Insurance for translators, interpreters and translation agencies in Germany
One wrong word in a user manual, a transposed figure in a contract, a misunderstood sentence in the negotiating room: translation errors are rarely noticed at once, but then they are printed, signed or taken to court. Protection against them is inexpensive in this profession. This page explains what you need and what it costs.
Yes, because the loss has nothing to do with your fee. You might earn 80 euros for a page of an operating manual, yet a mistake in it can trigger a recall or a reprint of 10,000 brochures. Professional indemnity with 100,000 euros cover starts at around 55 euros a year; for specialist translations in medicine, engineering or law, 250,000 euros makes sense.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Errors in the manual
A mistranslated safety instruction in an operating manual can lead to accidents, recalls and liability claims against the manufacturer.
02
Reprints
A mistake in a catalogue, on packaging or in advertising copy is only discovered after printing. The client claims the printing costs.
03
Contract texts
An imprecise translation of a contract or a certificate leads to litigation, missed deadlines or invalid clauses.
04
Interpreting
In a doctor's consultation, in court or in negotiations a sentence is rendered wrongly. This can cause both personal injury and financial loss.
05
Confidentiality
Patents, business figures and patient data pass through your hands. A hacked email account or a lost laptop breaches confidentiality.
06
Voice and health
Interpreters live on concentration, voice and hearing. A longer absence hits freelancers who have no sick pay.
For fee disputes with agencies and clients, which are common in the profession.
What it costs: example prices
The premium depends mainly on annual turnover and the sum insured. Specialist fields such as medicine, engineering and law, and assignments abroad, can increase it.
Six things that really happen to translators and interpreters, all on a single day. Tap through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€41,800
A machine manufacturer calls: the French operating manual gives a wrong torque value. He has 3,000 copies reprinted.
€9,000 · Paid by: Professional indemnity
A price in a furniture store's catalogue has been translated wrongly. Customers insist on the offer, and the retailer claims the difference.
€12,000 · Paid by: Professional indemnity
At a conference a technician trips over the cable of your mobile interpreting system and is injured.
€6,000 · Paid by: Business liability
Through a hacked email account, confidential patent documents go to strangers. Forensics and notifying the client.
€8,500 · Paid by: Cyber insurance
The laptop with all your terminology databases is stolen on the train.
€2,800 · Paid by: Electronic equipment
An agency refuses to pay three invoices, alleging poor quality. You sue for your fee.
€3,500 · Paid by: Business legal expenses
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €41,800
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Name every activity in the policy: translation, interpreting, proofreading, post-editing, subtitling and language teaching.
Choose 250,000 euros cover if you translate operating manuals, medical texts, contracts or patents.
Make sure you have worldwide cover if your translations are used abroad or you interpret abroad.
Agree a liability cap in your terms of business, and that the client checks print approvals himself.
Check whether your professional association's group contracts are cheaper, and compare the terms, not just the price.
Back up terminology databases and translation memories off site; only a cyber or electronics policy pays the cost of restoring them.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We compare association contracts too
As a broker we collect quotes from several insurers and set them beside the group contracts of professional associations, so that you see terms and price side by side.
Claims are our daily work
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. We know how to report and document a translation error properly.
One contact for work and private life
Professional indemnity, income protection, health insurance and pension are managed for you in one place.
Family business since 1989
Free of charge for you, as the insurer pays our commission. You speak to people who know your policy.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Do translators in Germany need professional indemnity?
Not by law, but it is inexpensive and protects you against claims far larger than your fee.
Many agencies now require proof of cover in their framework agreements.
What does professional indemnity for translators cost?
With 100,000 euros cover and low turnover it starts at around 55 euros a year.
Specialist translators with 250,000 euros cover pay more like 200 to 600 euros.
Are sworn translators required to be insured?
No, being sworn or authorised by a German court does not require compulsory insurance.
Given the weight of certified documents, it is still strongly recommended.
Am I covered when interpreting in court?
Yes, if interpreting is named in the policy.
Make sure the policy does not only cover written translations.
Does the insurer pay if the client is unhappy with the quality?
No, you owe any corrections yourself.
What is insured is the loss the error causes, such as printing costs or a recall.
Does the cover also apply to machine pre-translated texts?
If you check and approve the text, you are liable for it.
Have post-editing explicitly included in the description of your activities.
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