Am I covered by my personal liability insurance when babysitting?
In short
Am I covered by my personal liability insurance when babysitting? For occasional private babysitting, often yes, if your policy names babysitters. Many current German wordings do, including liability for supervising a child under § 832 BGB. Older or basic policies may exclude paid work. Childcare for a nursery or with staff is not a private matter.
Guide values for personal liability insurance that includes babysitting, plus an example from a policy wording.
Example
Typical range
Single, own personal liability policy
about EUR 40 to 120 a year
Family, teenagers co-insured
about EUR 60 to 180 a year
Grandparents temporarily supervising grandchildren, example from a 2026 policy wording
insurer waives the objection of no breach of supervision up to EUR 500,000
Guide values as of November 2026 from publicly quoted premium ranges.
Only the policy wording shows whether babysitting is included in your tariff;
we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Babysitter, 17, child throws a stone at a parked car
Assumed figures: the babysitter is on the phone while the four-year-old plays alone at the roadside.
Damage to the car
EUR 1,800 (assumed)
Supervision breached
yes, a four-year-old should not be alone by the road
Liability
the babysitter under § 832 (2) BGB
Insurance
her parents' family policy with a babysitter clause
The car owner receives EUR 1,800 from the liability insurer. The babysitter only pays any agreed deductible.
Favour or paid job
Whether you watch the neighbours' child as a favour or for a few euros an hour, you have taken on supervision, and that is what counts for liability. There is no fixed rule in hours or euros for when babysitting stops being private.
If a family pays you regularly, they can register you as a household Minijob with the Minijob-Zentrale using the Haushaltsscheck. The Minijob-Zentrale then also registers you with statutory accident insurance, so your own injuries at work are covered. That does not replace liability cover: the Minijob-Zentrale itself points out that personal liability policies often do not cover paid work, so check your wording.
What the duty of supervision means for you
Under § 832 BGB, a person who must supervise a minor has to compensate damage the child unlawfully causes to a third party. Paragraph 2 applies the same rule to anyone who takes on supervision by contract, which includes you as a babysitter.
You are not liable if you met your duty of supervision or if the damage would have happened even with proper supervision. How closely you must watch depends on the child's age and the situation. Agree with the parents beforehand what the child may do alone.
Who pays for which damage
Personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) only pays if you are legally liable. It checks the claim and defends you against unjustified demands. It never pays for your own injuries.
Situation
Who usually pays
Child damages a neighbour's car while you were not watching
your liability policy under its babysitter clause, often also the parents' policy
You drop an expensive vase in the family's home
your liability policy if you are liable; a favour clause helps if you babysat for free
The child's toys or clothes get lost
often nobody, many wordings exclude this
You injure yourself while babysitting
not liability insurance; statutory accident insurance if you are registered as a Minijob
You look after children for a nursery or after-school club
not your private policy but the institution's insurance
Teenagers as babysitters
School pupils are usually covered by their parents' family policy. If that policy has a babysitter clause, an afternoon next door is covered.
Children over 13 may only be employed for pay with their parents' consent, for light work of no more than two hours a day and not between 6 pm and 8 am, under § 5 (3) of the Youth Employment Protection Act. Paid evening babysitting therefore does not fit for this age group.
When private cover is not enough
If you work for a nursery, an after-school club or an agency as their staff, the institution is responsible. If you employ helpers yourself or do not look after the children alone, many wordings exclude cover.
Childminders (Tagesmutter or Tagesvater) face very different rules. Some tariffs include childminding even as a business, including injuries to the children in your care. Others require a separate policy. Get written confirmation before your first child starts.
When you need nothing extra
If you occasionally look after children of friends, neighbours or relatives and your policy names babysitters, you are covered. You do not need a special babysitter insurance. Just check that the clause is in your wording. If an old policy lacks it, switching to a newer tariff can be cheaper than any add-on.
Step by step
Search your policy wording for babysitter, au pair or childminder.
Agree with the parents what the child may do alone and where it must not go.
For regular paid babysitting, raise registration as a household Minijob.
Report any damage to your insurer at once and promise nothing in advance.
As a childminder or for an institution, get cover confirmed in writing first.
Checklist
Babysitting or supervision of children named in the policy wording
Paid babysitting not excluded
Favour damage included
Teenagers co-insured under the parents' family policy
Clear agreement with the parents on rules and emergency numbers
Common mistakes
Assuming that paid work for a nursery runs through personal liability insurance
Paying for damage in cash before the insurer has checked the claim
Believing liability insurance pays for your own injuries while babysitting
Starting as a childminder without written confirmation from the insurer
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does the parents' liability insurance pay if I damage something while babysitting?
Damage you cause to third parties is often also covered by the family's own policy.
Damage to the parents' own belongings is not covered by their policy;
that is what your own personal liability insurance is for.
Am I covered if I am paid for babysitting?
Only if your wording includes babysitting and does not exclude paid activities.
Many current tariffs name babysitters; older or basic ones often exclude paid work.
Am I liable if the child gets hurt?
Only if you breached your duty of supervision.
Your liability insurer then checks the claim and pays what is justified.
If you watched properly, it defends you against unjustified claims.
When does a babysitter have to be registered?
There is no fixed threshold.
For regular jobs at a set hourly rate,
registration as a household Minijob with the Minijob-Zentrale is the safe route and includes
statutory accident insurance.
Do I need my own insurance as a babysitter?
For occasional private babysitting,
personal liability insurance with a babysitter clause is enough.
Adults without their own policy should take one out; singles pay about EUR 40 to 120 a year.
What about grandparents looking after grandchildren?
They take on supervision too.
Some wordings even pay when there was no breach of supervision during temporary care of
