There is a general obligation to have health insurance in Germany. This applies not only to you as a researcher, but also to accompanying family members.

For the first few days or weeks in Germany, before you have health insurance, it is advisable to take out international health insurance. This will cover you in the event of illness, especially as proof of health insurance is usually required when applying for a visa or residence permit for Germany.

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There are two types of health insurance in Germany: statutory and private health insurance. These are two different systems, and you cannot switch between them at will.
You can take out private health insurance if you have a certain income. This income limit is known as the compulsory insurance limit (¡°Versicherungspflichtgrenze¡±) and is currently at EUR 73,800 gross ( as of 2025).

Once you have opted for private health insurance, it is difficult to switch back to the public health insurance system. You should therefore always do your research before switching to private health insurance.

You can find more information on statutory and private health insurance in Germany here and? here.

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If you have an employment contract and earn more than €520 per month (as of March 2025), you are generally subject to the German social security system, which includes statutory health insurance. Depending on your salary, you will automatically pay health insurance contributions. If you have statutory health insurance, you can choose from a wide range of health insurance companies.

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Scholarship holders are not subject to social security contributions in Germany. Therefore, you can only take out private health insurance with an insurance company that is licensed to do business in Germany. This is necessary if you are registering a place of residence in Germany or if your home country insurance does not cover your stay in Germany.

It is best to ask your scholarship provider for recommendations.

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If you are staying in Germany for less than three months, do not have an employment contract and do not register a place of residence in Germany, you may not need to take out German health insurance.

Please contact your health insurance company in your home country to find out whether and for how long they will cover medical and hospital costs during your stay in Germany. The insurance company must then confirm in writing that it will cover you in Germany. If your insurance does not cover your stay in Germany, you will need to take out additional insurance.

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If you are staying in Germany for a longer period with an employment contract, the following applies to you:

If you have statutory health insurance in your home country, the health insurance company in your home country will provide you with form S1 (formerly E 106) upon request. You can use this form to register yourself and your family members with a German health insurance company. This German health insurance company will then provide you with all the benefits to which holders of German health insurance are entitled. The German health insurance company will then bill your home health insurance company.

You can find more information here.

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For competitive reasons, the International Office's Welcome Service cannot recommend specific health insurance companies.

However, we have compiled some helpful links for you:?

• A list of all public health insurance companies in Germany can be found here.
• A list of all private health insurance companies in Germany can be found here.