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Application and admission

A. Proof of health insurance

1. Statutory health insurance for students
All students enrolled in Germany must provide proof that they have health insurance cover. In Germany, we distinguish between statutory health insurance and private health insurance. The services and payments vary and are subject to certain conditions. Please inform yourself carefully and thoroughly in advance. Advice can be obtained, for instance, from the social advice centres of the Studentenwerke or from the university International Offices.

Statutory health insurance
All students younger than 30 and up to the end of their 14th semester can take out health insurance with a health insurance carrier of their choice and have to be admitted at the student rate (from 1 October 2005 to 30 September 2006: €47.53 plus €7.92 or €9.09 respectively for nursing care insurance). The statutory health insurance carriers are obliged to accept all students without a health check and to provide the same services to all members - irrespective of previous diseases or illnesses. Different conditions may apply depending on the age of the student and the purpose of stay/residence.
Private health insurance
Alternatively, students can take out private health insurance, which, however, is usually more expensive for students than joining a statutory health insurance carrier. Furthermore, private health insurance companies often do not offer the required scope of services - unlike statutory health insurance carriers. Previous illnesses, for instance, can result in exclusion or might result in higher premiums having to be paid. In addition, a later switchover to a statutory health insurance carrier while studying is no longer possible (you can only return to the statutory health insurance once you are employed and therefore fall under the compulsory insurance requirement again).

However, when foreign students no longer fall under this compulsory insurance requirement - i.e. at the age of 30 or when entering the 15th study semester - the only remaining possibility is to take out private health insurance unless the statutory health insurance requirement is extended. Reasons for this can be: illness, disability, birth of a child or parenting.

Recognised certificates of insurance from your home country
Students who have health insurance provided by a carrier in their home country (Section 5 Sub-Section 1 No. 9 Social Code Book V) are not required to take out compulsory health insurance. This mainly affects students from EU countries or from countries with which a social security agreement has been reached. They will remain insured with their own health insurance carrier and only have to provide proof of such insurance cover.

2. Health insurance for prospective students preparing for a degree course
Participants of preparatory courses ("Studienkollegs") and of pre-study language courses also have to provide proof of comprehensive health insurance. In this case, the statutory health insurance carriers are not, however, obliged to insure the participants as such insurance is not compulsory. Students from the EU/EEA or other countries with which a social security agreement exists and attending preparatory courses or similar institutions can claim assistance/benefits from agencies in their respective home country. They will then require a corresponding certificate of health insurance.

Until the degree course starts, persons from other countries who are interested in studying can only take out private insurance if no statutory health insurance carrier is prepared to insure them. Offers by private health insurance companies should be thoroughly checked as regards the scope of services they offer, financial burdens and possible exclusion clauses before a contract is signed. Many International Offices and Studentenwerke will be pleased to offer you advice.

B. Application and admission

Foreigners with a German school-leaving qualification, prospective students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland
Foreigners who gained their school-leaving certificate, i.e. their university entrance qualification, in Germany and citizens from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland are treated on the same basis as German prospective students and follow the same application procedures at a university of their choice or, for certain subjects with nationwide admissions restrictions, apply to the ZVS, the German central office for allocating university places.

Prospective students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland as well as foreigners holding a German school-leaving certificate can, if necessary, submit a Hardship Application for preferential admission to their desired degree course due to disability or chronic diseases, just like their German co-applicants with disabilities or chronic diseases.

However, it is currently not possible to submit a Hardship Application in connection with places on Master's programmes.

Admission of applicants from non-EU countries via the "foreigner quota"
Prospective students with disabilities or chronic diseases who come from a country outside of the EU, EEA or Switzerland cannot apply for preferential admission due to hardship based on their disability or chronic disease. They are admitted to degree courses via a "foreigner quota" that takes certain aspects into account. 8% of the study places allocated by the ZVS are reserved for foreign students who have equal status with German citizens.

Detailed information can be obtained from the universities and the ZVS (www.zvs.de).