Am I still insured if I have not paid the premium?
In short
Am I still insured if I have not paid the premium? For the first premium often not: if a loss occurs before you pay, the insurer owes nothing, provided it clearly warned you (§ 37 VVG, German Insurance Contract Act). For later premiums you stay insured until a reminder with a deadline of at least two weeks has expired (§ 38 VVG). Pay at once.
Worked figures on deadlines and consequences of an unpaid premium. Periods from the VVG.
Example
Typical range
First premium due
14 days after receiving the policy schedule
Reminder deadline for later premiums
at least 2 weeks
Paying after cancellation
within 1 month, then the contract continues
Private health insurance, arrears 900 euros
surcharge of 9 euros per month begun
Car liability, insurer free towards you, accident damage 8,000 euros
the victim gets 8,000 euros, the insurer reclaims them from you
Periods under §§ 33, 37, 38, 117 and 193 VVG, as of October 2026.
Arrears and damage amounts are guide values from day to day practice for illustration.
Worked example
Contents insurance: direct debit bounced, then a burglary
The quarterly premium of 40 euros is not collected on 1 April because the account was empty. The reminder arrives on 20 April with a two week deadline.
Reminder received
20 April
Deadline ends
4 May
Burglary on 28 April
insured, the deadline was still running
Burglary on 10 May without payment
not insured
Paying within the reminder period costs you nothing extra. After the deadline, an unpaid 40 euros can leave a loss of several thousand euros uncovered.
The first premium: cover only once paid
You must pay the first premium without delay once 14 days have passed after you received the policy schedule (§ 33 (1) VVG). If it is still unpaid when a loss occurs, the insurer does not have to pay (§ 37 (2) VVG). It may also withdraw from the contract.
Two exceptions protect you. If the non payment is not your fault, for example because the insurer set up the direct debit wrongly, you stay insured. And the insurer is only free from paying if it warned you of this consequence separately in text form or by a conspicuous note in the policy schedule.
Later premiums: a reminder with a deadline
If a later premium is not paid, the insurer must send a reminder in text form setting a payment deadline of at least two weeks. The reminder must state the arrears exactly and name the consequences, otherwise it has no effect (§ 38 (1) VVG). Until the deadline expires, you are insured.
If a loss happens after the deadline while you are still in arrears, the insurer does not have to pay (§ 38 (2) VVG). It may then also cancel without notice. If you pay within a month of the cancellation, it becomes void; but the insurer stays free from paying for a loss in the gap (§ 38 (3) VVG).
Situation
Are you insured?
First premium unpaid, warning given
no, until paid
First premium unpaid through no fault of yours
yes
Later premium unpaid, deadline still running
yes
Later premium unpaid, deadline expired
no, until paid
Cancelled, paid within a month
contract continues, loss in the gap uncovered
Car liability: the victim gets paid, you pay back
In motor liability insurance the insurer must still pay the accident victim even if it is free from paying towards you (§ 117 (1) VVG). If the contract ends, this applies towards the victim for another month after the insurer has informed the vehicle registration office (§ 117 (2) VVG).
For you this means: what the insurer pays the victim, it reclaims from you (§ 117 (5) VVG). An unpaid car premium can therefore become very expensive.
Private health insurance: suspended, not ended
Special rules apply in German private health insurance. If you are two monthly premiums behind, the insurer must send a reminder, and you pay a late payment surcharge of 1 per cent of the arrears for each month begun (§ 193 (6) VVG). If the arrears remain after a second reminder, the contract is suspended.
While it is suspended, you are insured in the emergency tariff (Notlagentarif), which pays mainly for acute illness and pain, pregnancy and maternity (§ 193 (7) VVG, § 153 VAG). Once all arrears and surcharges are paid, your old tariff resumes from the first day of the month after next (§ 193 (9) VVG).
What to do now if the premium is unpaid
Pay the full outstanding premium straight away, not in instalments without agreement. Talk to the insurer if you cannot afford the premium long term: payment interval, excess or scope can often be changed instead of losing the contract.
An insurance broker can check which deadline is running and whether a cheaper tariff with the same cover is possible. At NAMMERT, Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker, and the insurer pays his commission. A loss that has already happened without cover, however, cannot be insured afterwards.
Step by step
Take any reminder or returned debit seriously and note the date you received it.
Transfer the full amount stated.
Ask the insurer to confirm payment.
If money is tight for longer, change the payment interval or scope.
Check the direct debit mandate and bank details so it does not happen again.
Checklist
Date of the reminder noted
End of the deadline worked out
Arrears paid in full
Payment confirmed by the insurer
Bank details in the contract up to date
Common mistakes
Ignoring the reminder because the amount is small
Paying only part and assuming cover is safe
Believing a loss after cancellation is covered by paying later
Driving on although the car policy has been cancelled
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
How long do I have after a reminder?
At least two weeks from receiving it, unless the insurer sets a longer deadline.
Am I insured if the direct debit fails through no fault of mine?
For the first premium yes, if the non payment is not your fault.
Sort out the error at once.
Can the insurer cancel because of one unpaid premium?
Yes, without notice once the reminder deadline has passed.
Paying within a month makes the cancellation void.
Will I be thrown out of private health insurance?
No.
The contract is suspended and you are covered by the emergency tariff until the arrears are paid.
Do I have to pay reminder costs?
By law the costs of a valid reminder are borne by the policyholder.
