Insurances

1.1. General Information

The TUM SEED Center does not arrange insurance registration for doctoral students but provides additional financial support of EUR 145 per month to help cover insurance costs. Each student must register for health insurance on their own.

In Germany, health insurance is mandatory for all residents, including international doctoral candidates.

There are two distinct systems of health insurance in Germany:

Statutory (Public) Health Insurance (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung)
Private Health Insurance (Private Krankenversicherung)

These systems are separate and not freely interchangeable. Your eligibility depends on factors such as your age, employment status, and source of funding.

1.2. Statutory Health Insurance

Statutory health insurance is the standard option for students under 30 years old and for most employees in Germany. However, doctoral candidates are not classified as students under statutory health insurance regulations. As you are neither a student nor employed in Germany, you are NOT eligible for insurance from a statutory health insurance provider.

Please proceed to the "Private Insurance" section.

1.3. Private Health Insurance

Private health insurance is required for individuals who are not eligible to join Germany’s statutory (public) health insurance system.

This applies to international doctoral candidates, who:

Are not employed by a German institution,
Are over 30 years of age,
Are coming from outside the European Union (EU), Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland.

In these cases, access to statutory (public) insurance is not permitted under German law, and private insurance becomes the only available option.

Important: Private health insurance must meet the visa and residence permit requirements set by the German authorities. Not all private policies qualify.

1.3.1. Minimum Requirements for Private Insurance for International Students and Doctoral Candidates

Private health insurance policies must meet the following minimum standards to be accepted by the university and immigration authorities:

Issued by a recognized German insurer,
Cover outpatient and inpatient medical treatment,
Include coverage for pregnancy and childbirth, where applicable,
Provide a minimum insured sum of €30,000,
Cover the entire duration of stay in Germany.

Basic travel or tourist insurance does not meet these criteria and should not be used as a substitute for long-term health insurance.

1.3.2. A few examples of private health insurance (as of June 2025)*

Provider	Age Limit	Monthly Premium (approx.)
MAWISTA	Up to 40	From €28
Advigon	Up to 35 / 75	Daily rates, please visit website.
Dr‑WALTER	-	From €129
HanseMerkur	Up to 35	From €37.50
VELA	-	€60 - €78 (Flat Rate)
DAAD Group Insurance	-	€100 (Flat Rate, see details below)

*There are multiple options available. It is just a few examples. When choosing a private health insurance provider, please ensure it meets the minimum requirements (see p. 1.3.1).

More info:

MAWISTA Student
Advigon (Up to 35 years old) / Advigon (General Private Insurance)
Dr-WALTER
HanseMerkur

1.3.3. DAAD Group Insurance

Doctoral candidates funded or supervised via project agreements of the DAAD or one of its partner organisations are eligible for the DAAD group health insurance package. This includes health, accident, and personal liability coverage.

Premium: €100 / month (as of June 2025)
It is possible to add family members to the insurance plan
Highly recommended for scholarship holders

Suitable Tarif for doctoral candidates: 767/D

More information:

1.3.4. VELA Tariffs

The Deutsche Studierendenwerk, an association of Germany’s student services organizations, has established an agreement with UNION Versicherungsdienst GmbH for students and doctoral candidates who cannot acquire insurance through the statutory health providers.

For a long-term stay in Germany, the "VELA optimal" tariff is recommended. For more information, please visit the website of the Deutsche Studierendenwerk and VELA.

1.4. Voluntary Health Insurance

Voluntary public health insurance can be confusing. It is NOT available to doctoral candidates from outside the EU and EFTA countries.

This insurance is intended for individuals who are not required to be insured with the statutory health insurance provider, but who wish to remain in or return to it. To qualify, you must have had uninterrupted public insurance coverage in Germany previously. Due to this requirement, this option is NOT suitable for you.