Health insurance for students in Austria

Health insurance in Austria is two requirements wearing one coat. You need one kind of cover to enter the country, and a different, stronger kind to stay on a residence permit. Non-EU (third-country) students trip over this constantly: the travel policy that gets you through the airport will not get you a residence card. This guide explains both, in order, with the 2026 figures.

Enter vs. stay: two different insurances

These are not the same product, and meeting one does not meet the other.

| | To enter Austria | To stay (residence permit) | |---|---|---| | What it is | Travel health insurance | "Health insurance covering all risks" | | Coverage | Medical costs well over €30,000, including repatriation | Benefits matching the Austrian national system | | Where you buy it | Usually before you fly | After you arrive and enrol | | How long it counts | Only until you set up all-risk cover | The whole duration of your studies | | Accepted for the permit? | No — travel insurance alone is never enough | Yes |

The authorities are explicit: a travel policy "is only sufficient for the period until a health insurance covering all risks can be taken out after entry." Plan to switch within your first weeks in Austria.

What "covering all risks" actually means

For the residence permit, third-country nationals must hold insurance that covers all risks in Austria. In plain terms, the cover must "essentially correspond" to the Austrian national health insurance and not differ "considerably" from it. That rules out the cheap traps:

• No waiting periods
• No cost caps on treatment
• No excluded risks or conditions
• Must pay Austrian medical providers directly

The Austrian student self-insurance (below) is itself an "all risks" insurance, so it satisfies this automatically. A private policy can also qualify — but only if it genuinely meets every point above.

The ÖGK student self-insurance

The standard, cheapest route is the student self-insurance (Studierendenselbstversicherung) with the Austrian health fund, the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK). It costs €78.84 per month in 2026 and covers doctor visits, hospital stays, medication, dental treatment and preventive care — the same benefits in kind as the national system (it does not pay cash sickness or maternity benefits).

Who qualifies

You can take it out if you are enrolled as a regular degree student (ordentlicher Studierender) at an Austrian university or university of applied sciences (or as a non-degree student in a University Preparation Programme), and:

• Your habitual residence is in Austria (or the EU/EEA/Switzerland)
• You are not already covered by statutory health insurance
• Total annual income stays under €15,000 (StudFG limit); monthly earnings up to €551.10 (2026) are ignored
• You have made at most two changes of study programme
• You have not exceeded the planned study duration by more than four semesters

If you already finished a higher-education degree before your current studies, or your income is too high, the preferential rate may not apply — but ÖGK can often still offer self-insurance at the general conditions. When in doubt, ask them.

How and when to apply

You apply after entering Austria and enrolling, in writing, to the ÖGK office in the province where you live. Cover starts the day after ÖGK receives your application, so do it promptly.

Bring the completed application form, your confirmation of enrolment, your registration form (Meldezettel), proof of any insurance in the last 12 months, and a copy of your passport.

Private all-risk insurance

You don't have to use ÖGK. You can buy private health insurance covering all risks instead (for example via providers an OeAD partner offers, or feelsafe.at). But the bar is high: the benefits must essentially match the national scheme, with no waiting periods, no cost caps and no excluded risks, and the insurer must pay Austrian providers directly. Crucially, the company must give you an explicit written statement — on top of the policy itself — confirming it meets these requirements. Without that statement, the residence authority will not accept it.

| | ÖGK self-insurance | Private all-risk policy | |---|---|---| | Cost | €78.84 / month (2026) | Varies by provider and age | | Eligibility | Study duration & income limits apply | Open, but must meet strict terms | | Proof needed | ÖGK insurance confirmation | Policy plus written compliance statement | | Gives you the e-card? | Yes | No (private system) |

For most students the ÖGK route is simpler and cheaper. Private cover mainly helps if you don't qualify for the preferential rate.

EU/EEA students, the EHIC, and the e-card

If you come from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland and hold valid health insurance at home, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) already covers you in Austria — you generally don't need to take out Austrian insurance at all.

Once you're insured with the ÖGK, you receive an e-card automatically and free of charge. It's a chip card you show at any contracted doctor; there's no validity limit for use inside Austria, though a small annual service fee applies (€14.65 as last published). On the back of the e-card is your own EHIC, so when you travel within the EU/EEA and Switzerland you're covered there too — no separate voucher needed.

Social-insurance agreements

If your home country has a social-insurance agreement with Austria — Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, or Türkiye — and you hold valid national health insurance there, you can bring the relevant form (the A4 form for a primary residence in Austria) and exchange it at the ÖGK for an Austrian insurance confirmation that the residence authority accepts.

Frequently asked questions

Sources