Health insurance
Health insurance is compulsory in Germany - both for you and your family - and is also required for visa and residence permit applications.
Germany has a social security system
which includes health insurance, pension insurance, unemployment benefit and accident and long-term care insurance. Whether you have access to this system depends on various factors, e.g. nationality, country of residence and whether or not you have an employment contract. Alternatively, there are private substitute health insurance schemes, some of which are specifically aimed at scholarship holders.
As a third-country national, it is particularly important to check which requirements apply to health insurance cover. Please note that travel insurance is generally not sufficient. In particular, if you are applying for a residence permit, you must provide proof of sufficient insurance cover.
If you have an employment contract with the University of Siegen, i.e. you are in gainful employment, you are required to have statutory health insurance and your insurance cover begins at the start of your employment.
The costs for statutory health insurance depend on your salary and your health insurance provider. Please contact us for further information.
For stays without an employment contract, please check whether your domestic health insurance company will cover medical and hospital costs during your stay in Germany. If you are receiving a scholarship, health insurance may already be included in the scholarship. In both cases, you will need written proof of insurance cover.
If none of the above options are suitable for you, you will need to take out private health insurance in Germany with a substitute insurance company.
Please note that many private health insurance companies will not cover the costs of treatment or medication if you have pre-existing medical conditions. You should therefore check with your personal insurer before you travel to Germany and, if necessary, organize all medication and similar items in advance so that you can take them with you to Germany.
If you are an EU or EEA citizen and have statutory health insurance in your home country, you can either take out statutory health insurance in Germany or, depending on the duration of your stay, have the costs of medical treatment in Germany reimbursed by your EU/EEA health insurance. For short stays, your EHIC, the European Health Insurance Card, is sufficient for treatment in Germany. Please note, however, that the EHIC is only valid for
" necessary medical treatment and services, but not for
" trips abroad specifically for the purpose of treatment or
" the costs of repatriating a sick person.
If you are planning a longer stay in Germany, please ask your domestic health insurance company for the "Form S1", which entitles you to register with German health insurance. For further information, please visit the website of
EURAXESS Germany.
Please note that as an employee:in in Germany you are subject to compulsory statutory health insurance. The cost of statutory health insurance depends on your salary and your health insurance company. Please contact us for further information.
Medical care
With health insurance in Germany, you have access to medical treatment in the event of illness, both as an outpatient and, if necessary, as an inpatient in a hospital.
In Germany, it is common to have one family doctor who you always go to instead of switching between different practices. When looking for a family doctor, it is therefore important that you find someone you feel comfortable with. If you are looking for a doctor who speaks a specific language, you can do this
and enter your location and the language(s) of your choice. Afterwards, please call the practice to check if they are accepting new patients so that you can register with them. You can of course switch to another GP at any time if you are dissatisfied.
If you need to see a specialist, please note that you will need a referral from your GP for some of them. Please find out in advance whether this is the case. You can also find specialists via the search engine mentioned above by selecting a specialty under the heading 'Specialty/specialization', via a simple online search or on
You can find a list of hospitals in Siegen
If you are struggling with your mental health, you can get help quickly if you need it. Although places with psychologists and psychiatrists are rare and sought-after, everyone has the right to initial treatment in emergencies. Please note that mental health and self-care are becoming more and more important in Germany and are being discussed publicly, so that prejudices are reduced and that it is therefore of course not a shame to need help! The University of Siegen itself has a
and you can also find mental health professionals via the links above.
In Germany, there are over-the-counter, pharmacy-only and prescription drugs. Over-the-counter medicines may be sold by regular retailers, but the majority of medicines - including painkillers - may only be sold in pharmacies. Some medications, such as antibiotics, must be prescribed by a doctor and can be picked up at the pharmacy with the prescription. You can find pharmacies near youat
by entering your zip code.
Pharmacies are also closed on Sundays, but are open on alternate days for emergencies. You can find emergency pharmacies near youat
Even though there is no compulsory vaccination in Germany, certain vaccinations are strongly recommended by the relevant authorities. If you are not sure which vaccinations are advisable, you can ask your doctor or use the German vaccination system and recommended vaccinations as a guide. Depending on your country of origin, you may already be vaccinated against certain diseases. Nevertheless, these diseases may not be widespread in Germany and other vaccinations may be necessary, even as an adult. It is best to ask specifically about vaccinations for adults at your next visit to the doctor. You can find an overview of all aspects of vaccination at
Since March 2020, measles vaccination has been compulsory for children attending community facilities such as schools or daycare centers. You can find more informationat
