Health Insurance in Germany for Students and Newcomers: Student Public vs Expat vs Private
Advertisement (Werbung): This article contains affiliate links to Feather. If you sign up through them, German Online Tests may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. The details below come from Feather's published pages, so they describe Feather's products and rules, not the whole market. This is general information, not insurance, legal or visa advice, and German Online Tests is not an insurer or insurance adviser. Rules and prices change, so confirm on the provider's page before you buy. Facts checked against Feather's website on 31 October 2026.
Health insurance is legally required in Germany, and you need proof of it for a visa. According to Feather, a student under 30 at an accredited German university can choose student public insurance or expat insurance. A student over 30, or at a non-accredited university, can only use expat insurance. If you are employed, you choose between public and private. If you are not employed, expat is usually the practical choice, because Feather says joining public or private insurance without employment is almost impossible.
What you will learn
- Which option fits your situation: student public, expat or private.
- How student public insurance works before and after you arrive, including the M10 Meldung.
- What expat insurance covers, what it excludes, and how the waiting period and five-year limit work.
- What happens when you work as a student or start a regular job.
- Six mistakes to avoid, and the German words you will meet on forms.
Table of Contents
1. Which option fits you?
Cost, eligibility and coverage differ between the three tiers. This list summarises how Feather describes who each option is for.
- Student under 30, accredited German university: student public (Feather's recommendation) or expat.
- Student over 30, or non-accredited university: expat only.
- New arrival, job seeker, freelancer, first visa: expat.
- Employee earning €7,236 to €77,400 a year before tax: public.
- Employee above €77,400, or freelancer above €30,000: private is probably the better option.
Not sure where you fit? Feather's recommendation tool asks about your situation and shows which options you can access. For a side-by-side overview of the three tiers, see Feather's health insurance comparison.
2. Student public insurance, step by step
Feather recommends student public insurance for students under 30 at an accredited university. It describes very broad coverage at a discounted rate, and says it will work for any residence permit after your studies. See Feather's public health insurance page for plans.
Before you arrive
- Apply with your acceptance letter. Feather says only the acceptance letter from your university is required at this stage.
- Get a preliminary confirmation. It arrives by email within about 3 days and may be required if you apply for a National D visa.
- The M10 Meldung happens automatically. Your insurer confirms your status to your university so you can enrol. This is done directly between the insurer and the university, so you are not notified. Feather suggests checking with your university after about 3 days.
- Travel health insurance. It might also be requested for a National D visa.
After you arrive
You complete the application with your enrolment letter, a German bank account and your German address. Your final confirmation of insurance appears in your Feather account.
Working while you study
Feather says that if you work during your studies you can keep student public insurance and still pay a fixed monthly contribution regardless of your earnings. The same applies if you have expat insurance. These rules apply to mini jobs and so-called working student contracts. If you originally chose to keep your EU/EEA home insurance, Feather says you must sign up for German insurance as soon as you earn any income in Germany.
A full-time internship that is required by your degree programme counts as part of your studies, not as working-student status, so it does not affect your visa or insurance status, according to Feather.
3. Expat insurance: what it is and what it isn't
Expat insurance (also called "incoming insurance" or Incoming-Versicherung) is short-term private health insurance for people who have just moved to Germany. Feather states that it works for almost all first visas and residence permits, including job seeker, student, family reunification, freelance and Chancenkarte visas. See Feather's expat health insurance for current plans.
What it covers and excludes
According to Feather, expat insurance covers accidents, emergencies and new illnesses, for both inpatient and outpatient care. It does not cover pre-existing conditions or preventive care.
How it works in practice
- Waiting period: a standard 31-day waiting period applies before you can use the insurance, although it can sometimes be waived.
- Paying and claiming: you pay the doctor or clinic first, then submit invoices and receipts through your Feather account. The reimbursement goes to you, not the doctor.
- Five-year limit: newcomer plans have a maximum term of five years, counted from the first day you arrive in Germany, not the day you sign up. Feather's own example: arrive on 1 January 2025, sign up on 2 June 2025, and the newcomer plan still ends on 1 January 2030.
- Cancelling: you can cancel anytime. If the policy starts within 14 days of purchase, you have 14 days to cancel for a full refund, as long as no claims were made.
- Visa renewals: Feather says if you need to renew a visa and are not yet eligible for public or private insurance, you need its long-term expat plans.
Switching later
Feather's general advice is to start with expat and switch to public or private as soon as you are eligible, for example when you start regular employment. It says you can switch from your Feather account, and in most cases it can refund any overlap in coverage.
4. Six mistakes to avoid
- Assuming expat insurance covers existing conditions or check-ups. According to Feather, it does not.
- Buying too late. A 31-day waiting period means you should plan before you travel.
- Not switching when you start regular work. Feather says earning over the 2026 mini-job threshold of €603 gross per month means you need to move to public or private.
- Counting the five years from your signup date. The clock starts on your arrival date.
- Assuming your university is recognised. Feather links a list of recognised universities. If yours is not on it, check with your university whether you must be on public insurance.
- Not keeping invoices. Reimbursement on expat insurance depends on the documents you upload.
5. German words you will meet
- Krankenkasse: a public "sickness fund" (Feather says there are around 100). You will see it with public insurance.
- freiwillig versichert: voluntarily insured. This is how freelancers and the self-employed are classed.
- Immatrikulationsbescheinigung: your confirmation of enrolment, issued each semester. You need it for insurance, visas, internships and working-student jobs.
- Incoming-Versicherung: another name for expat insurance. You will see it in visa applications.
- Chancenkarte: the opportunity card, a job-seeking visa.
Feather notes you can usually download your Immatrikulationsbescheinigung from your university's online portal, and that your university's AStA can help if you are stuck.
6. Looking at other options?
This guide only covers what Feather publishes, so it cannot tell you whether another provider is cheaper or better for you. If you are comparing, get quotes from other insurers or sickness funds, check eligibility for your visa type, and read the cancellation and waiting-period terms side by side.
7. Practise the language you need
Insurance forms, university offices and doctors' receptions run on German. Check your level with our practice tests, then use the B1 practice tests to prepare for the reading and listening you will meet in everyday paperwork. Our PDF Library has vocabulary resources you can study offline.
8. Sources and next steps
Sources (Feather, checked 31 October 2026)
Next steps
Rules, prices and requirements change over time, so always verify current details with the provider and the official authority that applies to your situation.
