Health insurance for a Germany student visa: cost and requirements

Do not treat the German student insurance contribution as the complete insurance cost for a student visa. The German Missions in India checklist asks for travel health insurance covering the period from arrival in Germany until the university enrolment date stated in the admission letter, described there as approximately three months.

If you use proof from a German public health insurer, there are three separate points to confirm: the letter issued by the German healthcare provider, the date on which the public cover becomes active, and interim travel insurance covering the period from your travel date until that activation date. A public-insurance confirmation does not necessarily remove the need for travel cover.

For ongoing statutory cover, TK’s contribution sheet effective from 1 January 2026 lists €110.38 per month for student health insurance. Long-term care insurance is a separate component of the monthly outlay, so the amount you budget should not stop at €110.38.

The student-visa checklist from the German Missions in India requires travel health insurance valid from arrival in Germany until the university enrolment date stated in the admission letter. It also describes the period as approximately three months, but the checklist opened for this guide is dated 30 August 2024 and should be checked against the current Consular Service Portal study checklist before you apply.

Applicants showing public German health insurance should prepare the German healthcare provider’s letter, confirm the public policy’s activation date, and arrange travel insurance covering the period from the travel date until the public cover begins. Keep these documents distinct: the provider letter proves the intended public route, while interim travel cover addresses the earlier period.

The checklist also describes conditions for an equivalent private German or foreign policy. It says the policy must provide unlimited reimbursement for sickness, have no deductible above €300 per year, cover pre-existing conditions, have no termination clause linked to age or changes to residence-permit status, and have no time limit unless it renews automatically. Confirm that the actual policy and certificate meet the responsible mission’s requirements before buying it.

The €110.38 figure is the TK monthly student health-insurance contribution and includes TK’s supplementary contribution. The published long-term care amount changes in the two verified profiles above, so long-term care insurance should be budgeted separately when comparing monthly costs.

These figures should not be presented as a universal German price. They are based on TK’s official contribution sheet effective from 1 January 2026, while contributions can depend on the insurer and the student’s personal profile. The approved research does not provide a complete 2026 table for students with children.

If you are travelling with children, do not apply either table row automatically to your family. The approved research does not establish the relevant 2026 long-term-care contribution for students with children, so verify the family-specific amount and insurance route directly with the intended insurer or university.

Students at state or state-recognised higher-education institutions must have health insurance. The Federal Ministry of Health’s guidance says compulsory student insurance generally applies until the semester in which a student turns 30; students over 30 generally use voluntary statutory insurance or private insurance.

A private German or foreign policy may be accepted when it meets the equivalence conditions stated by the German Missions in India. However, the DAAD explains that choosing private cover may prevent switching to statutory insurance during your studies, so this is a decision with longer-term consequences rather than only a way to satisfy the visa document requirement.

The age-30 guidance is general. Exact eligibility can depend on study history, exemptions, previous insurance and personal circumstances, so students aged 30 or older should obtain individual confirmation from the intended insurer or university before choosing a policy.

The €141.16 and €146.29 examples describe calculated monthly TK insurance totals for specified student profiles. They do not include the price of temporary travel insurance, and the approved research does not provide a current INR conversion or a universal private-policy price.

Keep the insurance calculation separate from other parts of your move to Germany, such as visa-related charges, VFS-related charges, proof-of-funds arrangements and university costs. Those items are not included in the insurance figures in this guide, and no current amounts for them were verified in the approved research.

Avoid converting the euro figures into rupees without a dated exchange-rate source. Exchange rates change, and no current official INR rate was verified for this guide.

Open the current German Missions in India or Consular Service Portal study checklist and confirm the insurance wording before you apply. Also check which mission is responsible for your application and whether its current instructions direct you through the Consular Service Portal or describe additional document handling.

Confirm the provider letter, public-insurance activation date and interim travel-cover dates separately. If you are over 30, have children or are considering private insurance, ask the insurer or university to confirm your individual route rather than assuming the standard TK examples apply.