Private Health Insurance for Students in Germany

Depending on your individual situation, you may be eligible for Private Health Insurance. For example, students are often eligible. 

You can find out more by booking a call with our experts, or by taking our Health Insurance recommendation quiz.

When you decide to take out Private Health Insurance as a student, your decision is valid for the entire duration of your studies.

This means you cannot switch to Public Health Insurance while you are still studying.

But after your studies you have the possibility to take out Public Health Insurance instead.

Of course you can also stay in Private Health Insurance and switch to a comprehensive tariff if you're still eligible for it (employees with a certain income, self-employed or civil servants).

In the Private Health Insurance system, you pay your doctor directly for their services. Therefore, some people worry that they have to pay medical bills upfront, but usually that's not the case:

1. When visiting the doctor, most will send you an invoice which you must pay within 2-4 weeks. This means you will have time to submit your invoice via the ottonova app, and get reimbursed before the money has to be paid to the doctor.
   
   
2. When it comes to higher bills for example for an inpatient hospital treatment there is the possibility that the private health insurance provider pays the costs directly to the hospital.
   
   
3. Just be sure to check with your provider that a treatment is totally eligible before you go ahead. With some treatments you even have to get in touch with ottonova to have the costs approved beforehand. If you need dental implants or other dentures, for example, you will have to submit a treatment and cost plan.

You can book a call with our insurance experts.

Additionally, you will find many answers to common questions on our Help Centre here.

We have lots of helpful videos and articles to help you learn more about Private Health Insurance and Study Secure Premium. 

- Debunking myths about Private Health Insurance

- Private Health Insurance in Germany

- Compare Private and Public Health Insurance in Germany

- Video playlist: Real life customers share their experience

- Video: FAQs about Private Health Insurance

Study Secure Premium by ottonova is available via Expatrio, and starts at €119.91 per month for people under 30 years old. 

Once you turn 30, you will pay €139.02 per month. 

Over 30-year-olds pay €1,425.12* less per year with ottonova than they would pay with Public Health Insurance.

Yes!

It is a common misconception that you must have Public Health Insurance, but students with Private Health Insurance, like Study Secure Premium by ottonova, can also be working students.

Important: Both publicly and privately insured students can work during their studies, as long as they maintain their student status.

Here is a quick breakdown of the hours you can work while maintaining your student status (as of 2025):

• Up to 20 hours/week: You keep your student status and can stay on your Private Insurance.
• 26-week rule: You may work over 20 hours/week for up to 26 weeks per year if it’s during semester breaks, evenings/nights, or weekends.

If you work more than these hours, you will lose your student status and instead become an employee. This means you must switch to Public Insurance (GKV).

It is important that you follow these working hour limits so that you do not breach the terms of your visa.

You can check out the coverage list for Study Secure Premium by ottonova here.