My insurer rejected the claim: what can I do in Germany?

What the routes cost and the limits that apply, as of October 2026.

A rejection letter often names a clause and little else. Write back and ask which clause the insurer relies on, which facts it bases this on and whether there is an expert report (Gutachten). Ask for a copy of the report. Under section 3 (4) VVG you can always ask for copies of the statements you made about the contract, for example your application or your claim report. Under Article 15 GDPR you can ask for a copy of the personal data the insurer holds about you.

Then put the letter next to your policy schedule (Versicherungsschein) and the terms that applied on the day of the loss. Typical reasons are an exclusion, a breach of duty (Obliegenheitsverletzung) such as reporting late, gross negligence or a disputed amount. Each needs a different answer.

If the insurer accepts the claim but you disagree about how much, check whether your terms include an appraisal procedure (Sachverständigenverfahren). It is common in contents and building insurance. Each side names an expert, and an umpire decides if the two disagree. Your terms say who pays the experts.

Under section 84 VVG the experts' finding binds both sides, unless it obviously and significantly departs from the real facts. Then a court decides. The start of an agreed appraisal procedure also suspends limitation (section 204 (1) no. 8 BGB).

The Insurance Ombudsman (Versicherungsombudsmann e. V.) is a recognised consumer conciliation body. You must first have raised your claim with the insurer. The procedure is free for consumers, you need no lawyer and you can describe the case in your own words. It hears complaints with a value of up to 100,000 euros.

If the ombudsman finds against the insurer and your loss is up to 10,000 euros, the decision binds the insurer. Above that it is a recommendation. For you it is never binding, so you can still go to court. While the complaint against an insurer is running, your claim does not become time barred.

Private health and long term care insurance have their own body, the PKV-Ombudsmann. It is also free, but it only makes non binding proposals. Statutory health insurers (gesetzliche Krankenkassen) are covered by neither.

You can complain about an insurer to the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) using its online form. BaFin checks whether the company breaks supervisory rules. It says itself that it cannot help individuals get their rights in a single case. Use it alongside the ombudsman, not instead of it.

BaFin's consumer phone line is +49 800 2 100 500, free from within Germany, and answers general questions.

Claims under an insurance contract fall under the regular limitation period of three years (section 195 BGB). It starts at the end of the year in which the claim arose and you knew the facts (section 199 BGB). A claim that arose in 2026 therefore normally expires at the end of 31 December 2029.

Some periods do not count. From the day you report the claim until the insurer's decision reaches you in text form, limitation is suspended (section 15 VVG). The same applies while you and the insurer negotiate (section 203 BGB, at least three more months after talks end) and during a conciliation or appraisal procedure (section 204 BGB, ending six months after it finishes). Keep every letter and email with its date.

If you have legal expenses insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung), check whether it includes contract law (Vertragsrecht). Disputes with your own insurer usually fall there. Ask for confirmation of cover (Deckungszusage) before you instruct a lawyer.

A broker who arranged the contract can read the rejection against the terms with you and tell you which route fits. At NAMMERT, contracts are arranged by the insurance broker Norman Nammert. Decisions on claims are always made by the insurer.