Visa-ready plans from $721 per adult, billed annually · see your exact price by age.
The rule in writing
“For Germany’s national visa, health insurance must include the benefits statutory-insured persons are entitled to under §11(1–3) SGB V, and the contract must be open-ended — no expiry or cancellation clauses tied to age, employment, or residence status. Travel insurance is insufficient.”
Official source: German Federal Foreign Office — health insurance in the national visa procedure — Last verified:
What the student visa file actually asks for
The Federal Foreign Office's national-visa rule doesn't care whether you're a student; it applies the same way: benefits equivalent to §11(1-3) SGB V, an open-ended contract, and no expiry or cancellation tied to your age, employment, or residence status. A deductible is tolerated, but only up to around €300 a year.
This is exactly where a normal travel insurance policy fails the file: it's time-limited, it excludes ongoing treatment, and it's built to expire; none of which the rule allows. See the certificate wording guide for the exact phrasing your embassy will check, and our checklist for the full document list.
The student catch-22 and the GKV handover
Here's the timing problem nobody explains upfront: once you're enrolled at a German university, most students join GKV; statutory student cover; as a matter of course. But GKV enrolment typically follows university enrolment and arrival, and your visa file needs compliant cover in hand before either of those has happened.
So what we arrange isn't a substitute for GKV, and we say that plainly. It's bridge cover for the application and the arrival window; the gap between your visa appointment and your GKV card landing in your hand. Once you're enrolled and covered under GKV, that's your ongoing plan. For how GKV compares with private cover generally, see public vs private, explained.
What we arrange for students
A person checks whether your situation fits our partner's arrangement (confirmed July 2026) before you buy anything; this isn't a one-size-fits-all form. If a German incoming-style product would suit your case better, we tell you that instead of forcing a fit.
Where it does fit: same-day cover with no medical exam, a 14-day cooling-off period, and limits from US$1,000,000 to US$2,000,000. Pre-existing conditions are excluded and US treatment isn't covered; worth knowing before your arrival window starts. Real prices by age are on Germany health insurance costs, and if you want a broader look at expat options first, see expat health insurance in Germany. Ready to check fit? Get a quote or run a policy check first.
Honest limits: Cover is worldwide but excludes treatment in the United States. Pre-existing conditions are excluded, including conditions you did not know about. We disclose this before you request a quote. Consulates keep discretion, and requirements can change. We show the published rule and its source; the final decision is the consulate’s.