Statutory health insurance obligation and electronic student notification procedure (SMV) 

Membership of a health insurance scheme is generally required by law for students at a German university and is checked upon enrolment. There is an electronic data exchange (SMV) between the statutory health insurers and the universities. It is therefore essential that you inform your statutory health insurance company at which university you are studying so that your insured status is also reported to your university.
Even if you are not subject to compulsory health insurance, you must contact a statutory health insurance company so that a corresponding electronic notification is sent to your university. You can get a quick overview of the procedure on this flowchart.
You must send the university's company number to your health insurance company so that your university can clearly identify you.
The Paderborn University's company number is: 40486341 

Participants in the preparatory German course and the preparatory college are exempt from this regulation. They are not subject to the obligation to register because there is no possibility of membership in a statutory health insurance scheme for this group of people.
Below you will find detailed information on the subject of health insurance for students.

Statutoryhealth insurance
In principle, everyone in Germany under the age of 30 is subject to compulsory insurance in a statutory health insurance scheme. In Germany, there is not only one large state health insurance company, but a large number of statutory health insurance companies (e.g. TK, AOK, Barmer etc.) which are organised as public corporations and compete with each other. Health insurance can be chosen freely. Any statutory health insurance is accepted by the Paderborn University. The Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) has a service office on campus in the ME building. You can usually apply for membership directly via the respective websites. It is also possible to apply for membership online via special relocation services for international students. A brief internet search should lead you to a suitable provider.

Starting your studies after the age of 30
Unfortunately, students who are already over 30 at the start of their studies are no longer accepted into the statutory health insurance scheme. Only membership in a private health insurance scheme is possible. However, students over 30 must also submit an electronic notification of their insurance status to the university from a statutory health insurance provider. Please note the information below regarding "Exceptions to the statutory health insurance obligation". 

Continuation of studies after the age of 30
Until the age of 30, you are obliged to take out statutory health insurance and pay a reduced membership fee as a student. From the age of 30, it is unfortunately no longer possible to take out insurance at the student rate. However, statutory insurance can be continued voluntarily with a higher contribution. If you do not wish to remain a member of a statutory health insurance scheme, you must apply to your statutory health insurance provider to change your status. The statutory health insurance company will then report your new status to the university electronically . Even if you are no longer subject to the statutory insurance obligation from the age of 30 and are free to choose your health insurance, we strongly recommend that you take out private health insurance with cover that is based on the benefits provided by statutory health insurance. You should also note that proof of health insurance is generally required by the Immigration Office for the issue and extension of a residence permit.

Exceptions to the statutory health insurance obligation

If you have sufficient private health insurance, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or if there is a social security agreement between your country of origin and the Federal Republic of Germany, you do not have to take out statutory health insurance. However, a statutory health insurance company must still send an electronic notification to the university regarding your insurance status. For this purpose, the statutory health insurance company must check whether you are subject to compulsory insurance or whether your insurance cover is sufficient. When applying, you usually have to submit an identification document and proof of your alternative insurance cover (private insurance contract, EHIC, form of the respective social security agreement). The respective statutory health insurance company will then check whether an exemption from compulsory health insurance is possible. 
If the insurance cover is sufficient or you are not subject to compulsory insurance, a corresponding electronic notification will be sent to the university. Please obtain a confirmation of registration from the statutory health insurance company and submit it to the university during enrolment. A simple confirmation of insurance by e-mail is sufficient. It is important for the university to know whether you have already initiated this process so that your application for enrolment can be processed quickly.
It is not necessary to submit further documents (e.g. the insurance contract) when enrolling at the university, as the statutory health insurance companies are responsible for checking the respective insurance.

Information on choosing private health insurance
There are many insurance companies and relocation services on the market that offer products for international students and language students. With a little internet research, you should be able to quickly find a suitable provider. It is generally not recommended to choose the cheapest offer. If you want to have cover that is at least close to that of statutory health insurance, you should definitely choose a premium option, which usually costs around 60-80 euros per month. When making your choice, you should bear in mind that many insurance policies exclude benefits for illnesses that were already present before you travelled to Germany. In addition, the maximum insurance term is usually limited, which may mean that you will have to look for new insurance if you have not completed your studies by then. In such a case, you only have the option of applying for enrolment in a regular private health insurance scheme, which can also be chosen by Germans as an alternative to statutory health insurance under certain conditions. There is no entitlement to membership in a private health insurance scheme. In particular, if you have pre-existing medical conditions, it is likely that you will be refused admission. If you decide in favour of private health insurance, you must submit the insurance contract to a statutory health insurance fund for review. If you have sufficient private insurance cover, you can be exempted from the statutory insurance obligation. Please note that you will then no longer be able to switch back to a statutory health insurance fund for the duration of your studies!

Switching health insurance
At the beginning of your studies, you must choose between private and statutory health insurance. It is only possible to switch between these two systems during your studies in a few exceptional cases (e.g. marriage, etc.). If you have opted for statutory health insurance, you can only switch to another statutory health insurance scheme during your studies. The only opportunity to leave the scheme is after the age of 30. If you decide in favour of private health insurance, there is generally no option to switch to statutory health insurance. Membership in a statutory health insurance scheme is only possible again after the end of your studies.