Health Insurance

The statutory health insurances in Germany insure students up to the age of 30 at a favorable student rate. A standard contribution rate applies to all statutory health insurers. Students under the age of 30 are currently charged a contribution of approximately €100 per month. 

A major advantage of statutory health insurance is the fact that you do not have to pay in advance when you visit a doctor. This means that you do not receive an invoice after your visit to the doctor. Instead, the bill goes directly to the health insurance company. You do not have to do anything else yourself.

If you have a statutory health insurance, you will also be issued an insurance certificate, which you can use for enrollment and visa extension.

There are several public health insurance companies (AOK, TKK, Barmer etc.) that you can choose from. Some of them are located near Fachhochschule Dortmund, for example:

You can find an overview of all health insurance companies in Germany (Opens in a new tab) on the GKV page(Opens in a new tab) .

In the case of private health insurance, the contribution rates vary depending on the provider and the scope of insurance. The older you get, the higher the contribution rates. 

If you opt for private health insurance, you will receive an invoice after your visit to the doctor. This invoice is usually sent by the treating doctor within two to four weeks after the treatment. After receiving the invoice, you have to pay it within 30 days. Within approximately two weeks, the costs will be reimbursed accordingly by the insurance company. If you wish to obtain medication from the pharmacy, you cannot pay for it by invoice, but directly on the spot in cash or by EC card. The private health insurance will then reimburse the costs subsequently.

When you conclude a private health insurance, you must be exempted from the statutory insurance. You can do this at any statutory insurance company. You can use the exemption certificate issued on this basis for enrollment and visa extension.

You can find an overview of private health insurers in Germany on this website.(Opens in a new tab) 

Usually, a travel insurance is sufficient to apply for a visa. Please be sure to contact the responsible German embassy in your home country to get detailed information on what type of health insurance is the right one for the visa application. You will also receive information from the German embassy on how much this health insurance must cover.

To find the embassy closest to your hometown, please visit the website of the German Federal Foreign Office.(Opens in a new tab) 

Germany has concluded social security agreements with some countries, including the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). This means that statutory health insurance from these countries can be recognized in Germany with the help of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can apply for the "EHIC" card at your health insurance company. For enrollment, you simply need to bring the "EHIC" card with you and present it at the International Office.

Private health insurance can also be recognized in Germany. Should you have a private health insurance in your home country, inform yourself beforehand whether this is sufficient for studying in Germany. You can obtain the information from the statutory health insurance in Germany. Please contact them at least 2-3 months before your arrival in Dortmund, as the feedback and the further process can take a long time. You can find the contact details above under the item "statutory health insurance". Your local health insurance provider can also give you some information on this matter.

If your private health insurance is sufficient for studying in Germany, you will need an exemption from compulsory health insurance ("Befreiung von der Krankenversicherungspflicht") - which can be obtained from the statutory health insurance companies in Germany. You will need this certificate for enrollment at Fachhochschule Dortmund.

But please note: If you start your studies in Germany as a privately insured student, you can no longer switch to a statutory health insurance for the entire duration of your studies. After completing your studies, the student health insurance loses its validity - you can then switch to the statutory health insurance or stay with the private one - but in this case under different conditions. 

If you cannot use your home health insurance, it is mandatory that you conclude a health insurance in Germany!

Students who do not come from a country of the EU or the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) have to conclude a health insurance in Germany in most cases. 
For entering Germany, a travel insurance is usually sufficient (please inform yourself at your responsible German Embassy). After your arrival in Germany, you should try to obtain a German insurance coverage as soon as possible.

You can choose between:

• Statutory health insurance and
• Private health insurance

For more detailed information, please refer to the tabs above.