Insurance

As a rule, it is mandatory for all German and international students to have health and nursing care insurance before the start of their studies. This means that all students are required to have statutory health and nursing care insurance (exemptions are specified below). You can take out special insurance for students with any of the statutory health insurance providers in Germany. The monthly contribution payment for health and nursing care insurance is approximately 105 euros.

After concluding the contract, you will receive an insurance certificate which you have to submit for enrolment.

You cannot enrol without an insurance certificate from your statutory health insurance provider.

The following groups of people are not required to have statutory health insurance:

• guest students
• German language course students
• students aged over 30
• students who have progressed further than the 14th semester

If one of the above applies to you, you can only take out private health insurance. The contributions for private health insurance are between 60 and 80 euros per month. If you have private health insurance, you have to submit a certificate issued by a German statutory health insurance provider confirming that you are not required to have statutory health insurance.

Statutory family insurance covers students up until their 25th birthday. They must not earn more than 385 euros per month – for low-income employment the limit is 450 euros per month. The age limit can be increased to compensate for time spent doing compulsory national service (Wehrdienst/Zivildienst – as of 2013).

If you have private health insurance either in Germany or in your home country, you are nevertheless required to take out statutory health and nursing care insurance at the start of your studies and must do so with a statutory health insurance provider. However, it is possible to be exempted from mandatory statutory health and nursing care insurance. You can get this exemption from any German statutory health insurance provider.

The exemption from mandatory statutory heath and nursing care insurance is valid for the whole duration of your studies and is irrevocable. It is not possible to return to statutory health insurance.

If your parents are German public servants, any health insurance allowances are usually cancelled once you turn 25 (2007 Tax Reform Act). This often leads to an increase in the insurance contribution. However, as you were exempted from mandatory health insurance you cannot return to statutory health insurance.

If you are entitled to health insurance services in Germany under European or international law, you do not necessarily have to take out health and nursing care insurance. If this is the case, please contact one of the statutory health insurance providers which can issue a confirmation of your insurance cover which you need for enrolment. They can also inform you of whether the coverage provided by your health insurance provider is sufficient for Germany.

During a placement in Germany you are required to have health insurance. Before coming to Germany, you should therefore contact your health insurance provider to clarify which insurance you need and which services are covered by your insurance. There are major differences between health insurance providers.

Students from the EU who receive remuneration of less than 400 euros per month for their placement do not have to take out additional insurance in Germany but can bring the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from their home country.

In Germany, employees (including placement students) automatically have accident insurance coverage via their employer. This means that they automatically have accident insurance when doing a placement at FAU. However, this insurance only covers accidents which occur during working hours and when travelling directly to and from the workplace.

You only have accident insurance cover if you have a placement contract with an enterprise (such as the University).

If you have an accident during working hours you must report the accident in order to make a claim (forms for reporting accidents to the Bavarian municipal accident insurance provider Kommunale Unfallversicherung Bayern (German)). Please make sure you remember the place, time and circumstances of the accident. If another person caused the accident, you should note down the name and address of that person and ask them to confirm their identity by showing you their ID. Please also ask the person who caused the accident to give you their insurance details.

You must complete three copies of the form for the accident report, signed by your supervisor, and forward them to the University Administration’s Central Human Resources Services (P1) . The matter is then forwarded to the Staff Council and Kommunale Unfallversicherung Bayern.

Please direct your accident report to:

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Referat P1 (Central Human Resources Services)
Schlossplatz 4
91054 Erlangen

If you cause any damage to people or property you are liable to pay damages yourself. Expensive accidents can happen very quickly – such as breaking a pane of glass or causing a traffic accident as a pedestrian or cyclist. In such cases, you have to pay for any material damage. If you injure another person, you may be faced with costs for compensation for pain and suffering, hospital stays and rehabilitation and loss of income of the damaged party. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you take out private liability insurance which will cover all of these costs.

International students doing a compulsory placement in Germany can make use of the group insurance scheme offered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). If you are doing a voluntary placement which is related to one of DAAD’s partner organisations (e.g. IAESTE, Erasmus placement) you can also make use of this insurance package. Students doing a voluntary paid placement cannot make use of the DAAD insurance package.

Please note that you have to take out the insurance from the day of your arrival in Germany.

More information on insurance conditions and concluding the contract

If pension insurance contributions were deducted from your placement remuneration they can be reimbursed no earlier than 6 months after your departure from Germany. This does not apply to citizens of the following countries: the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and Tunisia. While students from EU countries cannot be reimbursed for the contributions, their contributions can count towards the calculation of their pension. This means that you should keep all documents on your employment and request that they are included in the calculation of your pension in your home country.