Does contents insurance in Germany pay without a receipt?
In short
Yes, contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) in Germany does pay without a receipt if you can show in another way that you owned the items and what they were. Insurers may only ask for documents you can reasonably obtain (section 31 VVG). Bank statements, order emails, photos or witnesses often suffice. Without any proof, expect cuts; an average burglary claim in Germany was EUR 3,850 in 2025.
What is at stake in contents claims without receipts, based on published German figures and the model terms.
Example
Typical range
Average insured burglary claim 2025
around EUR 3,850, EUR 200 more than the year before
Home burglaries paid by contents insurance 2025
around 100,000 cases, about EUR 380 million in total
Advance payment under the model terms
from 1 month after reporting, for the minimum amount
As of October 2026, from publications of the German insurance association and its model terms.
Your own policy terms may differ.
The amounts in the example are assumed values for illustration.
Worked example
Burglary with receipts for only two of five items
After a burglary a laptop, games console, camera, watch and ring are missing. Receipts exist for only two of them.
Laptop, receipt available
EUR 1,100 new value
Games console, receipt available
EUR 500 new value
Camera, order email and photo
EUR 900 new value
Watch, bank statement and holiday photo
EUR 600 new value
Ring, witness only (assumed halved)
EUR 800 instead of 1,600
With alternative evidence EUR 3,900 is paid. Only the ring without photo or valuation leaves a gap of EUR 800.
What a German insurer may ask for without a receipt
After a loss you must give the insurer all information it needs to establish the claim. It may only ask for documents as far as you can reasonably be expected to obtain them (section 31 of the Insurance Contract Act, VVG). Nobody has to keep a receipt for a sofa bought ten years ago.
Contents insurance in Germany pays new value (Neuwert), the price of equivalent new items. Without a receipt, two things matter: did you really own the item, and which model and quality was it? Both can often be shown without the original receipt.
Evidence that replaces a receipt
The more independent pieces of evidence you combine, the less a missing receipt matters.
Evidence
What it shows
Where to find it
Bank or credit card statement
date, shop, amount
online banking or your bank
Order confirmation and customer account
exact model and price
email inbox, order history
Photos and videos at home
ownership and condition
phone, cloud, holiday photos
Warranty card, manual, box
model and serial number
cellar, drawer, manufacturer account
Witnesses
ownership over time
family, friends, neighbours
Valuation certificate
value of jewellery and art
jeweller, inheritance papers
After a burglary: the list without receipts
After a burglary you give the police and the insurer a list of stolen items (Stehlgutliste). Note brand, model, rough year of purchase and today's new price for each item, even if no receipt exists. Missing receipts are no reason to leave an item off the list.
Show today's new price with a current offer for an equivalent model, for example a screenshot from an online shop. Show ownership with the evidence from the table. Add items you remember later as soon as possible.
If the insurer still pays less
If the amount cannot be proven exactly, the value can be estimated, and insurers often start low. Add evidence rather than accepting the cut: more photos, witnesses, price comparisons.
If only the amount is disputed, the German model terms let you request an expert procedure (Sachverständigenverfahren): each side names an expert, and an umpire decides if they disagree. One month after reporting, you can also demand an advance payment for the undisputed part.
Where missing proof really hurts
For everyday items like clothes, dishes or furniture, ownership in a lived in flat is hardly disputable. It gets difficult with expensive single items that rarely appear in photos: jewellery, watches, cash and collections.
These items also have separate payout limits. Without receipt, photo or valuation, expect clear deductions. A quick photo tour of your flat once a year takes five minutes and avoids this dispute.
Step by step
Report the loss immediately; after a burglary also file a police report.
List every item with brand, model and year, even without a receipt.
Search bank statements, emails and shop accounts for purchases.
Search phone and cloud photos for the items.
Save screenshots of current prices for equivalent models.
If the insurer cuts, add evidence and request an expert procedure if needed.
Checklist
Photo tour of all rooms and cupboards once a year
Receipts for valuable items stored digitally
Serial numbers of electronics and bikes noted
Photos or valuations for jewellery and watches
Copy of documents stored outside the flat, for example in the cloud
Common mistakes
Leaving items off the list because the receipt is missing
Rounding up values you cannot support, which raises suspicion
Stating the used value instead of the new price
Giving up after a cut although more evidence is available
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does contents insurance pay for a stolen bike without a receipt?
Yes, if you can prove ownership and model another way, for example with the frame number,
a photo or a bank statement.
The frame number is the key piece of evidence.
Is a signed statement enough?
A sworn statement can support your claim but does not replace other evidence.
Few insurers pay the full amount on that alone.
Can I ask the shop for a copy of the receipt?
Often yes, especially for online purchases with a customer account.
Ask early, as shops do not keep old purchase data forever.
What about inherited items?
There is never a receipt.
Photos, inheritance papers or an earlier valuation show ownership and value.
What if all documents burned in a fire?
Then receipts can hardly be expected.
Bank statements, emails and cloud photos take their place.
