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Hochschule Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Health insurance is mandatory in Germany. In order to enrol at HSBI, you must possess health insurance for study purposes that is valid in Germany. A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is accepted for enrolment and usually sufficient for a short stay (1–2 semesters). If you plan to do a full degree in Germany, you should, however, take out insurance with a German health insurance company. If you are from Turkey and have an AT/11 certificate, this document will also be recognised for your studies in Germany.
If you come from a country outside the EU, you should contact the competent German consulate whether you already need a valid health insurance in Germany for the visa application. In any case, you should take out a German health insurance after your arrival.
If you want to take out a German health insurance, you have the choice between a statutory or a private health insurance. Statutory health insurance is usually the better choice: It offers affordable rates for students and pays doctors and pharmacies directly for all services you need to use. There is no cap for necessary treatments, which are covered regardless of the costs. The German statutory health insurance is accepted for enrolment, no matter which health insurance provider you choose. Their rates are at approx. €125.– per month (as of February 2024). This amount is almost the same for all providers. You can easily take out German health insurance online.
Private health insurance is only accepted for enrolment if your insurance conditions are comparable to those of statutory health insurance. This is often not the case: A private health insurance may not always pay for necessary treatments, or they may refuse payment beyond a certain amount (so that you have to pay the rest yourself). With a private health insurance company, you have to pay for doctors’ bills first and then contact your private health insurance provider and apply for reimbursement. For more information, please see our Guide for International Students.
Please note: travel health insurance is not sufficient for studying in Germany!