You will receive immediate email confirmation after taking out Provisit Student. This confirmation can be submitted to the visa authorities and your university as proof of valid health insurance coverage in Germany.

Most comparable private health insurance plans for international students are subject to a time limit, usually a maximum of five years. It is important to note that these five years refer to the total duration of stay in Germany, not the length of the study program. This means that if an international student changes their course of study after two semesters, the maximum insurance period is not reset but reduced to the remaining four years.

The same principle applies when switching from another private health insurance plan to Provisit Student. In this case as well, the total length of stay is taken into account. If a student switches to Provisit Student after two years of residence in Germany, insurance coverage can be taken out for a maximum of three additional years.

Does this mean that international students in Germany cannot be privately insured for more than five years? With Provisit Student, they can. Unlike most standard private health insurance plans for international students, Provisit Student allows you to switch to an open-ended tariff once the five-year period has ended.

Provisit Student is not only especially suitable for international students aged 38 and over, but also for students from abroad who are released from compulsory health insurance. But what does this actually mean?

In Germany, health insurance is mandatory. Anyone staying in the country for an extended period—for example to work, live, or study—must have valid health insurance. This can be either statutory health insurance or private health insurance, provided the coverage is recognized in Germany.

If you are coming to Germany from a country that requires a visa for study purposes, you must already have valid health insurance when applying for your visa. At this stage, you may choose between statutory health insurance and private travel health insurance. However, this choice is usually limited to the visa application process. German universities generally do not accept travel health insurance as sufficient proof of coverage.

The reason is that travel health insurance typically only provides basic protection and does not cover important benefits such as preventive medical check-ups or dental prosthetics. As a result, it is often not adequate for university enrollment.

Comprehensive health insurance, by contrast, is designed to provide long-term coverage and includes a broader range of benefits. Since studying in Germany usually involves a longer stay, most universities require proof of comprehensive health insurance.

There are two types of comprehensive health insurance in Germany: statutory health insurance and private, substitutive comprehensive health insurance. The term “substitutive” means that the private insurance fully replaces statutory health insurance. Provisit Student is a substitutive full health insurance plan, meaning it is guaranteed to be recognized by universities and authorities.

To take out private comprehensive health insurance such as Provisit Student, you must first deregister from the statutory health insurance system. This is done by submitting proof of your private comprehensive health insurance to any statutory health insurance provider. You will then receive written confirmation that you are exempt from statutory health insurance membership. This confirmation is what is meant by being “released from compulsory health insurance obligation.”

A key advantage of Provisit Student is that, unlike many comparable private health insurance plans for international students, it has no age limit. As is typical with private health insurance, premiums vary by age group; however, even the higher tariff levels with Provisit Student continue to offer excellent coverage at a fair price.

Provisit Student is a private health insurance solution designed specifically for international students and qualifies as a substitutive comprehensive health insurance. But what does this term actually imply? Anyone wishing to study in Germany must present valid health insurance when enrolling at a university, and not every type of insurance meets this requirement. In particular, many German universities do not accept standard travel health insurance policies.

For university enrollment, students generally need either statutory health insurance or a private insurance plan that serves as a full replacement for it. The word “substitutive” indicates that the private policy completely takes the place of statutory health insurance. “Comprehensive health insurance” describes the extent of coverage: unlike typical travel insurance, which usually only pays for urgent medical treatment, comprehensive insurance also includes services aimed at preserving health, such as preventive examinations.

Health insurance benefits in Germany are defined by law. Statutory health insurance is intended to ensure continuous and appropriate medical care, covering both treatment in case of illness and preventive healthcare services. Any insurance plan described as comprehensive must meet at least this legal standard; otherwise, it cannot be considered comprehensive health insurance.

Because Provisit Student fulfills these requirements as a substitutive comprehensive health insurance plan, it is accepted by all German universities and visa authorities. In addition, it provides benefits that go beyond those of statutory health insurance, including coverage for medical return transport to the insured person’s home country as well as reimbursement of repatriation or funeral expenses in the event of death.

Anyone who researches health insurance options for international students online will quickly notice how wide the price range is. Some policies are extremely inexpensive, while others are noticeably more costly. However, a low price does not automatically mean that an insurance plan is well suited—or even appropriate—for students from abroad.

That being said, low-cost insurance is not inherently a bad thing. Quite the opposite. The goal here is to explain why certain health insurance plans are cheaper than others, or sometimes only appear to be cheaper. The key question is: how do insurance providers manage to offer low-priced private health insurance for international students?

Limited benefits reduce premiums

One of the main factors influencing price is the scope of benefits. A comparison of private health insurance plans available in Germany reveals significant differences. Some policies cover items such as eyeglasses, dental prosthetics, or preventive medical examinations, while others exclude these entirely. Coverage limits also vary widely—for example, one insurer may reimburse up to €2,000 per year for medication, while another limits this amount to €500.

Lower coverage limits and fewer included services allow insurers to offer lower premiums. For international students, however, benefit limits are particularly important. Students from countries requiring a visa must usually provide proof of health insurance with a minimum total coverage of €30,000 as part of the visa requirements. This makes it essential to check the overall coverage amount before choosing a policy.

Up to this point, the focus has been on standard travel health insurance. For university enrollment in Germany, the requirements are typically even stricter. Most universities demand comprehensive health insurance, which includes significantly more benefits than basic travel insurance. Naturally, broader coverage results in higher costs.

Deductibles also lower prices

Another common way insurers reduce premiums is by introducing a deductible. A deductible is the amount the insured person must pay out of pocket before the insurance company contributes to the costs.

An example: If a policy includes an annual deductible of €500 and medical treatment costs €300, the insured person pays the full amount. If treatment costs €700, the insurer reimburses €200, while the remaining €500 is paid by the insured.

While this model helps keep insurance premiums lower, it can create financial strain—especially for students. Nevertheless, from the insurer’s perspective, higher deductibles allow for more affordable pricing.

Choose based on needs, not just price

These factors explain why private health insurance prices for international students vary so widely. Lower-priced plans typically offer reduced benefits and higher deductibles. This is not necessarily a disadvantage—it simply depends on individual needs.

Students who already have sufficient coverage through insurance in their home country and only require supplementary travel health insurance, for example for repatriation coverage, may not need extensive additional benefits and can reasonably choose a more affordable option.

However, students who require full health insurance coverage—both to meet official requirements and to ensure long-term health protection—should not select a policy solely based on price. Choosing the cheapest option without carefully reviewing the benefits can result in inadequate coverage when it matters most.

What steps should you take if you fall ill during your stay in Germany as a visitor from abroad? What should you do in the case of a medical emergency? And, most importantly, what is required to ensure that your insurance provider covers the cost of treatment? You’ll find the answers to these questions in our overview “Procedure in the event of a claim”.

Provisit Student health insurance does not provide coverage in the following cases:

a) Illnesses, accident consequences, or deaths resulting from war-related events.
Coverage is excluded only if the insured person actively participates in war events. Terrorist attacks and their consequences are expressly not considered war events. Injuries sustained during military service after the start of the insurance are covered, subject to the provisions of paragraph 3.

b) Illnesses or accidents caused intentionally, including any resulting consequences.

c) Treatment by physicians, midwives, maternity nurses, or licensed psychotherapists operating private practices, as well as treatment in hospitals whose invoices have been excluded from reimbursement by the insurer for justified reasons, provided the insured event occurs after the policyholder has been informed of the exclusion. If an insured event already exists at the time of notification, expenses incurred more than three months after notification are not covered.

d) Spa treatments, sanatorium stays, and rehabilitation measures provided by statutory rehabilitation institutions.

e) Medical treatment provided by spouses, registered civil partners, parents, or children. Documented material costs will be reimbursed in accordance with the tariff.

f) Costs for accommodation related to nursing care or custodial care.

g) Additional expenses arising from medical treatment abroad if the insured person traveled abroad specifically to receive treatment. Additional expenses are defined as costs exceeding the benefits provided for appropriate treatment in Germany under the agreed tariff. Reimbursement is limited to the actual eligible expenses incurred.

The above exclusions do not apply in the following situations:

Childbirth, provided that one parent is a citizen of the country of residence and proof of citizenship is submitted by the policyholder.
Medically necessary treatment abroad that could not have been provided, or could only have been partially provided, in Germany.
Emergency treatment following an accident where the nearest suitable medical facility is located abroad.

For further details, please refer to the customer information.

If a medical treatment or other covered service goes beyond what is medically required, the insurer reserves the right to limit reimbursement to an appropriate level. Likewise, if the costs of medical treatment or other services are clearly disproportionate to the value of the services provided, the insurer is not obligated to cover those expenses.

Where entitlement to benefits also exists under statutory accident insurance, statutory pension insurance, or statutory medical or accident care schemes, the insurer will only reimburse those costs that remain necessary after the statutory benefits have been applied.

If, for the same insured event, the insured person is entitled to reimbursement from more than one liable party, the combined reimbursements may not exceed the total amount of the actual expenses incurred.

For further details, please refer to the customer information.