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Personal cyber insurance in Germany: identity theft, online fraud and cyberbullying

German personal cyber policies pay and help when someone orders goods in your name, a web shop takes your money and never delivers, or your child is bullied online. Nobody has to buy one. Before you do, check what your bank, your household contents policy (Hausrat) and any legal expenses cover (Rechtsschutz) already handle, because together they often close most of the gap.

The question almost everyone asks first

Do I need personal cyber insurance if I live in Germany?

Usually not as a first priority. German consumer advice centres consider a stand-alone policy unnecessary for most people who already hold personal liability, contents and legal expenses insurance. It makes most sense for families whose children use social media, for people who buy a lot on online marketplaces, and for anyone without legal expenses cover who wants hands-on help, not just money, when something goes wrong. If you work freelance or run a business online, a private policy will not cover that side of your life.

What these policies actually do

A German personal cyber policy combines three elements: money for certain financial losses such as a fraudulent online purchase, payment for specialists such as data recovery or removing harmful posts, and telephone support. When the consumer magazine Finanztest compared twenty policies in 2024, five were built as legal expenses cover and fifteen as loss insurance, and the gaps between them in price and help were wide.

Limits are tight. In that comparison no policy paid more than €3,000 per online purchase, and none covered the offline world. If your wallet and ID card are stolen in the street, that is a contents insurance claim, even if the thief later misuses your identity online.

Your bank pays first

German law puts the bank in the front line. Under § 675u of the Civil Code (BGB) it must refund a payment you did not authorise. If you were only slightly careless, your share is capped at €50 under § 675v BGB. If the bank can show gross negligence, for example because you read out a TAN to a caller, you may carry the whole loss. That is the moment a cyber policy earns its keep.

So check two points in any offer: does it pay where the bank refuses because of gross negligence, and does it cover card payments and payment services as well as online banking? Some contents add-ons only cover misuse of online banking login details.

Private, business, contents add-on: where the lines run

Private cyber cover stops at your private life. Freelancers, landlords managing tenant data online and anyone with a web shop need commercial cyber insurance, which pays for business interruption, data protection breaches and claims from customers. A contents add-on is the budget option for money lost through online banking or shopping. Legal expenses cover pays lawyers and courts. A stand-alone cyber policy blends money with practical help and costs more.

What is covered

  • Loss from fraudulent online purchases, capped per purchase
  • Misuse of online banking, cards or payment services where the bank does not refund
  • Help after identity misuse, including defending unjustified claims
  • Cyberbullying: removal of harmful content, legal advice, sometimes psychological support
  • Data recovery and reinstallation after malware
  • IT helpline
  • Partner and children under a family policy

What is not covered

  • Freelance, professional or business use
  • Theft of wallet, ID card or devices offline
  • Losses the bank is legally obliged to refund
  • Money you transferred voluntarily after being deceived, in many policies
  • Ransom payments
  • Incidents that began before the policy started

Who needs it

  • Families with children on messaging apps and social networks
  • Frequent buyers on marketplaces and classified ad sites
  • Households without legal expenses insurance
  • People whose data has already appeared in a breach

Who does not need it

  • A stand-alone policy if your contents insurance has an internet add-on and your legal expenses cover includes personality rights online

Wheel of misfortune

Spin the wheel of bad luck

Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.

See all six cases
  1. Fake web shop never delivers, the purchase price, often a few hundred €. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. Some contents add-ons only cover online banking. Strong policies also replace goods that never arrive, up to the limit per purchase.
  2. Account emptied by phishing, your balance up to the overdraft limit. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. The bank pays first. If it refuses because of gross negligence, only a policy that covers gross negligence steps in.
  3. Goods ordered in your name, reminders, debt collectors, lawyer, time. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Add-ons rarely cover identity misuse. Stand-alone policies fight unjustified claims and write to sellers and credit agencies.
  4. Child bullied in a class chat, content removal, lawyer, counselling. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Strong family policies arrange removal of posts, pay for legal advice and often for psychological first aid.
  5. Laptop encrypted, photos gone, data recovery and reinstallation. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. Many cyber policies pay for data recovery. None of the private ones pays the ransom.
  6. Your freelance website is hacked, lost income and client claims. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. That is business use. No personal cyber policy pays; you need commercial cyber insurance.

What it costs

Personal cyber cover in Germany is cheaper than many expect, but the spread is wide. An add-on to contents or liability insurance costs a fraction of a stand-alone policy and does less.

ExampleTypical range
Stand-alone policy, single personroughly €50 to €130 a year
Cyber add-on to contents or liability coverroughly €20 to €50 a year

What drives the premium

  • Stand-alone policy or add-on
  • Single person or family
  • Maximum payout per claim and per year
  • Whether legal expenses and psychological help are included
  • Excess

Guide figures from published German market comparisons, including Finanztest, 2024 to 2026. Family policies cost more. Your premium is fixed only in the quote.

The policy levels on the market

01

Add-on to contents or liability

Money lost through online banking and often online shopping, with low limits. Rarely includes help with identity theft or bullying.

02

Stand-alone cyber policy

Money, specialists and advice in one: online fraud, identity misuse, cyberbullying, data recovery.

03

Cyber policy with legal expenses

Adds lawyers and court costs against perpetrators, sellers or platforms. Worth it if you have no legal expenses cover.

How to recognise a good policy

CriterionMinimum standardStrong policyWhy it matters
Online purchases non-delivery by retailers only private sales on classified sites too, high limit per purchase Much purchase fraud happens between private sellers and buyers.
Gross negligence excluded covered That is exactly when German banks refuse a refund.
Payment methods online banking only online banking, cards and payment services Stolen card details are common and fall outside weak add-ons.
Cyberbullying telephone advice content removal, lawyer and psychological first aid With children, speed of removal and support matter most.
Identity misuse reimbursement on proof active help with sellers, debt collectors and credit agencies The paperwork after identity theft often outweighs the money.
Insured persons policyholder only everyone in the household Children are among those most often affected.

Insurers on the German market

Only some German insurers sell stand-alone personal cyber policies; many large groups focus cyber cover on businesses. The companies below offer private tariffs that have been assessed in independent German ratings. This is a market overview, not a recommendation.

InsurerBackground
Debekapart of the Koblenz-based Debeka group, own sales force
ARAGDüsseldorf insurer best known for legal expenses cover
SV SparkassenVersicherungpublic-sector insurer sold mainly through savings banks
VGHpublic-sector insurer in Lower Saxony
INTERMannheim insurance group, agents and brokers
WGVStuttgart insurer selling direct
BavariaDirektdirect insurer of the Versicherungskammer Bayern group

Compare the wordings of all tariffs Personal cyber cover 10 tariffs from 9 providers, as of 24 October 2026

From the BaFin register

139

139 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance.

(Sonstige finanzielle Verluste, Allgemeine Haftpflicht)

Show all 139 names from the register
  • ACM Versicherung AG
  • ADAC Versicherung AG
  • ADLER Versicherung AG
  • AGILA Haustierversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Allcura Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Allianz Direct Versicherungs-AG
  • Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE
  • Allianz Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Alte Leipziger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Ambra Versicherung AG
  • AMMERLÄNDER VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
  • andsafe Aktiengesellschaft
  • ARAG Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • ARAG SE
  • Astra Versicherung AG
  • AXA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • BA die Bayerische Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Badischer Gemeinde-Versicherungs-Verband
  • Baloise Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft Deutschland
  • Barmenia Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • BavariaDirekt Versicherung AG
  • Bayerische Hausbesitzer-Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
  • Bayerische Landesbrandversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Bayerischer Versicherungsverband Versicherungsaktiengesellschaft
  • BD24 Berlin Direkt Versicherung AG
  • BGV-Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Concordia Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Continentale Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Cosmos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DA Deutsche Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DARAG Deutschland AG
  • Debeka Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft Sitz Koblenz am Rhein
  • Delvag Versicherungs-AG
  • Deutsche Assistance Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DEVK Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • DEVK Deutsche Eisenbahn Versicherung Sach- und HUK-Versicherungsverein a.G. Betriebliche…
  • DFV Deutsche Familienversicherung AG
  • Dialog Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Die Haftpflichtkasse VVaG
  • DOCURA VVaG
  • Domestic & General Insurance Europe AG
  • ERGO Direkt Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ERGO Reiseversicherung AG
  • ERGO Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Euro-Aviation Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • EUROPA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • EXTREMUS Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Fahrlehrerversicherung Verein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • GARANTA Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gebäudeversicherungsgilde für Föhr,Amrum und Halligen
  • Gemeinnützige Haftpflichtversicherungsanstalt Kassel
  • Generali Deutschland Versicherung AG
  • Gothaer Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gothaer Versicherungsbank VVaG
  • Great Lakes Insurance SE
  • GRUNDEIGENTÜMER-VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • GVO Gegenseitigkeit Versicherung Oldenburg VVaG
  • GVV Direktversicherung AG
  • GVV-Kommunalversicherung, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Haftpflichtgemeinschaft Deutscher Nahverkehrs- und Versorgungsunternehmen Allgemein (HDNA) VVaG
  • Hamburger Feuerkasse Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • HanseMerkur Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AG
  • HDI Global SE
  • HDI Global Specialty SE
  • HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • HDI Versicherung AG
  • Helvetia Schweizerische Versicherungsgesellschaft AG Direktion für Deutschland
  • Helvetia Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • HUK-COBURG Haftpflicht-Unterstützungs-Kasse kraftfahrender Beamter Deutschlands a.G. in Coburg
  • HUK-COBURG-Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HUK24 AG
  • Hübener Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • IDEAL Versicherung AG
  • INTER Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Interlloyd Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • InterRisk Versicherungs-AG Vienna Insurance Group.
  • ISSELHORSTER Versicherung V.a.G.
  • Itzehoer Versicherung/Brandgilde von 1691 Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Janitos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-LOGISTIC Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Landschaftliche Brandkasse Hannover
  • LBN Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
  • Lifestyle Protection AG
  • Lippische Landesbrandversicherung AG
  • Lucura Versicherungs AG
  • LVM Landwirtschaftlicher Versicherungsverein Münster a.G.
  • Mannheimer Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Markel Insurance SE
  • Mecklenburgische Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • MVK Versicherung VVaG
  • MÜNCHENER VEREIN Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • NEH Neue Hildener Versicherung AG
  • Neodigital Versicherung AG
  • Newline Europe Versicherung AG
  • nexible Versicherung AG
  • NV-Versicherungen VVaG
  • NÜRNBERGER Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • NÜRNBERGER BEAMTEN ALLGEMEINE VERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • OKV - Ostdeutsche Kommunalversicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Ostangler Brandgilde, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • Pallas Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ProTect Versicherung AG
  • Provinzial Nord Brandkasse Aktiengesellschaft
  • Provinzial Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • PVAG Polizeiversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • R+V Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • RheinLand Versicherungs Aktiengesellschaft
  • Rhion Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ROLAND Schutzbrief-Versicherung AG
  • S DirektVersicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SAARLAND Feuerversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SHB Allgemeine Versicherung VVaG
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Stuttgarter Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SV SparkassenVersicherung Gebäudeversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • TRIAS Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Uelzener Allgemeine Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
  • Union Reiseversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • uniVersa Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Versicherer im Raum der Kirchen Sachversicherung AG
  • Versicherungskammer Bayern Versicherungsanstalt des öffentlichen Rechts
  • Versicherungsverband Deutscher Eisenbahnen-Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Verti Versicherung AG
  • VHV Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • VHV Vereinigte Hannoversche Versicherung a.G.
  • VOLKSWOHL-BUND SACHVERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • VPV Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • Waldenburger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • WERTGARANTIE SE
  • WGV-Versicherung AG
  • WWK Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Württembergische Gemeinde-Versicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Württembergische Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Würzburger Versicherungs-AG
  • Zurich Insurance Europe AG
  • Öffentliche Feuerversicherung Sachsen-Anhalt

Source: BaFin company database, 18 September 2026; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

Legal basis and sources

Products and add-ons

Internet add-on to Hausrat

For households mainly worried about money lost through online banking and shopping. Check limits and payment methods.

Stand-alone personal cyber policy

For singles and families who want help with identity misuse, bullying and data loss as well as money.

Internet legal expenses cover

Lawyers and courts for online defamation and disputes with sellers, as an add-on or within private legal expenses cover.

Commercial cyber insurance

For freelancers and businesses holding customer data or selling online.

Myth or truth

True or false?

Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.

Germany has a specific criminal offence called cyberbullying.

This is false.

False. Individual acts such as insult, stalking or unlawful images are punishable, but there is no single cyberbullying offence.

If I was only slightly careless, my bank can charge me at most €50 for misuse.

This is true.

True, under § 675v BGB. With gross negligence the cap falls away and you may bear the full loss.

A cyber policy pays if my wallet with my ID card is stolen.

This is false.

No. Finanztest found no cyber policy that covers the offline world. The theft itself is a contents insurance claim.

Much of the cybercrime against Germany is committed from abroad.

This is true.

True. In 2024 the Federal Criminal Police Office counted nearly 202,000 offences from abroad or an unknown location, more than the roughly 131,000 committed inside Germany.

With contents, liability and legal expenses cover I am often partly protected online already.

This is true.

True. That is why German consumer advice centres see a separate cyber policy as unnecessary for many people. The wording of your existing policies decides.

Common mistakes

  • Buying a cyber policy when contents and legal expenses insurance already cover the cases
  • Calling the insurer before the bank and the police after phishing
  • Choosing a policy that excludes gross negligence
  • Relying on a private policy for freelance work or a web shop
  • Leaving children off the policy

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

How is this different from business cyber insurance?

A personal policy covers private life only.

Commercial cyber insurance pays for business interruption,

data protection breaches and customer claims.

Anyone self-employed or running a web shop in Germany needs the commercial version.

Will my bank refund me after phishing?

For a payment you did not authorise, in principle yes, under § 675u BGB.

With slight negligence you bear at most €50.

With gross negligence, such as passing on a TAN, the bank may refuse.

Is cyberbullying a crime in Germany?

There is no single offence called cyberbullying.

Individual acts are punishable, for example insult under § 185 of the Criminal Code,

stalking under § 238 or unlawful images under § 201a.

Publishing someone's photo generally needs their consent.

What should I do after identity theft?

Report it to the police, tell your bank and any affected sellers,

change your passwords and request your file from the German credit agencies.

A cyber policy with identity cover handles the correspondence and fights unjustified claims.

How common is cybercrime in Germany?

The Federal Criminal Police Office recorded around 131,000 cybercrime cases committed in Germany

in 2024, plus nearly 202,000 offences committed from abroad or from an unknown location.

Many incidents are never reported.

Does the policy pay ransom?

Almost never.

Personal policies pay for data recovery and advice, not for ransom.

If you are blackmailed, do not pay and report it.

Can I take out a German policy as an expat?

Yes, if you live in Germany.

Most policies are written in German, so ask for the key terms in English before you sign.

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