How do I switch my personal liability insurance in Germany?
In short
Take out the new policy first, starting exactly when the old one ends. Then cancel the old one, usually with three months' notice to the end of the insurance year. After a premium increase or a claim you can leave earlier. A good new tariff often costs only EUR 50 to 120 a year.
What a new policy costs, based on published tariff examples and test results.
Example
Typical range
Single, cover of EUR 10 to 50 million
about EUR 40 to 120 a year
Family with children
about EUR 60 to 180 a year
Very good family tariff without deductible
from about EUR 48 to 80 a year
Average of tested family tariffs
around EUR 99 a year
Guide values as of September 2026 from publicly quoted tariff examples and test results.
Your premium depends on cover and deductible; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Couple, one old single policy from 2015
She moves in with him, each has an own policy. The older policy's insurance year ends on 1 January.
So far: two single policies
about EUR 75 plus 90 a year
New: one family tariff with EUR 50 million cover
about EUR 70 to 110 a year
New policy starts
1 January
Cancel the old policy by
30 September
Around EUR 55 to 95 less a year, plus better cover. The second policy ends because the risk no longer exists, or at its next expiry date.
Why switching often pays
Liability tariffs have improved a lot in recent years. Newer policies cover, for example, damage to borrowed items, lost keys or damage done to you by an uninsured third party. Old policies often lack this or cover it only with small amounts.
At the same time, good new tariffs often cost less than an old policy that has become a little more expensive every year. If you have not looked at yours for more than seven years, compare it.
How cancelling works in Germany
If you are used to cancelling a subscription at any time, German insurance contracts will feel rigid. Most run for a year and renew automatically unless you give notice in time. Ordinary cancellation is the normal route. There are also two special rights that let you leave before the end of the insurance year.
After a premium increase without more cover, you may cancel within one month of being notified under section 40 of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG). After a claim, both sides have a right to cancel under section 111 VVG, also within one month, counted from payment or rejection of the claim.
Reason
Deadline
Effect
Ordinary cancellation
usually three months before expiry
at the end of the insurance year
Premium increase without more cover
one month after notification
at the earliest when the increase takes effect
After a claim
one month after payment or rejection
immediately or at the end of the insurance year, as you choose
Policy with a term of more than three years
three months
at the end of the third year and yearly after that
How to avoid a gap
A gap of even one day can be expensive, because liability claims can run into millions. Set the start of the new policy to the day the old one ends, and only cancel once the new insurer has confirmed cover.
Claims for damage that happened before the switch stay with the old insurer, even if they only come to light later. So you lose nothing by switching while a claim is still open.
Leaving Germany or arriving with an old policy
Moving abroad for good is not a general legal cancellation right, but many insurers let you end the policy with proof of deregistration (Abmeldung). Ask before you move and keep the confirmation.
If you arrive with a liability policy from your home country, it rarely covers you once you live here. Take out a German policy first, then cancel the old one under your home country's rules.
When you should not switch
If your tariff has at least EUR 10 million of cover, includes default cover, damage to rented property and borrowed items, and its price is within the usual range, there is no reason to switch. Some insurers move existing customers to their current tariff without a new contract, so ask.
Be careful after several claims in a short time: new insurers ask about previous claims and do not accept everyone. Talking to your current insurer is sometimes the better route.
Step by step
Find your old policy: cover amount, expiry date, deductible.
Check whether your situation has changed, such as marriage, a child or a dog.
Compare new quotes with the same or better cover.
Take out the new policy starting when the old one ends.
Cancel the old policy in writing or by email and keep the confirmation.
Checklist
Cover of at least EUR 10 million
Default cover included
Damage to rented property and borrowed items included
New policy starts without a gap to the old one
Previous claims declared honestly
Cancellation confirmed by the old insurer
Common mistakes
Cancelling the old policy before the new one is confirmed
Missing the deadline and staying another year
Keeping two policies running after marriage
Looking only at price and losing cover such as lost keys
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Can I switch my liability insurance at any time?
No, normally only at the end of the insurance year, usually with three months' notice.
Earlier is possible after a premium increase without more cover or after a claim.
Is an email enough to cancel?
For most policies yes, because text form (Textform) is usual.
It can be in English, but keep the insurer's confirmation.
Who pays for damage that happened before the switch?
The old insurer, because what counts is when the damage happened.
Report it immediately anyway.
Can I switch while a claim is open?
Yes.
The old insurer stays responsible for that claim.
Take out the new policy as usual and declare the claim as a previous claim.
What happens to two policies after marriage?
One becomes unnecessary.
Many insurers cancel the younger policy on request, otherwise cancel it at its next expiry.
Do I lose discounts when switching?
No claims discounts like in car insurance hardly exist in liability insurance.
Only bundle discounts fall away if you take a policy out of a package.
