Insurance

• The law provides for membership in a statutory health insurance fund (GKV) or an exemption from (GKV) for international students under 30 years of age.
• The membership fee for statutory health insurance is currently around €110 per month.
• Membership fees for private insurance vary depending on the insurance company.
• Students attending a German course (preparatory courses) must take out private health insurance (PKV). Afterwards, they can register with the statutory health insurance (GKV).
• International students who are 30 or older cannot take out statutory health insurance, but must take out private health insurance. What benefits providers pay for varies widely. Carefully compare the offers and read the entire contract before choosing a health insurance.
• Note: Once you belong to a private health insurance company during your study period, you cannot switch to a statutory health insurance company afterwards until you start your full-time professional life after graduation! So when choosing a health insurance company, think carefully about which health insurance company with which price-performance ratio best suits your needs!

Important: All health insurance companies are allowed to terminate their contract with you if you do not pay monthly on time. If you have private insurance, they will lose coverage once you have not paid.

After cancellation, the health insurance companies will inform the university that you are no longer covered. Then the university must de-register you.

There is a mutual obligation to report between the statutory health insurances and universities. The TU Dortmund University will use the electronic student registration procedure (SMV) from 01.01.2022.

Please note: If you are already enrolled at TU Dortmund University, you do not have to arrange anything. If you change your health insurance, please arrange for a notification of the new health insurance.

Statutorily insured persons

If you have statutory health insurance, please contact your health insurance company in good time and inform them of your planned application to the TU Dortmund. The health insurance company will then send the required notification to our university.

Privately insured

If you are privately insured and would like to remain so during your studies, please contact a statutory health insurance company of your choice and inform yourself there about the legal consequences of an exemption from the statutory health insurance obligation. Even in the case of an exemption, the statutory health insurance must report this to us electronically.

Please note: If you have already been insured with a statutory health insurance company before, please only contact this health insurance company for the notification of the exemption to our university.

!Attention. The exemption from compulsory insurance must be applied for within three months after the start of your studies.

The information page of the Technical University of Dortmund on the general organization of studies provides further information.

In addition, the Federal Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Ethno-Medical Center e.V. offers a guide to the health care system in Germany in several languages. You can find it here.

Useful and important tips on the subject of health insurance for students can also be found on the following websites:

• German Academic Exchange Service
• German Student Union
• Private health insurance