Germany Newcomer Bible · Chapter 23
Insurance Beyond Health
About 2 minutes to read. Verify current official requirements using the source links in the chapter.
Must-haves
| Insurance |
Mandatory? |
Typical cost |
Why |
| Privathaftpflicht (personal liability) |
No, but essential |
€50–100/year |
Covers damage you cause to others (flooded neighbour, broken laptop, car scratched by your bike) — unlimited personal liability otherwise. Choose ≥ €10m cover, including lost keys (Schlüsselverlust) and rented property damage (Mietsachschäden) |
| Kfz-Haftpflicht (car liability) |
Yes, if you own a car |
€250–900/year |
Required to register a car |
| Hundehaftpflicht (dog liability) |
Mandatory in several states (e.g. Berlin, Hamburg, Lower Saxony) |
€50–90/year |
Dogs are not covered by personal liability |
Worth considering
| Insurance |
When |
| Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung (occupational disability) |
If you depend on your income. The statutory pension pays little for disability. The younger and healthier you are when you take it out, the cheaper it is |
| Hausratversicherung (contents) |
If your belongings are worth more than you could replace (fire, burglary, water damage) — about €50–150/year |
| Risikolebensversicherung (term life) |
If others depend on your income (children, mortgage) |
| Rechtsschutz (legal expenses) |
Optional. Employment and tenancy disputes are covered by some policies, but with waiting periods of usually 3 months |
| Auslandsreisekrankenversicherung (travel health) |
For trips abroad — around €10–20/year. GKV doesn't cover return transport |
Usually not worth it
Phone/gadget insurance, glass breakage insurance, payment-protection insurance sold with loans (Restschuldversicherung), endowment life insurance (Kapitallebensversicherung), and accident insurance as a replacement for disability insurance.
Contract rules
- Most policies run for 1 year and renew automatically. Notice: usually 3 months before the end of the insurance year.
- After a claim or a price increase you normally get a special right to cancel (Sonderkündigungsrecht).
- For car insurance, the traditional switching date is 30 November (for policies following the calendar year).
- Answer health questions on applications truthfully — false answers let the insurer refuse to pay later.
- Independent comparisons: Stiftung Warentest / Finanztest, Verbraucherzentrale.
