about leaving after your doctorate? A German private policy continues within the EU/EEA, but usually ends if you move elsewhere – read leaving Germany with private health insurance and why private insurance rarely pays off for short stays.
After the doctorate: your first job
With your first employment contract the picture changes again. Below the income threshold you become compulsorily insured as an employee – also if you were privately insured during your doctorate. A private policy can then be cancelled because of the new compulsory insurance, within three months and with retroactive effect (§ 205 (2) VVG); send the insurer the fund's confirmation. Above the threshold you may keep or choose private insurance – a student tariff then has to be converted into a normal tariff, usually at a clearly higher premium. If it is your first job in Germany and above the threshold, public insurance stays open for three months (§ 9 (1) no. 3 SGB V).
Checklist for doctoral candidates and students over 30
- Find out your status: student, employed doctoral candidate or scholarship holder.
- Note the date your student insurance ends – and the two-week exit window.
- Check your prior public insurance periods and the three-month deadline for voluntary insurance.
- Compare the full cost over your whole doctorate, including the jump after a student tariff.
- Read public vs private health insurance in Germany for the long view.
In-depth guides in German: Krankenversicherung für Doktoranden (in German) and Students over 30 (in German). Your quick, honest answer: the free 60-second decider – without health questions.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to my student health insurance when I turn 30 in Germany?
Compulsory student insurance ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30, unless special reasons justify an extension (§ 190 (9) SGB V). Your membership then usually continues as voluntary insurance at a higher contribution – at least about €261–298 a month in 2026 – unless you leave within two weeks of your fund's notice and prove other cover.
Are PhD students in Germany covered by student health insurance?
No. According to the Federal Social Court (7 June 2018), doctoral candidates are not compulsorily insured as students. With an employment contract they are insured as employees; on a scholarship they need voluntary public insurance, if open to them, or private insurance.
Can I get private health insurance as a PhD student over 30?
Yes, if you are not compulsorily insured – for example on a scholarship. Several insurers offer student or training tariffs up to age 39, starting at about €95 a month in public examples. They have no ageing reserves, so the premium jumps when you switch to a normal tariff.
How much is voluntary public health insurance for a PhD on a scholarship?
Contributions follow your income, at least the minimum assessment of €1,318.33 a month (2026). On a €1,650 scholarship you pay about €338 (with child) or €348 (childless) a month with an average additional contribution of 2.9% (own calculation). Some study foundations add up to €100 a month towards health insurance.
Can international PhD students join German public health insurance?
With an employment contract, yes – as employees. On a scholarship, voluntary public insurance usually requires prior public insurance periods, which newcomers from outside the EU don't have. Researchers with a § 18d permit can join within three months of taking up residence (§ 9 (1) no. 6 SGB V).
Sources
- § 5 SGB V – compulsory insurance of students up to age 30 (para. 1 no. 9)
- § 190 SGB V – end of membership (para. 9: students)
- § 8 SGB V – exemption from compulsory insurance (para. 1 no. 5, para. 2)
- § 199a SGB V – confirmation of insurance status for enrolment
- § 9 SGB V – voluntary insurance, incl. § 18d researchers
- § 240 SGB V – contributions of voluntary members
- § 205 VVG – cancellation by the policyholder (para. 2: new compulsory insurance)
- LTO on the Federal Social Court judgments of 7 June 2018 – B 12 KR 15/16 R and B 12 KR 1/17 R (doctoral candidates) – secondary source
- Barmer: costs of health insurance for students – as of 3 September 2026
- EURAXESS Germany: health insurance
- Destatis press release no. 307 of 26 August 2026 – doctoral candidates 2025
This article provides general information on health insurance in Germany (as of 12 October 2026). It does not replace individual advice. Which solution suits you depends on your personal situation, e.g. age, health, income, family and length of stay. Despite careful review we cannot guarantee completeness and accuracy; laws and tariffs change. It is not immigration advice: whether your insurance is sufficient for a visa or residence permit is decided by the German mission abroad or your immigration office. Publisher: German-PKV.de. German-PKV.de is not an insurance broker and does not provide insurance, legal or tax advice; individual advice is provided exclusively by specialised cooperation partners licensed under § 34d GewO.