01
Basic
Physical abilities and senses: walking, standing, gripping, seeing, hearing, speaking. Low cost, but no cover for mental illness.
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Basic abilities insurance in Germany: a monthly income if your body lets you down
Grundfähigkeitsversicherung pays a monthly benefit if you lose one of the abilities listed in the policy, such as walking, seeing, speaking or using your hands. Your job does not matter. That makes it affordable for manual workers and people with a medical history who cannot get occupational disability insurance (BU) at a reasonable price. It does not replace BU in full.
The question almost everyone asks first
Is basic abilities insurance a good substitute for occupational disability insurance?
It is the second best option when BU is refused or too expensive. BU asks whether you can still do your own job. Basic abilities insurance only asks whether you have lost a specific ability. If burnout or depression stops you working but you can still walk, see and use your hands, many policies pay nothing. For tradespeople, care workers and people with health issues it is still often the only income protection they can afford in Germany.
How a claim is assessed
The policy contains a list of abilities and defines when each one counts as lost. For walking, that might mean you can no longer cover a set distance without a break; for sight, a specific remaining visual acuity. If your condition meets that definition for the agreed period, you receive the full monthly benefit. Whether you work, and in what job, is irrelevant.
That is both the strength and the limit. There is no argument about your occupation, no referral to another job and no question of whether you could reorganise your business. But if you lose your job without losing one of the listed abilities, you receive nothing. A surgeon with a slight tremor cannot operate, yet can still turn a key.
Why this matters more if you are new to Germany
The German state disability pension (Erwerbsminderungsrente) generally requires five years of insurance, and it only pays if you cannot do any work for six hours a day. Many people who moved here recently have no state cover for years. A private policy closes that gap, and basic abilities cover is easier to obtain than BU for many manual jobs.
Health questions apply as well. They are often shorter than for BU, but treatment abroad counts just as much as treatment in Germany. Have your medical records from your home country to hand before you apply.
The mental health gap and what the German consumer test expects
Mental illness is the most common reason people have to stop working, and many basic abilities policies leave it out or offer it only as an add-on. German consumer advice centres point this out explicitly.
Stiftung Warentest, the German consumer testing foundation, reviewed 37 policies from 19 insurers in its July 2025 issue. Its minimum standard includes intellectual and social abilities, mental illness and cover for long-term care needs, not just physical abilities. More than half of the policies tested were rated good.
What is covered
- Monthly benefit if you lose a covered ability such as walking, climbing stairs, seeing, hearing, speaking or using your hands
- Benefit regardless of whether and where you work
- Loss of mental abilities such as memory or concentration, depending on the policy
- Mental illness, usually only in extended policies or as an add-on
- Need for long-term care as a separate trigger, depending on the policy
- Premium waiver while you receive benefits
- Option to increase cover without new health questions on certain occasions, depending on the policy
What is not covered
- Inability to do your job if no listed ability is lost
- Impairments below the threshold defined in the policy
- Pre-existing conditions not disclosed on the application
- Exclusions agreed when the insurer accepted you
- Deliberately self-inflicted harm
- Benefits beyond the agreed end age
Who needs it
- Tradespeople and other manual workers for whom BU is very expensive
- People with a medical history who were refused BU or only offered it with exclusions
- Students, apprentices and young professionals who want affordable cover early
- Newcomers to Germany without a record in the state pension system
- Anyone with BU cover who wants extra protection against serious physical harm
Who does not need it
- If you can get affordable BU cover without major exclusions, take that first
- If your savings would carry you to retirement without earned income
Wheel of misfortune
Spin the wheel of bad luck
Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.
Cost:
Budget policy
Strong policy
See all six cases
- Roofer with a slipped disc, monthly benefit while he cannot walk or stand. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. If he can no longer walk the distance in the policy or stand for long enough, an ability is lost. Any sound policy pays, without asking about his job.
- Burnout, a year off work, at €1,500 a month: €18,000 in the first year. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays in part. Basic policies do not cover mental illness. Extended ones pay if the definition is met, often only after twelve months of impairment.
- Stroke with speech problems, monthly benefit until the end age, often for years. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. Speaking is in almost every list. If the impairment lasts for the agreed period, the policy pays.
- Eight months of chemotherapy, months without income, benefit only with an add-on. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays in part. Cancer treatment does not necessarily take away one ability for good. An add-on for serious illness or sick leave closes this gap, the basic policy does not.
- Care needs after an accident, monthly benefit plus premium waiver. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. Strong policies pay from a low care level. Basic ones only pay if a listed ability is also lost.
- Software developer with RSI, unable to code full time, but no benefit. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. She can still grip, write and use a phone, just not type for hours. The threshold is not met. This is the case BU exists for.
What it costs
Because your job does not affect the benefit, it affects the premium less than with BU. For manual occupations basic abilities insurance is therefore usually much cheaper. The biggest differences come from the scope of cover and the add-ons you choose.
What drives the premium
- Number and definition of covered abilities
- Add-ons for mental health, care needs, serious illness or sick leave
- Age and health when you apply
- Monthly benefit amount
- Term and end age
- Occupation, broadly classified by some insurers
- Indexation before and during a claim
We do not quote a premium range, because scope and add-ons drive the price more than anything else. Your premium is only fixed in the quote.
The policy levels on the market
02
Extended
Adds mental abilities, mental illness and long-term care needs. In line with the minimum standard used by Stiftung Warentest.
03
Extended with add-ons
Extended cover plus benefits for serious illness or long sick leave. Closest to BU, and the most expensive.
How to recognise a good policy
| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental illness | available as an add-on | included in the main policy with a clear definition | Mental illness is the most common reason for losing the ability to work. |
| Duration of impairment | twelve months | six months, also for mental health causes | Every month of waiting is a month without income. |
| Long-term care | from a high care level | separate trigger from a low care level | Care needs often arise without one listed ability being completely lost. |
| Definition of abilities | clear thresholds | realistic thresholds, such as walking a short distance rather than full paralysis | Whether the policy pays depends entirely on the wording. |
| End age | 60 or 63 | 67 | Serious illness becomes more common in the years just before retirement. |
| Increase option | on marriage and birth of a child | many occasions, also at regular intervals without a reason | Your benefit should grow with your income without new health questions. |
| Switch to BU | none | switch to BU without new health questions up to a certain age | A way for students and apprentices to move to stronger cover later. |
Insurers on the German market
Basic abilities insurance is underwritten by German life insurers. The list of abilities and their definitions matter more than the brand. This is a market overview, not a statement about which insurers we work with.
| Insurer | Background |
|---|---|
| Allianz | life insurer of the Allianz group, agents and brokers |
| Hannoversche | direct insurer of the VHV group |
| R+V | insurer of the German cooperative banks, banks and brokers |
| Baloise | German life insurer of the Baloise group, agents and brokers |
| Nürnberger | part of the Nürnberger group, agents and brokers |
| Swiss Life | German company of the Swiss Life group, mainly through brokers |
| Württembergische | part of the W&W group, agents and brokers |
| Zurich | German life insurer of the Zurich group, agents, banks and brokers |
| die Bayerische | part of the die Bayerische group, agents and brokers |
| HUK-COBURG | sells directly, does not work with brokers |
Compare the wordings of all tariffs 16 tariffs from 10 providers, as of 24 October 2026
From the BaFin register
77
77 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance.
(Lebensversicherer)
Show all 77 names from the register
- ACM Lebensversicherung AG
- AGER Lebensversicherung AG
- Aioi Nissay Dowa Life Insurance of Europe Aktiengesellschaft
- Allianz Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Alte Leipziger Lebensversicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Athora Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- AXA Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Baloise Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft Deutschland
- Bayern-Versicherung Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- BL die Bayerische Lebensversicherung AG
- BY die Bayerische Vorsorge Lebensversicherung a.G.
- Concordia oeco Lebensversicherungs-AG
- Condor Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Continentale Lebensversicherung AG
- Cosmos Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Credit Life AG
- Debeka Lebensversicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit Sitz Koblenz am Rhein
- Delta Direkt Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft München
- Deutsche Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Deutsche Ärzteversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- DEVK Allgemeine Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- DEVK Deutsche Eisenbahn Versicherung Lebensversicherungsverein a.G. Betriebliche…
- Dialog Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- DIREKTE LEBEN Versicherung AG
- Dortmunder Lebensversicherung AG
- Entis Lebensversicherung AG
- ERGO Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- ERGO Vorsorge Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- EUROPA Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Frankfurt Münchener Lebensversicherung AG
- Frankfurter Lebensversicherung AG
- Generali Deutschland Lebensversicherung AG
- Gothaer Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Hannoversche Lebensversicherung AG
- HanseMerkur Lebensversicherung AG
- HDI Lebensversicherung AG
- HDI Vorsorge Lebensversicherung AG
- Heidelberger Lebensversicherung AG
- HELVETIA schweizerische Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- HUK-COBURG-Lebensversicherung AG
- IDEAL Lebensversicherung a.G.
- INTER Lebensversicherung AG
- InterRisk Lebensversicherungs-AG Vienna Insurance Group.
- Itzehoer Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Lebensversicherung von 1871 auf Gegenseitigkeit München
- Lifestyle Protection Lebensversicherung AG
- LPV Lebensversicherung AG
- LVM Lebensversicherungs-AG
- Mecklenburgische Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- myLife Lebensversicherung AG
- MÜNCHENER VEREIN Lebensversicherung AG
- neue leben Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- NÜRNBERGER Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Protektor Lebensversicherungs-AG
- Provinzial Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Provinzial Lebensversicherung Hannover
- Proxalto Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft c/o Viridium Group GmbH & Co. KG
- R + V Lebensversicherung a.G.
- R + V LEBENSVERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
- SIGNAL IDUNA Lebensversicherung a. G.
- SIGNAL IDUNA Lebensversicherung AG
- Skandia Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Stuttgarter Lebensversicherung a.G.
- SV SparkassenVersicherung Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Swiss Life Lebensversicherung SE
- uniVersa Lebensversicherung a.G.
- VEREINIGTE POSTVERSICHERUNG VVaG
- Versicherer im Raum der Kirchen Lebensversicherung AG
- Volkswohl-Bund Lebensversicherung a.G.
- VPV Lebensversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- WGV-Lebensversicherung AG
- WWK Lebensversicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Württembergische Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Zurich Deutscher Herold Lebensversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Zurich Life Legacy Versicherung AG (Deutschland)
- Öffentliche Lebensversicherung Sachsen-Anhalt
Source: BaFin company database, 18 September 2026; EU insurers without a German office excluded.
Legal basis and sources
Products and add-ons
Basic abilities insurance (Grundfähigkeitsversicherung)
A standalone policy with a list of abilities. Pays a monthly benefit if one is lost, without looking at your job.
Multi-risk or existence protection policy
Combines basic abilities, serious illness and long-term care in one contract. Broader, but the triggers are still a fixed list.
Occupational disability insurance (BU)
Pays if you can no longer do at least half of your own job, for whatever reason. Stronger cover, but expensive or unavailable for many occupations.
Earning incapacity insurance (Erwerbsunfähigkeitsversicherung)
Only pays if you cannot do any work at all. Includes mental illness, but the threshold is very high.
Child disability insurance (Kinderinvaliditätsversicherung)
For children, who have no occupation yet. Pays for disability from accident or illness.
Myth or truth
True or false?
Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.
Basic abilities insurance is just BU under another name.
This is false.
False. BU looks at your job, basic abilities insurance only at specific abilities. If you lose your job without losing one of them, it pays nothing.
For manual workers it is usually much cheaper than BU.
This is true.
True. Because the job plays no part in the benefit, the surcharge for physical work is small. In trades where BU is barely affordable, that is the main reason to choose it.
Mental illness is always included.
This is false.
False. Many policies leave it out or charge extra. Stiftung Warentest therefore counts it as part of the minimum standard.
Children can already be insured.
This is true.
True. Several insurers accept children from age six. This locks in their health at that age, and some policies allow a later switch to BU.
Because the health questions are shorter, they matter less.
This is false.
False. A wrong answer lets the insurer withdraw from the contract, just as with any other life policy, and usually at the moment you claim.
Common mistakes
- Taking basic abilities cover without first checking whether BU is available
- Choosing the cheapest policy that leaves out mental illness
- Comparing only the number of abilities, not their definitions
- Answering the shorter health questions from memory and forgetting treatment abroad
- Setting the monthly benefit too low or letting cover end before 67
- Not increasing cover as your income rises
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Which abilities are typically covered?
Almost always seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, climbing stairs, standing,
sitting and using your hands and arms.
Better policies add driving, using a keyboard or smartphone, memory,
concentration and social abilities.
What counts is the point at which an ability is treated as lost.
Does it pay for burnout or depression?
Only if the policy explicitly includes mental illness, either in the main cover or as an add-on.
A longer qualifying period, often twelve months, then usually applies.
Without that, mental illness is generally not covered.
Can I take out a German policy if I am not a German citizen?
Yes.
What matters is that you live in Germany when you apply and can pay from a SEPA account.
Some insurers ask how long you plan to stay.
Nationality as such is rarely an obstacle.
Do I have to answer health questions?
Yes.
Many insurers ask fewer questions than for BU, but the answers are just as binding.
If you give wrong answers, the insurer can withdraw from the contract within five years,
or ten if deliberate, under German insurance law.
From what age can I apply?
Several insurers accept children from age six.
The maximum entry age is often 55 or 60.
The younger and healthier you are when you apply, the lower the premium.
How long does it pay?
As long as the ability remains lost, at most until the agreed end age.
If your condition improves so that the definition is no longer met, the benefit stops.
What happens if I leave Germany?
The cover usually continues worldwide, because the loss of an ability is a medical finding.
Check the policy terms before you move, and keep paying from an account the insurer accepts.
NAMMERT insurance broker
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We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
Often goes with it
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