Insurance
Foreigners will notice that Germany places a lot of value in all manner of insurance. This can be bewildering. For students, the main concern is medical insurance. It’s mandatory for all people living in Germany, which, logically, includes you. We discuss this in detail in this section. For other types of insurance such as personal liability insurance (which we strongly recommend) inquire at an insurer in your home country or at a German insurer when you arrive here.
Undergraduate students in Germany are required to have medical insurance until the age of 30 or the end of their 14th semester. You have to present proof of medical coverage in Germany when you enroll at LMU Munich. If you have completed your 14th semester, have reached the age of 30 or are in a graduate or post-graduate program, you’re exempt from this rule. But you do need proof of insurance to get a residence permit. The exemption means that you might not be eligible for the student rate and that public insurers are no longer required to accept you as a client.
EU students
If you’re from the EU, you should apply to the health authority in your home country for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Then present it to a German statutory insurance company, called a gesetzliche Krankenkasse. If they find your insurance compatible, they will issue a waiver, called a befreiung, stating that you are exempt from the mandatory health insurance fees.
You present this waiver when you enroll at LMU Munich. The German statutory insurer will be responsible for you during your stay and will cover you on terms almost identical to those of German students. Costs for medical treatment will be handled directly between your doctor and your insurer. Details may vary, and not every kind of insurance is recognized in Germany.
Students from non-EU countries with social security treaties with Germany
There are some countries like Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and the former Yugoslavian states that have social security treaties (Sozialversicherungsabkommen) with Germany. If you come from one of those countries and are insured there you may qualify for an exemption from having to get German medical insurance, if the coverage is comparable.
Students from other non-EU countries
All other students will probably have to get insured in Germany, whether you have insurance in your home country or not. If you are insured at home, it is possible under certain conditions to get a waiver from German medical insurance. However, the conditions are strict, and students usually report that they haven’t had any success.
The good news is that basic medical coverage for students is fairly cheap. The student rate charged by a German statuory insurer, called a gesetzliche Krankenkasse, is currently about EUR 50 a month. It covers doctor visits and prescription medications. Private insurers cover more but also cost more, and you have to prove that you have a high income to be admitted. Below is a list of the most popular statutory insurers.
