Do I need insurance for a drone under 250 grams in Germany?
In short
Yes. In Germany you need insurance for a drone under 250 grams too, namely liability insurance, with or without a camera. The 250 gram limit only decides on registration and the drone licence. A light drone is often included in personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) at no extra cost; a separate policy usually costs under EUR 50 a year.
What the duty costs for a drone under 250 grams in Germany, based on published figures.
Example
Typical range
Mini drone included in personal liability insurance
often EUR 0 extra
Separate private drone liability policy
usually under EUR 50 a year
Cover for damage to your own drone
from about EUR 24 a year
Registration with the Federal Aviation Office, camera drones only
EUR 20 once
Guide values, October 2026, from published tariffs and federal fees.
The damage examples in the text are a guide value from our quoting practice.
Your premium depends on the policy; we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Camera drone of 249 grams, flown privately
This is the bill if your personal liability policy already includes drones.
Liability via personal liability insurance
EUR 0 extra
Confirmation under § 106 LuftVZO
free from the insurer
Registration because of the camera
EUR 20 once
Drone licence
not needed
At best EUR 20 once. If your personal liability policy does not cover drones, add a separate policy for usually under EUR 50 a year.
Why weight does not matter for insurance
In German law a drone is an aircraft (Luftfahrzeug), even at 249 grams. § 43(2) of the Air Traffic Act requires every keeper of an aircraft to hold liability insurance. There is no weight threshold, and the federal drone portal dipul states the duty for all drones.
The reason is strict liability in aviation law: you pay for damage your mini drone causes even if you did nothing wrong, for example when a gust pushes it into a parked car.
What the 250 grams really decide
The weight limit comes from the EU drone regulation 2019/947. It decides on registration and the competence certificate, not on insurance, which each country sets itself. That is why many answers online contradict each other, especially if you know the rules from the UK, Spain or Austria.
Drone
Liability insurance
Registration
Licence
under 250 grams, no camera
yes
no
no
under 250 grams, with camera
yes
yes, EUR 20
no
toy drone under the EU Toy Safety Directive, with camera
yes
no
no
250 grams or more
yes
yes
yes, at least A1/A3
Is personal liability insurance enough for a mini drone?
Often yes. Many German personal liability policies include drones up to a set weight, depending on the policy 250 grams, 2.5 or 5 kilograms. If the wording only mentions model aircraft in general, ask whether your drone under 250 grams is expressly covered.
Ask the insurer for a confirmation under § 106 of the Air Traffic Licensing Regulation (Luftverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung). You must carry it when you fly, even with a drone under 250 grams.
What a light drone can still break
249 grams sounds harmless, but falling from 50 metres the drone hits hard. A cracked windscreen, scratched paint or a cut on a walker's head quickly costs four figures, and lasting injury to a person can reach six.
That is the point of the rule: liability insurance pays justified claims and fights unjustified ones. Without it, you pay for both yourself.
When you do not need a separate drone policy
If your personal liability policy names drones, you fly privately and the weight fits, a second policy for the drone under 250 grams adds nothing. Paying twice does not double the cover.
A separate drone policy makes sense if you sell footage, let friends fly or your personal liability policy excludes drones. If you rely on a policy from your home country, check that it covers flights in Germany.
Step by step
Check the take-off weight in the drone's data sheet.
Look for drones and the weight limit in your personal liability policy.
If drones are missing, ask for an extension or a separate drone policy.
Request the confirmation under § 106 LuftVZO and save it on your phone.
With a camera, register as an operator and stick the e-ID on the drone.
Checklist
Drone named in the policy
Weight limit in the policy above the take-off weight
Private use only, otherwise a separate policy
Insurer's confirmation with you when flying
Registration done if there is a camera
Common mistakes
Assuming every duty disappears under 250 grams
Confusing registration with insurance
Relying on a policy from your home country without checking German cover
Buying a second policy although your personal liability insurance already covers the drone
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do I need insurance for a toy drone without a camera?
Yes, as soon as it flies outdoors.
Toy status only frees you from registration, not from liability insurance.
If my child flies the drone, who must be insured?
The keeper, usually the parents.
A family personal liability policy that includes drones normally covers children in the household.
How much cover do I need for a drone under 250 grams?
At least 750,000 units of account under § 37 of the Air Traffic Act.
Good policies cover several million euros for little extra.
What happens if I fly without insurance?
A fine of up to EUR 50,000 is possible.
If you cause damage, you also pay it out of your own pocket.
Is it the same in the UK or Spain?
No.
Rules for drones under 250 grams differ by country, so in Germany German law applies,
