How much does cargo insurance (Warentransportversicherung) cost in Germany? It depends on the value of your goods: about 0.3 to 0.5 percent of the insured value for standard goods, 1 percent or more for theft-prone goods or hard routes. Shipping EUR 100,000 a year, you often pay about EUR 330 to 550 plus 19 percent insurance tax. Many insurers charge a minimum premium.
Guide values from quoting practice (Richtwert aus der Angebotspraxis) as of October 2026.
German insurers do not publish fixed rates; yours depends on goods and route.
We obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Online shop, electronics accessories, EUR 100,000 shipped within Germany
This is how the annual premium for a turnover policy comes together.
Shipping turnover per year
EUR 100,000
Insured value with 10 percent uplift
EUR 110,000
Rate 0.3 to 0.5 percent
EUR 330 to 550
Insurance tax 19 percent
about EUR 63 to 105
Together about EUR 390 to 650 a year, roughly EUR 33 to 54 a month. A higher deductible can bring it down.
What sets the rate
Cargo insurance in Germany has no fixed price; it is a rate applied to the value of the goods. The rate depends mainly on the type of goods, the means of transport and the route. Electronics and spirits attract thieves, glass and ceramics break easily, food needs refrigeration.
Then come the scope of cover, the deductible (Selbstbeteiligung) and your claims history. All risks cover costs more than cover for named perils only, but it also pays for theft and for damage with an unclear cause.
Factor
Effect on the rate
Type of goods
strong: theft appeal and breakage matter most
Route and destination countries
domestic is cheaper, high risk countries cost more
Means of transport
truck, parcel, air and sea freight differ
All risks instead of named perils
noticeably dearer, much broader
Deductible
lowers the rate, you pay small claims yourself
Packing and load securing
good packing reduces claims and rate
Single shipment or annual policy
If you ship only now and then, you insure single shipments. Then the minimum premium often applies, so a EUR 2,000 shipment costs more than the EUR 6 to 10 the rate alone would suggest.
If you ship regularly, an annual or turnover policy (Umsatzpolice) covers every shipment automatically up to a maximum per vehicle. You report your shipping turnover, usually with an advance premium and a settlement at year end. For most online shops this is the cheaper form of cargo insurance.
Where saving on cargo insurance backfires
A low maximum per truck or container saves little but hurts when a whole load is stolen, because the insurer pays only up to that sum. Insuring just the purchase price means freight and margin are missing after a loss.
Poor packing is excluded in every cargo policy. If you pack your own goods, treat it seriously, or the premium buys you nothing.
When you can skip the premium
If you sell ex works, the buyer carries the risk from handover and insuring the goods is their job. With heavy, cheap goods such as bulk materials, the carrier's liability of about EUR 10 per kilogram often covers the value already.
Norman Nammert arranges cargo insurance as an insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler). The insurer pays the commission, so the service is free for you.
Step by step
Work out your annual shipping turnover and the highest value per shipment or vehicle.
Decide whether to insure invoice value or 110 percent.
Choose all risks cover, especially if theft is a concern.
Pick a deductible you can carry for small claims.
Compare quotes with the same maximum and the same scope.
Checklist
Maximum per vehicle covers a full load
Parcel and courier shipments expressly included
Transit storage covered for long enough
All destination countries within the scope
Packing suits the goods and the route
Common mistakes
Comparing only the rate and missing the maximum per vehicle
Insuring single shipments when an annual policy would be cheaper
Reporting too little turnover and being underinsured after a loss
Relying on the liability of a parcel service or forwarder
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
How much does cargo insurance cost per shipment?
In theory 0.3 to 0.5 percent of the value, in practice often the minimum premium.
For occasional, valuable shipments a single policy can still be worth it.
Is the premium tax deductible?
Yes, for a business it is an operating expense.
The insurance tax is not VAT and cannot be reclaimed as input tax.
Why has my premium gone up?
Usually because of higher shipping turnover,
claims in the previous year or new destination countries.
Do I have to report every shipment?
Not with a turnover policy; you report the total at year end.
With some open policies you declare each shipment.
Is a high deductible worth it?
Often yes if you send many small parcels and breakage is rare.
