Health Insurance for Students in Austria: ÖGK, Co-Insurance, Private

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Austria has no single rule that fits every student. Which insurance you need depends on your passport, your age, your parents' situation and how much you earn. This guide explains the options published by the Austrian government and the OeAD in October 2026. It covers the insurance itself. The insurance needed for the visa application is also summarised in the student visa guide for Austria, and a Europe-wide overview is in health insurance for students in Europe.

The three main options

Co-insurance with a parent or spouse. Free of charge, but only if you meet the age and income conditions below.
Student self-insurance with the Austrian health fund (ÖGK). A reduced monthly rate for degree students with no other insurance.
Private insurance. Accepted for a residence permit only if it covers all risks without exceptions.

EU, EEA and Swiss students who are insured at home can also keep that cover and carry the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Study in Austria recommends getting the card before you travel.

Student self-insurance (ÖGK)

The rate for students is €78.84 a month in 2026, according to both the Austrian government portal and the OeAD. The portal lists these conditions:

you are enrolled as a regular student at a university, Fachhochschule, teacher-training institution or another listed institution (preparatory courses and the admission exam for people without a school certificate also count)
you are not already compulsorily insured, for example through a job
your habitual residence is in Austria
your total income is under €15,000 per calendar year
you are within the entitlement period, which is the intended length of your programme plus four semesters
you have changed your field of study at most twice

Study in Austria adds that the public student cover is open only to people with established legal residence in Austria, so the conditions are checked after you arrive and enrol. The ÖGK and the Austrian Students' Union (ÖH) provide the application forms.

If you are a non-EU student, the OeAD page says you can tick in the permit application that you will take out this insurance after entry, or attach a written statement. After arriving, you collect the ÖGK confirmation and show it to the residence authority when you collect the permit. Each year, by 31 December, you send your continuing enrolment confirmation (Fortsetzungsbestätigung) to the ÖGK to keep the cover active.

Free co-insurance with parents

Austrian rules allow a student to be co-insured under a parent, grandparent, stepparent or spouse. The government page lists these points:

it is possible up to the 27th birthday, and only if you have no health insurance of your own
you must meet the study-progress requirement used for the family allowance (Familienbeihilfe), and studying must take up more time than a job
once the family allowance stops because of your age, you prove a seriously pursued study with certificates
it costs nothing
your earnings must not exceed €551.10 a month (the marginal employment limit for 2026). If they do, your employer registers you with the ÖGK and you are insured in your own right. This applies to summer jobs too, and co-insurance resumes automatically when the job ends, if the other conditions are still met

For the details of student jobs, see scholarships and student jobs in Austria.

Private insurance

Private insurance can be used to prove cover for a residence permit, but the OeAD sets strict conditions. The policy must be broadly equivalent to the national health insurance, with no waiting periods, no cost caps and no excluded risks, and it must pay for treatment in Austria directly. The insurer must also give you a written statement, in addition to the policy, confirming these points. A normal travel policy does not meet this standard. It only bridges the gap until you have proper cover: the OeAD says travel insurance for entry must be valid in Austria and cover well over €30,000, including repatriation.

Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey can use a social insurance agreement. They bring form A4 from their home health insurer and exchange it for a confirmation of insurance from the ÖGK.

How to choose

EU students: check whether your home insurance with an EHIC is enough, and whether a parent can co-insure you.
Non-EU degree students without other cover: plan for the ÖGK self-insurance, and remember that the rate is reviewed each year.
Choose a private policy only if the insurer gives you the written statement, or if you do not meet the self-insurance conditions.
Keep your enrolment confirmations. Both the ÖGK and the residence authority ask for them every year.

Your total costs for the year are in how much it costs to study in Austria. Our catalogue lists 776 programmes at 77 institutions in Austria, see all programmes.

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.