Health Insurance

I am a university student, with a current refugee status in Germany. I have received social benefits for nine months now.

In order for me to be enrolled at university, I had to apply for health insurance in the first place just like all the international students.

I find it a financial burden now to pay for my health insurance each month (131€). This is because I also have to cover other study & life-related costs.

I wonder what I can do to get it waived, considering my refugee status.

Moreover, I can benefit from some medical assistance as a refugee.

I would appreciate it if you could help me.

Thanking you,

4 Comments

Reply (4)

Yara_Community Manger

Updated:

Hi @Ghulam thank you for contacting us.

As I understood you have refugee status and hold a blue passport. Please correct me if I am wrong. Unfortunately, you cannot receive social benefits from the job center if you are a student.
The job center usually covers the insurance fee.
However, as a student you can receive BAFÖG which is financial help from the state.
Have you already applied for it?
Here we provide more information about it, please have a look: https://handbookgermany.de/en/bafoeg

Also if you are under 25 and have family in Germany then you can also be in the so-called family insurance and do not have to pay a fee. This might also be an option for you.

Also most unis have an international office and offer help for refugee students, maybe you can also contact them.

If you have further questions, please let me know.
Best wishes

Ghulam

I thank you for the prompt reply.

In fact, I am an asylum seeker and have only "Aufenthaltsgestattung".

I managed to get into a university for my master's degree program. Bundesamt pays for my dorm room, and some pocket money for me every month (social benefits).

With this money, I support my academic & social life, and I pay for my health insurance.

The question is how I can get it waived, considering my current status.

Without this health insurance, I can also benefit from medical assistance.

I think I am not eligible for Bafög because I have been here only for ten months.

Sincerely,

Yara_Community Manger

Hi @Ghulam , thanks for the update, our experts from @LIFE Initiative will continue to answer you here.
Best wishes

LIFE Initiative

Hello @Ghulam ! thank you for your question. As far as we know, as an asylum seeker with a residence permit, you will receive medical care from the social welfare office on the basis of the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act. We are not sure whether you need statutory health insurance for your studies, which you have to pay for yourself. The best thing to do is to contact the student representation at your university or the integration office at your university (if your university has an integration office) and ask them for advice. We can also recommend you to contact a migration advice center. You can search at: https://adressen.asyl.net/language/en/welcome-to-informationnetwork-asylum-and-migration/ or https://bamf-navi.bamf.de/de/Themen/Migrationsberatung/. (Enter your postal code and you will find advice centers near you). Here you will find a guide in English on how to find a suitable counselling center: https://life-initiative.org/en/beratungsstelle/.

I hope this information is helpful for you. If you want to ask a volunteer from our organization to help you in German or in English, please contact us: https://life-initiative.org/en/support/ (website in English).

Kind regards

Franziska

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