How much does electronic equipment insurance cost for businesses in Germany?
In short
How much does it cost? Electronic equipment insurance (Elektronikversicherung) for businesses in Germany usually costs 0.5 to 1.5 percent of the replacement value of your devices per year. An office with EUR 20,000 to 50,000 of equipment pays about EUR 150 to 500, a GP practice with EUR 40,000 about EUR 200 to 400. Laptops, data cover and a low deductible raise the price.
Published examples and ranges for business electronic equipment insurance in Germany. Most sources do not say whether the 19 percent insurance tax is included; the rates in the worked example are stated as net.
Example
Typical range
Software trading company, sum insured EUR 50,000, deductible EUR 100
about EUR 150 a year
Office, retail or trade, sum insured EUR 100,000
from about EUR 370 a year
GP practice, sum insured EUR 40,000
about EUR 200 to 400 a year
Practice with X-ray or DVT, sum insured EUR 400,000
about EUR 1,500 to 3,000 a year
Guide values, October 2026, taken from publicly quoted examples.
Your premium depends on equipment value, portable share, add-ons and deductible;
we obtain the exact quote for you.
The data and software figures in the worked example are guide values from our quoting practice.
Worked example
Electrical contractor in Frankfurt, 6 staff, office and site work
The office equipment stays put, laptops, tablets and testers travel every day. Calculated with the rates of one published tariff, cover within the EU.
In total about EUR 450 to 510 a year, roughly EUR 38 to 43 a month. You carry the deductible for each claim yourself.
How the premium is calculated
Insurers apply a rate to the sum insured. The sum insured is the replacement value (Neuwert) of all devices: today's list price for an equivalent model plus delivery and installation. What you paid four years ago does not matter.
Office equipment that stays in your premises sits at the low end of the scale. Medical devices, measuring tools on building sites and anything that travels in a van cost more, because they are dropped, soaked or stolen more often.
Factor
Effect on the premium
Replacement value of all devices
direct, every euro of sum insured counts
Share of portable devices
strong, often double the rate
Cover across Europe or worldwide
surcharge on the portable part
Deductible
a higher deductible lowers the premium noticeably
Data, software, extra costs
each add-on costs extra
Age and maintenance of equipment
no service contract usually means a higher rate
What offices, medical practices and trades businesses pay
A small office with computers, printer, phone system and server is usually insured with blanket cover (Pauschaldeckung): one sum for all devices, no itemised list. With EUR 20,000 to 50,000 of equipment, published examples put the premium at about EUR 150 to 500 a year.
Medical practices pay more because ultrasound, ECG or X-ray machines are expensive. Trades businesses sit in between, until tablets, laptops and measuring devices go out to site every day.
Business
Equipment value
Premium per year
Small office, stationary only
EUR 20,000 to 50,000
about EUR 150 to 500
Office, retail or trade
EUR 100,000
from about EUR 370
GP practice
EUR 40,000
about EUR 200 to 400
GP practice with extended diagnostics
EUR 100,000
about EUR 400 to 700
Practice with X-ray or DVT scanner
EUR 400,000
about EUR 1,500 to 3,000
Laptops, tablets and devices on the road
One published tariff charges 0.6 percent for stationary equipment and 1.2 percent for portable equipment within the EU. Extending cover to all of Europe adds 25 percent, worldwide 75 percent on the portable part.
For trades businesses it pays to split the policy: insure the office as stationary equipment and only the devices that really travel as portable.
Add-ons that raise the premium
The basic policy pays for hardware only. Restoring data, reinstalling software and buying licences after a server failure needs the data and software add-on. For practices and shops with stock control software this often matters more than the device value.
Extra costs cover (Mehrkosten) pays for rental devices, express delivery and overtime until replacements arrive. It is worth it when a day without your till, practice software or machine control costs more than the annual premium.
Underinsurance costs more than any saving
If the sum insured is considerably lower than the replacement value, the insurer only pays the same proportion under section 75 of the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG). Insure half the value and you get half of every claim, even a small one.
Blanket policies often waive this deduction up to a limit and include new devices automatically. Still check the sum once a year when you buy new equipment.
When your business does not need separate electronics cover
If you only have two laptops and a printer that you could replace tomorrow from your own pocket, the premium for electronic equipment insurance is often higher than the loss you can expect.
Also check what you already have: some leasing contracts include equipment insurance, and some business contents policies (Inhaltsversicherung) offer a small electronics clause. Paying twice brings nothing.
Step by step
List every device at today's purchase price, including phone system, till and network.
Separate what stays on site from what travels.
Decide whether you need data, software and extra costs cover.
Choose a deductible you can comfortably absorb.
Compare quotes with the same sum, territory and deductible, gross of tax.
Checklist
Sum insured matches today's replacement value
Portable devices listed separately with the right territory
Replacement value paid without deduction for older devices
Underinsurance waiver in the blanket policy
Automatic cover for newly bought devices
Premiums compared including 19 percent insurance tax
Common mistakes
Using the original purchase price as the sum insured
Insuring everything as portable and paying double
Comparing a net quote with a gross quote
Forgetting to report new medical or measuring equipment
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
How much does it cost per month?
For a small office usually EUR 12 to 40 a month.
Many insurers add a surcharge for monthly payment, so paying annually is often cheaper.
Can I deduct the premium as a business expense?
Yes, cover for equipment used in the business is a business expense (Betriebsausgabe).
Check details with your tax adviser (Steuerberater).
Does every new device make the policy more expensive?
With an itemised list, yes.
With blanket cover, new devices are included up to the provision limit,
and only then does the premium rise.
Is a higher deductible worth it?
Often, if you can pay for a broken tablet yourself.
The policy is then there for the expensive cases such as a server,
an ultrasound probe or the phone system.
Why is my practice so much more expensive than an office?
Medical equipment has a high replacement value and repairs to probes or X-ray units are costly.
A service contract and new equipment usually bring the rate down.
