Does life insurance pay out after suicide in Germany?
In short
Yes, if the policy had been in force for at least three years. Within the first three years, German life insurance does not pay out after suicide under section 161 VVG, unless the act happened in a state of mental disorder that ruled out free will. If you are in crisis yourself, the TelefonSeelsorge helpline is free and open day and night on 0800 111 0 111.
What term life insurance costs in Germany, guide values from published tariff examples.
Example
Typical range
Age 30, non-smoker, EUR 200,000, 30 year term
about EUR 9 to 16 a month
Age 30, non-smoker, EUR 200,000, 25 year term
about EUR 10 to 20 a month
Small sum, young non-smoker
from about EUR 2.50 a month
Immediate help after the death certificate in one tariff, policy older than three years
10 percent of the sum, at most EUR 10,000
Guide values as of October 2026 from published tariff examples and policy terms.
The amounts in the worked example are a guide value from quoting practice;
your policy terms are what count.
Worked example
Term life insurance for EUR 200,000
The insured person dies by suicide. The policy was taken out 26 months ago, and there is no proof of a mental disorder.
Sum insured
EUR 200,000
Time since the policy was taken out
26 months, period not over
Surrender value of term life insurance
usually EUR 0
Same case after 37 months
EUR 200,000
Within the period the relatives receive nothing, after three years the full sum. If a mental disorder can be proven, the insurer pays within the period too.
A word first
This page explains the legal position for relatives and for anyone checking their own policy. If you are thinking about suicide right now, please talk to someone today. The TelefonSeelsorge helpline is open day and night, free and anonymous: 0800 111 0 111, 0800 111 0 222 or 116 123. You can also chat or write to them, and their website is available in English.
If you have lost someone to suicide, this help is there for you too. Questions about the life insurance can wait until you have the strength for them.
The three year rule in German law
Under section 161 (1) of the German Insurance Contract Act (Versicherungsvertragsgesetz, VVG), the insurer does not have to pay under a death cover if the insured person intentionally took their own life before three years had passed since the contract was concluded. After those three years, life insurance pays out after suicide like after any other cause of death.
The rule is meant to stop someone from taking out a policy with the plan of triggering it soon after. It applies to term life insurance (Risikolebensversicherung), endowment policies and funeral insurance (Sterbegeldversicherung) alike. What counts is when the contract was concluded, not the date of the first payment.
The exception for mental disorder
Even within the three years the insurer pays if the act was committed in a state of pathological mental disorder that ruled out free will, section 161 (1) sentence 2 VVG. Policy terms usually say that this state must be proven to the insurer.
Whether the exception applies can usually only be settled with medical records, for example reports from treating doctors or a clinic. Relatives do not have to manage this alone: a lawyer specialising in insurance law can request the file and judge whether an expert opinion is worth it.
What is paid if the period has not ended
If the insurer does not have to pay the sum, section 161 (3) VVG says it must pay the surrender value including profit shares. For an endowment policy this can be a noticeable amount.
Pure term life insurance usually has no surrender value. Typical terms then say the policy lapses without benefit and premiums are not refunded. Still ask in writing whether there is any value.
Situation
Benefit
Suicide after more than three years
full sum insured
Suicide within the first three years
no sum, only any surrender value
Within three years, mental disorder proven
full sum insured
Sum raised two years ago, policy older
old sum in full, not the increase
Cause of death unclear
decision after the investigation, advance possible
A new period after an increase or a new policy
If the cover is later extended, for example by raising the sum, or reinstated after lapsing, the three years start again for the changed part under usual terms. If you switch to a new insurer, the period starts again for the whole new contract. That is one reason not to cancel an existing policy lightly.
What relatives should do now
Tell the insurer about the death as soon as you can; policy terms require notice without undue delay. A short call or email with the policy number is enough to start. The death certificate (Sterbeurkunde) and the doctor's statement on the cause of death can follow.
After a suicide the police often investigate, and the insurer waits for the file. If its check takes longer than a month after you reported the death, you can ask for an advance payment under section 14 VVG. If the insurer refuses, have the reasons checked by a specialist before you sign anything.
When the question no longer matters
If the policy has been in force for more than three years and the sum was not increased in that time, suicide is no obstacle to the payout. The normal rules then apply as for any death, and the payout depends only on the documents.
Step by step
If you are in crisis: call the TelefonSeelsorge first, 0800 111 0 111.
Report the death to the insurer as soon as you can.
Check the start date and any later increases in the policy document.
Collect recent medical records if the period was still running.
After one month without a decision, ask in writing for an advance payment.
Have a refusal checked by a specialist before you reply.
Checklist
Date the policy was concluded confirmed
Later increases of the sum checked
Surrender value requested in writing
Treating doctors and clinics noted
Copy of the investigation file requested if there is one
Common mistakes
Assuming life insurance never pays after suicide
Overlooking the new period after an increase of the sum
Accepting a refusal without checking the medical records
Not asking for the surrender value of an endowment policy
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does term life insurance pay after suicide once three years have passed?
Yes, then like any other cause of death,
provided the application answers were correct and the premiums were paid.
Can the insurer extend the period to five years?
Only by individual agreement, section 161 (2) VVG.
Check your policy document for anything different.
Does the rule apply to funeral insurance too?
Yes, it is also a death cover.
Usual terms name the same three years.
Do we get the premiums back?
For pure term life insurance usually not.
For an endowment policy the insurer pays the surrender value.
Where can relatives find support?
The TelefonSeelsorge is there for anyone in a difficult situation, including after a loss:
0800 111 0 111, 0800 111 0 222 or 116 123, free and anonymous.
