Skip to content
Empty meeting room with a long table and a glass front

Home / Insurance broker

An insurance broker in Germany, explained for newcomers

In Germany, an insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler) is legally on the customer's side,

not the insurer's.

We compare policies from several insurers,

explain the small print in plain English and help when you make a claim.

You pay the same premium as buying direct, because the broker is paid by the insurer.

Request quotes All types

The question almost everyone asks first

How much does insurance cost in Germany?

It depends on a handful of facts: where you live, your age, your job, previous claims,

the sum insured and the excess you choose.

With those, quotes can be compared fairly.

The cheapest quote is rarely the best value, though,

because a policy that excludes your actual risk costs you everything when it matters.

That is why a broker asks what you need first and prices it second.

Every type of insurance we place

Personal insurance in Germany

Liability and legal

Home and property

On the move

Car insurance

Car insurance

Can I use my no-claims bonus from abroad in Germany?

Health

Long-term care

Long-term care

Do I need private long-term care insurance in Germany?

Income and family

Accident insurance

Accident insurance

Do I need private accident insurance if I already have health insurance in Germany?

Retirement

Private pension

Private pension

Should I take out a German private pension if I might leave Germany?

Insurance for companies and the self-employed

Liability and legal

D&O insurance

D&O insurance

Can I be personally liable as managing director of a German GmbH?

Premises and assets

Cargo insurance

Cargo insurance

Do I need cargo insurance if the haulier is liable anyway?

Fleet insurance

Fleet insurance

From how many vehicles can I get fleet insurance in Germany?

Digital and financial risks

Employees

Group accident insurance

Group accident insurance

Do my employees in Germany need group accident insurance if the Berufsgenossenschaft already…

Three tools for the decision

Insurance questions

Insurance questions

What it costs, when it is worth it, how to cancel: answers with prices and worked examples.

Do the maths

Calculator: 15

How many insurers compete in each class

From the BaFin register

Insurers under German federal supervision with a licence for the class.

The more there are, the more a comparison pays off.

Licensed insurers per class
Class of insuranceLicensed insurers
Company pension (bAV)229
Self-build insurance163
Contents insurance155
Buildings insurance155
Solar panel insurance155
Bicycle and e-bike155
Pet health insurance155
Business contents155
Commercial buildings155
Electronic equipment155
Machinery breakdown155
Contractors all risks155
Travel insurance140
Cyber insurance139
Natural hazard cover135
Professional indemnity129
Personal liability127
Dog and horse liability127
Business liability127
D&O insurance127
Accident insurance123
Group accident insurance123
Car insurance106
Fleet insurance106
Funeral insurance103
Business interruption95
Cargo insurance83
Occupational disability77
Term life insurance77
Private pension77
Drone insurance61
Legal expenses insurance60
Business legal expenses60
Private health insurance42
Supplementary health42
Dental insurance42
Long-term care42
Company health insurance42
Trade credit insurance26

Source: BaFin company database, 18 September 2026; EU insurers without a German office excluded. Download as CSV (CC BY 4.0)

What a broker does for you

We compare for you, not for an insurer

A tied agent sells one company's products.

A broker has to look at a wide enough range of the market and justify the recommendation.

We show you what we compared and why one policy fits better.

We review what you already have

Newcomers often sign up for whatever the bank or employer suggested in the first weeks.

We check those contracts for gaps and overlaps,

for example two liability policies after moving in together.

We are on your side when you claim

German policies have strict reporting duties and deadlines.

We help you file, check the settlement against the wording and push back when the insurer pays

less than it owes.

We handle cancellation and switching

German contracts renew automatically unless cancelled in time.

We track notice periods, cancel old policies on the right date and make sure there is no gap in

cover.

What people ask next

Do I actually need this insurance?

Insure first what could ruin you: liability towards others, which is unlimited under German law,

loss of income through illness,

and your home if you own it.

Small losses you can pay yourself do not need a policy.

Our life situation guide shows what matters for you.

What exactly is covered?

The policy schedule and the general terms (Versicherungsbedingungen) decide, not the brochure.

Look at exclusions, limits on specific losses and your duties as policyholder,

known as Obliegenheiten.

We translate the German terms before you sign.

Will the insurer really pay?

If the loss is covered and you met your duties, yes.

Disputes usually start in three places: wrong answers on the application, late reporting,

and exclusions nobody read.

All three can be avoided at the start.

Does a broker cost extra?

No, not normally.

The broker's commission, called Courtage, is built into the premium and paid by the insurer.

Brokers in Germany are not allowed to pass commission on to customers as a discount,

so the price of a given policy is the same.

How do I get out of an old contract?

Most German policies run for a year and renew automatically unless cancelled three months before

the end.

You can also cancel after a premium increase and after a claim.

We find the earliest date and cancel only once new cover is in place.

How it works

  1. Tell us what you need

    Use the form on the relevant insurance page, call or email.

    A few details are enough to start, and we work in English.

  2. Clarify the risk

    We ask what would really happen in a loss and look at any policies you already hold,

    including ones from your home country that may still run.

  3. Compare quotes

    We request offers from several insurers and set them side by side,

    with the differences in cover explained, not just the price.

  4. Sign and switch

    You decide.

    We submit the application, check the policy document for errors and cancel old contracts on time.

  5. Ongoing support

    We stay your contact, adjust cover when your life changes,

    for example when you buy a home or leave Germany,

    and support you through every claim.

How brokers are paid in Germany

Commission is the norm.

The insurer pays the broker out of the premium you would pay anyway.

You do not receive a separate bill,

and the premium for a given policy is the same as through an agent or online.

The alternative is fee-based advice.

A Versicherungsberater registered under § 34d(2) of the Trade Regulation Act is paid only by the

client and may not keep payments from insurers.

This mostly makes sense for large pension or life contracts,

where net-of-commission versions exist.

Before any contract we tell you in writing how we are paid.

German law requires this in the initial information document,

and it belongs in an honest relationship.

What a broker cannot do

Some insurers sell only direct and do not work with brokers, for example HUK24 and Allianz Direct.

We cannot arrange those policies.

We still mention them where relevant so you see the whole market.

We are not lawyers or tax advisers.

We explain policy terms and represent you towards the insurer.

Legal action and the tax treatment of pensions, including what happens when you leave Germany,

belong with those professions.

We cannot promise a price before the insurer quotes,

and the insurer decides whether to accept you, especially where health questions apply.

For boat and yacht insurance we are also an underwriting agency (Assekuradeur):

we design our own cover concepts and settle claims,

and these contracts are arranged through our brokerage as well.

It is a different role, so we say so.

The first question for each type

What people want to know first, answered in a few lines.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

What is the difference between a broker and an insurance agent in Germany?

An agent (Versicherungsvertreter) works for one or a few insurers and sells their products.

A broker (Versicherungsmakler) acts for the customer and must base advice on a sufficient range of

offers.

German courts describe the broker as the customer's trustee.

Can I get advice in English?

Yes.

Contracts and policy terms are usually in German and the German version is legally binding,

but we explain them in English and handle correspondence with insurers for you.

Is a broker liable for bad advice?

Yes.

Under § 63 of the Insurance Contract Act an intermediary who breaches advice duties must

compensate the resulting loss.

Every broker must hold professional indemnity insurance to be licensed.

How can I check whether a broker is licensed?

Search the German intermediary register at vermittlerregister.info.

It shows whether someone is registered as broker, agent or fee-based adviser.

Our registration number is on this page.

Can I move existing policies to a broker without cancelling them?

Yes.

You sign a broker mandate, and the insurer then services the contract through the broker.

Premium, cover and term stay exactly the same.

Can a German broker handle policies I keep from my home country?

We can review them and tell you whether they still work in Germany.

Often they do not, for example home or motor cover tied to an address abroad.

We cannot service contracts with insurers that are not active in Germany.

What happens to my policies if I leave Germany?

It depends on the policy.

Contents cover usually ends when you give up your German home and move abroad,

other contracts run on until their normal end date unless the terms say otherwise.

Private health insurance and long-term contracts need careful handling.

Talk to us before you go.

Does NAMMERT only insure boats?

No.

For boats and yachts we have our own cover concept.

As a broker we cover individuals and businesses in all common lines,

from personal liability to company pensions.

One request for everything

Pick the types, give the details insurers need, get a comparison.

Request quotes +49 3375 29 12 77

Boat or yacht? NAMMERT has its own cover concepts for boats, arranged by the same broker.

Boat insurance

Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT.

Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act.

Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company.

It does not arrange your contract.

Statutory disclosure (German)