Health Insurance
All international doctoral candidates and researchers have to ensure an adequate health insurance for the time being in Germany.
In the German insurance system there is a distinction between statutory and private health insurance.
Please find here further information about the insurance system available in German, English and Ukranian.
Depending on your country of origin and your position at the Martin Luther University different conditions and options apply:
With scholarship (EU and Agreement States)
With scholarship (EU and Agreement States)If you come from an EU member state, you are usually insured by the European health insurance. If you come from one of the Agreement States Bosnia-Herzegovina, North-Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia (excluding Kosovo), Turkey or Tunisia, you will need a valid proof of insurance from the health insurance company in your home country. Please make sure to obtain this document prior to your departure.
With scholarship (outside EU and Agreement States)
With scholarship (outside EU and Agreement States)If you are entering Germany from a country outside the EU or a country without a social security agreement and are financing your stay with a scholarship, you must provide proof of adequate health insurance coverage in order to be granted a residence permit.
Since a scholarship does not constitute regular employment, strict restrictions used to apply in this regard. However, thanks to new legal regulations, you now have significantly more flexibility: If you hold a residence permit for research purposes (Section 18d of the Residence Act), you have the right to voluntarily enroll in the German statutory health insurance (GKV) even without a local employment contract. Alternatively, you can take out comprehensive private health insurance. Travel health insurance alone, however, is not sufficient for a long-term stay.
DAAD insurance
For international researchers researchers the DAAD provides affordable private insurance which combines a health, accident and personal liability insurance.
The following conditions have to be fulfilled to make use of this insurance:
- you are doing a doctorate, or you are a scientific researcher, and
- you are obtaining funding supported by DAAD resp. EU programmes, or
- you are placed and supervised by a member university resp. partner organisation of DAAD
See here for additional information about conditions of the insurance and in order to register.
With Employment
With EmploymentIf you are or will be employed by Martin Luther University and your annual earnings are below €77,400.00 (up to €6,450.00 per month), you are legally required to enroll in the statutory health insurance system.
If your earnings exceed this threshold (the so-called Versicherungspflichtgrenze or compulsory insurance limit), you have the choice between statutory and private health insurance.