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Health insurance · public & private

Getting your health insurance right

Insurance is mandatory to enrol. For most students a public insurer is the right long-term choice; private plans are useful for the early visa/language phase. Here's the honest split.

Public

Required once you enrol, pick one of these for your degree.

TK (Techniker Krankenkasse)

~€120–130/mo
PROS
  • ✓Most popular with students
  • ✓Strong English support
  • ✓Accepted everywhere
CONS
  • –Only for students under 30 / pre-Master usually
Best for: Most students

AOK

~€120–130/mo
PROS
  • ✓Large regional network
  • ✓Reliable, widely accepted
CONS
  • –English support varies by region
Best for: Regional coverage

Barmer

~€120–130/mo
PROS
  • ✓Good digital app
  • ✓Student-friendly
CONS
  • –Similar pricing to peers
Best for: Digital-first students

Private

Cheaper, but mainly for the language-course / pre-enrolment / visa gap. Most students switch to public on enrolment.

DR-WALTER (EDUCARE24)

~€35–60/mo
PROS
  • ✓Cheap for language-course / pre-enrolment phase
  • ✓Good for visa before public eligibility
CONS
  • –Not a substitute once enrolled (need public/switch)
  • –Coverage limits
Best for: Pre-study / language course

Mawista

~€30–55/mo
PROS
  • ✓Affordable short-term cover
  • ✓Quick to set up for visa
CONS
  • –Limited for full degree
  • –Switch to public on enrolment
Best for: Visa & arrival gap

ottonova

varies
PROS
  • ✓Fully digital, English app
  • ✓Premium service
CONS
  • –Private has long-term lock-in risks for students
  • –Usually not ideal for typical students
Best for: Specific older/PhD cases

ℹ️ Costs are indicative and change yearly, confirm on the insurer's site. Public student rates are broadly similar; choose on support quality and how easily you can switch.