Information on Health Insurance

To enroll at the University of Potsdam, you must provide proof of valid health insurance coverage at the time of enrollment.

Under German law (§ 199a SGB V), proof must be submitted electronically by a German statutory health insurance provider. This electronic confirmation — sent directly from the health insurance provider to the University of Potsdam as part of the student reporting procedure (SMV) — is known as the M10 notification.

Enrollment is not possible without this electronic notification of your insurance status. The earlier you request the notification, the better. Insurance cards or paper/PDF certificates are not accepted.

Exception: Doctoral (PhD) students are not required to provide proof of health insurance and do not need to submit an M10 notification.

What you need to do

1. If you have statutory (public) health insurance

2. If you have private insurance or are exempt from statutory insurance

3. If you are an international student coming to Germany

Anyone studying in Germany must have health insurance. You must provide proof at the time of enrollment. You can arrange your insurance before arriving in Germany. A German address is not required.

3.1 Students from EU/EEA countries, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Switzerland, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom

Apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or an equivalent certificate (e.g., E-111, AT 11, ATN 11, BH6) in your home country.
Contact a German statutory health insurance provider of your choice and ask them to confirm your existing coverage at home. You will need to submit to the health insurance provider: a copy of your admission letter, a copy of your EHIC or equivalent certificate, and a copy of your ID. Ask the provider to send an M10 notification to the University of Potsdam (sender number H0001228).
When completing your enrollment application, select: “exempt.”

3.2 Students from other countries (non-EU)

You must obtain health insurance in Germany — either statutory or private.

3.2.1 Statutory health insurance.

Students under the age of 30 can enroll in any German statutory health insurance provider plan at a reduced student rate. This covers all services required by law.

If you choose to get , contact your German statutory health insurance provider and request the electronic notification (M10). Provide the sender number H0001228. Do not submit documents to the university yourself (paper or PDF); these will not be accepted.

3.2.2 Private health insurance

If you are under 30:
If you want to get private health insurance, you must also apply for exemption from statutory health insurance through a statutory provider. Ask them to send your status electronically to the university (sender number H0001228). This exemption is permanent for your entire studies and cannot be revoked. If you are under 30, enrolling in a statutory health insurance plan is generally advisable.
If you are over 30:
If you have not previously been covered by statutory insurance in Germany, you are not eligible for statutory insurance and must take out private insurance.
In this case, submit the following documents to a statutory health insurance provider: a copy of your admission letter, proof of private insurance, and a passport copy. Ask the provider to send the M10 notification (sender number H0001228) to the University of Potsdam. When completing your enrollment application, select: “exempt.” Do not submit private insurance documents to the university (paper or PDF); they are not accepted.

4. Questions about health insurance

Statutory health insurance providers in Germany

A complete alphabetical list of all German statutory health insurance providers is available online.