How to insure it depends on use. A valuable musical instrument that leaves home needs separate instrument insurance (Musikinstrumentenversicherung) in Germany. Contents insurance only pays at home for fire, water and burglary, not for a drop or transport damage. A saxophone worth EUR 5,000 costs EUR 89.25 a year in one published tariff.
Published premiums and rates for musical instruments in Germany.
Example
Typical range
Saxophone without electronics, EUR 5,000, cover in Germany
EUR 89.25 a year incl. 19 percent insurance tax
Electric guitar with electronics, EUR 5,000, cover in Germany
EUR 148.75 a year incl. insurance tax
Dealer tariff, instrument up to EUR 5,000, worldwide
2.5 percent of value a year, so up to EUR 125
Same tariff, instrument above EUR 10,000
1.8 percent of value a year, so EUR 270 for EUR 15,000
Range of published annual premiums
about EUR 30 to 3,000, student tariffs from about EUR 15
As of October 2026, from published tariff examples.
Premiums depend on value, type of instrument, electronics and territory.
The figure for EUR 15,000 is calculated from the published rate.
Worked example
Music student with a EUR 8,000 violin
She practises at home, takes the train to university and plays in an orchestra.
Contents insurance for fire or burglary at home
covered
Dropped on the train, bridge and top broken, repair
EUR 1,200, contents insurance pays nothing
Instrument insurance, 2 to 2.5 percent of EUR 8,000
about EUR 160 to 200 a year
Instrument insurance payment for the drop
repair costs of EUR 1,200
A single transport accident costs as much as six to seven annual premiums. For this instrument separate cover makes sense.
What contents insurance does for your instrument
Your musical instrument is part of your household contents (Hausrat). Contents insurance replaces it if it is destroyed by fire or water at home or stolen in a burglary. For a piano that never leaves the flat, that is often enough.
It does not pay if your violin slips out of your hand, the guitar neck breaks in transit or the instrument disappears from a rehearsal room without signs of a break in. For musicians these are the common losses.
What instrument insurance adds
Instrument insurance covers single instruments against damage, destruction and loss, at home, in the rehearsal room, on the road and on stage. You choose cover for Germany only or worldwide.
After a total loss you receive the agreed sum insured, after damage the repair costs. Sentimental value, for example because the instrument belonged to your grandfather, cannot be insured.
Loss to the instrument
Contents insurance
Instrument insurance
Fire in the flat
yes
yes
Burglary at home
yes
yes
Dropped while playing or tuning
no
yes
Broken in the car or on the train
no
yes
Stolen on the train or from a rehearsal room without break in
no
yes, with conditions
Left behind or mixed up
no
depending on tariff
Scratches and wear from use
no
no
When you do not need it
For a beginner instrument worth a few hundred euros, separate instrument insurance rarely pays off. The premium would be close to the minimum premium and you could usually carry the loss yourself.
A piano that stays in the living room is usually well protected by contents insurance. Just check that your contents sum insured includes the instrument's value.
Conditions musicians should know
Many tariffs require transport in a case and storage out of sight in the car. For theft from a car, one common tariff only covers nights between 10 pm and 6 am in a locked garage or a guarded car park.
Some terms require a sturdy door with a cylinder lock for the rehearsal room. If you ignore such conditions, the insurer may refuse or reduce payment after a theft.
Claiming the premium on your German tax return
Under section 9 (1) of the German Income Tax Act (EStG), work expenses (Werbungskosten) are costs to earn, secure and maintain income. If you are an employed professional musician playing your own instrument, the instrument insurance premium can count as work expenses.
Self employed musicians claim it as a business expense (Betriebsausgabe), defined in section 4 (4) EStG as costs caused by the business. For a pure hobby it is not deductible. For mixed use, agree the share with your tax adviser.
Setting the right value
The sum insured should match the instrument's value. If it is considerably too low, the insurer pays only proportionally under section 75 of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG), even for repairs.
Old string and wind instruments often gain value. Have a valuable instrument revalued by a dealer or appraiser every few years and adjust the sum. An invoice or valuation certificate helps after a loss.
Step by step
Record the instrument's value with an invoice or a dealer's valuation.
Decide whether it leaves home and which countries you travel to.
Include accessories such as bow, case and amplifier.
Read the conditions for car, rehearsal room and transport and follow them.
Adjust the sum insured to the value every few years.
Checklist
Sum insured matches today's value
Territory fits travel and tours
Theft from car and rehearsal room checked against the conditions
Accessories and electronics included
Receipt and photos stored safely
Professional use: premium entered on the tax return
Common mistakes
Relying on contents insurance although the instrument is out every day
Never updating the value since purchase, especially for old string instruments
Leaving the instrument in a car parked on the street overnight
Forgetting amplifiers and effects units, which often need separate cover
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does contents insurance pay if my instrument falls?
No.
It only pays for perils such as fire, water, storm and burglary.
A drop is not one of them.
What does cover for a student instrument cost?
Student tariffs start at about EUR 15 a year.
For instruments worth less than a few hundred euros, check whether it is worth it.
Is a rented instrument from a music school covered?
That depends on the rental contract.
Some instrument policies include rented instruments up to a limit.
Ask the school whether it insures them itself.
Can I insure several instruments in one policy?
Yes.
Most tariffs set a sum for each instrument and calculate the premium from the total.
Am I covered on a concert tour abroad?
Only with worldwide territory, which costs more than cover for Germany only.
Who can help me choose?
Norman Nammert arranges cover as an insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler).
The insurer pays the commission, so advice is free for you.
