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How do I cancel my supplementary dental insurance in Germany?

In short

To cancel supplementary dental insurance in Germany, send a letter or email giving three months' notice to the end of the insurance year, at the earliest after the minimum term, often two years. After a premium rise you have two months for a special cancellation. It costs nothing, but a new contract starts again with a waiting period of up to 8 months and a payout cap scale.

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How do I cancel my supplementary dental insurance in Germany?

What it costs

Deadlines and costs around cancellation, by law and from published tariff examples.

Example	Typical range
Cancellation fee	EUR 0
Ordinary notice period	3 months to the end of the insurance year
Deadline for special cancellation	2 months after receiving the notice
Waiting period in a new contract	0 to 8 months
Maximum payout in year one of a new contract	often about EUR 1,000 to 1,500

As of October 2026.

Deadlines under the Insurance Contract Act, cap scales from published tariff examples.

Your contract conditions apply; we are happy to check them before you cancel.

The worked example is a guide value from our quoting practice.

Worked example

Switching to save EUR 7 a month

Your premium rises to EUR 32 a month, a new tariff costs EUR 25. In the first year after switching a tooth needs a ceramic crown, and the tariff would reimburse EUR 1,800.

Saving in year one (12 × EUR 7)	EUR 84
Payout in the old contract	EUR 1,800
Payout in the new contract with a EUR 1,000 cap	EUR 1,000
Extra out of your own pocket	EUR 800

On balance you pay about EUR 716 more in year one. Switching only pays off if no major treatment is due in the next few years.

How do I cancel my supplementary dental insurance? Step by step

Write to the company by letter or email with your full name, address, policy number (Versicherungsnummer) and a sentence saying you cancel at the next possible date (zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt). Ask for written confirmation with the exact end date.

If you signed online, the company's website usually has a cancellation button (Kündigungsbutton). Keep the confirmation of receipt. Writing in English is legally fine, but a short German sentence avoids delays.

Which notice periods apply

Under the Insurance Contract Act (§ 205 VVG) you can cancel with three months' notice to the end of each insurance year, unless a minimum term was agreed. Many contracts have a minimum term of two years.

Check whether your contract runs by calendar year. If so, your cancellation must arrive by 30 September for the contract to end on 31 December.

Reason	Deadline	Effect
Ordinary cancellation	three months before the end of the insurance year	at the end of the insurance year, at the earliest after the minimum term
Premium rise	two months after receiving the notice	from the day the rise would apply
Benefit cut by the company	two months after receiving the notice	from the day the cut would apply
After a claim	no special right	only ordinary cancellation at year end
Withdrawal after signing	14 days	the contract is treated as never concluded

What happens to ongoing treatment

Cover ends with the contract, including treatment that has already started. If a crown is prepared in December and fitted in January, the old contract does not pay for January.

A new company will not pay for it either, because it was already recommended when you signed. Only cancel once all planned work has been billed.

What switching really costs

The cancellation itself is free. The restart can be expensive: the new contract again has a waiting period of up to eight months and a cap scale (Zahnstaffel) that often pays only EUR 1,000 to 1,500 in year one. Some tariffs credit your time in the old contract, so ask about it.

With tariffs that keep the premium stable, the company has built up ageing reserves (Alterungsrückstellungen). They are lost on cancellation, and the new contract is priced on your age and teeth today.

When you had better not cancel

If your dentist has already mentioned crowns, bridges or implants, keep the contract. Any new policy excludes that treatment.

Leaving Germany is not automatically a reason either: some tariffs keep paying for treatment abroad. Check the conditions before you cancel.

Step by step

Find the policy number, start date and minimum term in your policy document.
Check whether the insurance year matches the calendar year.
Finish and bill all planned treatment.
When switching, sign the new contract first so there is no gap.
Send the cancellation with date and policy number and ask for confirmation.
After the end date, check that no more premiums are debited.

Checklist

Three months' notice, or two months after a rise, respected
Minimum term expired
No treatment recommended or started
New contract starts no later than the day after the old one ends
Written confirmation with end date received

Common mistakes

Cancelling in the middle of treatment and being left with the bill
Cancelling first and then finding no new company covers the recommended treatment
Letting the two-month deadline after a premium rise pass
Ignoring the waiting period and cap scale in the new contract

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Can I cancel monthly?

Usually not. You cancel to the end of the insurance year with three months' notice, with exceptions for premium rises or benefit cuts.

Can I cancel right after a payout?

There is no special right after a claim. You can cancel ordinarily to the next year end.

Can I cancel for just one family member?

Yes, cancellation can be limited to individual insured persons. The others stay insured.

Do I get premiums back?

No. Premiums paid and ageing reserves are lost. Only a withdrawal within the first 14 days unwinds the contract.

Is an email enough?

Yes, an email is generally enough. Ask for confirmation so you can prove receipt.

What if I miss the deadline?

The contract renews for another year. Your cancellation takes effect at the next possible date if you worded it that way.

Sources

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