Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Pet health insurance

How do I cancel pet health insurance in Germany?

In short

You usually cancel in writing, by letter or email, with three months' notice to the end of the policy year. If the premium rises without more cover, you have one month from the notice. If your pet dies, the contract ends once the insurer learns of it. Leaving Germany is not in itself a reason to cancel early. Never cancel before a new policy has accepted your pet.

Request a quote +49 3375 29 12 77

How do I cancel pet health insurance in Germany?

What it costs

What cancelling means in money: usual premiums in Germany, adjustments in 2026 and typical costs you would carry during a new waiting period.

Example	Typical range
Dog, surgery cover	about EUR 10 to 30 a month
Dog, full cover	about EUR 30 to 80 a month
Cat, full cover	about EUR 20 to 50 a month
Premium adjustments 2026 that can trigger a cancellation right	dogs 0 to 25 percent, cats 0 to 20 percent
Cat surgery for a swallowed object, paid yourself during a new waiting period	about EUR 1,000 to 2,500

Guide values as of October 2026 from published tariff overviews. The usual three month notice and the rules after a claim differ between policies. The refund example is a guide value from our quoting practice. We obtain the quote for a switch for you.

Worked example

Cat dies in April, annual premium paid in January

How the refund works when the pet dies during the policy year.

Annual premium for full cover, paid on 1 January	EUR 360
Death of the cat	10 April
Reported with the vet's confirmation	15 April
Owed until the insurer knew, about 3.5 months	about EUR 105
Refund	about EUR 255

Report the death quickly: under section 80 VVG the premium runs until the day the insurer learns of it. Wait two months and you pay two months for a pet that has died.

Your ways out of the contract

There are four common occasions: the normal end of the policy year, a price rise, a claim, and the end of keeping the animal through death, sale or rehoming. Each has its own deadline. The exact rules are in your policy terms (Versicherungsbedingungen), in the section on contract duration and cancellation (Vertragsdauer und Kündigung).

Moving abroad is not a special cancellation right under German law. If you plan to leave Germany, note the renewal date and cancel in time, or ask whether the policy also covers your pet in your new country.

Occasion	Deadline	When the contract ends
Normal cancellation (ordentliche Kündigung)	usually 3 months before renewal	at the end of the policy year, otherwise it renews for a year
Contract running longer than three years	3 months	at the end of the third or any later year
Price rise without more cover	1 month after receiving the notice	at the earliest on the day the rise takes effect
Cover reduced, premium unchanged	1 month after receiving the notice	as with a price rise
After a claim	per the terms, often 1 month after payment or refusal	immediately or at the end of the policy year, depending on the terms
Death, sale or rehoming of the pet	none, report at once	premium is owed only until the insurer knows

How to write the cancellation

State your name, address, policy number (Vertragsnummer), your pet's name and the date you want. Add the phrase zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt, meaning at the earliest possible date. That way the cancellation works even if you got the date wrong. You may write in English, but a short German letter avoids delays.

Ask for written confirmation with the end date. What counts is when the insurer receives your cancellation, not when you send it. A registered letter (Einschreiben) is only needed if the deadline is tight.

If your pet has died, enclose a short confirmation from the vet practice or pet crematorium. For a sale or rehoming, a note with the date and the new keeper is usually enough.

The risk hardly anyone mentions

Pet health insurance is harder to replace than almost any other policy. A new contract starts with new waiting periods, often 30 days for illness and up to 18 months for joints and teeth. Anything in your pet's records is normally excluded. And from about 7 to 10 years, many insurers no longer accept new animals at all.

So cancel only once the new policy has been accepted in writing, starting the day after the old one ends. Ask the new insurer whether it credits the waiting time already served.

Instead of cancelling: make the policy smaller

Often the better route is to stay and make the contract cheaper. A higher deductible or a move from full cover to surgery cover lowers the premium noticeably and keeps your waiting periods served and the cover for illnesses that started during the contract.

Ask before switching whether it is possible without new health questions. Moving back to the larger tariff usually requires a new check.

Step by step

Get your policy certificate (Versicherungsschein) and terms: check the renewal date and notice period.
If switching, apply for the new policy first and wait for written acceptance.
Set the new start date to the day the old contract ends, with no gap.
Send the cancellation with policy number, pet's name and the phrase zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt.
Ask for confirmation with the end date and check your direct debit afterwards.
If your pet dies or is rehomed, report it at once with proof.

Checklist

Deadline calculated, receipt by the insurer counts
New policy accepted before the old one is cancelled
Seamless start without a single day uncovered
Credit for waiting periods asked about
Pre-existing conditions and exclusions in the new offer checked
Written cancellation confirmation filed

Common mistakes

Cancelling before a new insurer has accepted the pet
Missing the one month deadline after a price rise
Reporting the pet's death months later and paying on
Cancelling by phone and getting no confirmation
Assuming a move abroad ends the contract automatically

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

What is the notice period for pet health insurance in Germany?

Usually three months before the end of the policy year. The law allows one to three months, and it must be the same for both sides.

Can I cancel straight away after a price rise?

If the premium rises without more cover, yes: within one month of receiving the notice, effective at the earliest from the day of the rise. This is section 40 VVG.

What happens to the contract if my pet dies?

It ends because there is nothing left to insure. The premium is owed until the day the insurer learns of the death, and you get the rest back.

Can I cancel by email or in English?

With most insurers email or an online form works. English is usually accepted, but German avoids delays. Ask for confirmation of receipt.

Can I cancel early because I am leaving Germany?

German law gives no special right for that. Cancel in time for the renewal date, or check whether the policy covers your pet abroad.

Can the insurer cancel after a claim?

Many policy terms allow both sides to cancel after a claim. Some insurers waive this after a few years. Check before you sign.

Will a new waiting period apply if I switch?

Usually yes. Some insurers credit waiting time already served if the switch is seamless and no treatment was ongoing.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Pet health insurance

We compare several insurers and come back with a proposal. Free for you; the insurer pays our fee. You can write in English.

1Who is it for?

Personal My company

2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

Personal

Business

Please review all my existing policies

3Details

Pet health insurance for dogs and cats in Germany

Species * Breed or mix * For mixed breeds, please give approximate size or weight Date of birth of the animal * Cover you want * Are there known conditions or ongoing treatments? * Is the animal neutered? What matters to you For example outdoor cat, dog sports, moving from abroad, budget

4Your current policy

Current insurer Policy ends on What matters more to you?

5How can we reach you?

Name * Email * Phone Postcode Town Preferred contact Anything else we should know