How you insure art at home in Germany depends on its value. Contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) covers art only as valuables with a cap, about 25 to 100 percent of the sum insured depending on the tariff, and only against perils such as fire or burglary. Above that, fine art insurance pays for almost any damage at an agreed value; EUR 100,000 of art starts at about EUR 25 a month.
Published premiums and conditions for privately owned art in Germany, as of October 2026.
Example
Typical range
Private collection EUR 100,000, all risks, transport, worldwide
from EUR 24.79 a month, about EUR 297 a year
Private fine art insurance, usual range
about EUR 41 to 208 a month depending on sum, type of art and location
Minimum premium of one fine art insurer
EUR 500 net, EUR 595 including insurance tax per year
Gross negligence in one fine art tariff
paid up to EUR 10,000
Figures from published tariff examples and product pages, October 2026.
Your premium depends on sum, security, location and transports.
The EUR 150 to 600 premium in the worked example is a guide value from broking practice;
the valuables caps come from published contents terms, your own policy decides.
Worked example
Couple in Berlin, 80 square metres, three paintings worth EUR 40,000
The gap if all three paintings are stolen in a burglary and contents insurance pays 30 percent for valuables.
Contents sum insured (80 × EUR 650)
EUR 52,000
Valuables cap of 30 percent
EUR 15,600
Value of stolen art
EUR 40,000
Gap without fine art insurance
EUR 24,400
Fine art insurance for EUR 40,000 would cover the agreed value. Depending on the insurer and its minimum premium, it costs about EUR 150 to 600 a year.
What German contents insurance pays for art
In typical German contents insurance terms, paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures count as valuables (Wertsachen). Valuables are paid only up to a limit per claim: 30 percent of the sum insured in one set of terms we reviewed, 25, 50 or 100 percent in other product lines.
Contents insurance also covers art only against named perils, mainly fire, burglary, burst pipes, storm and hail. If a painting falls off the wall or is damaged during a move, contents insurance usually pays nothing.
What fine art insurance adds
Fine art insurance (Kunstversicherung) is all risks cover: damage, destruction and loss from almost any cause, including accidents, vandalism and transport. Exclusions typically include wear and tear and damage from poor restoration.
You agree the value of each work with the insurer in advance. Under section 76 VVG this agreed value (Taxe) counts as the value at the time of loss, unless it is substantially higher than the real value. Specialist tariffs often add automatic cover for new purchases and rising values.
Feature
Contents insurance
Fine art insurance
Perils
named only, e.g. fire, burglary, burst pipes
almost all, including breakage and accidents
Value in a claim
replacement with a work of the same kind and quality, you must prove it
value agreed per work in advance
Limit
valuables cap as a percentage of the sum insured
sum insured for the collection
Transport, restorer
usually not
often included
Premium
part of the contents premium
separate premium, sometimes with a minimum
When separate fine art cover makes sense
Add up the value of your art and compare it with the valuables cap of your contents policy. If the art stays below that cap and hangs securely, contents insurance is often enough, possibly with a higher valuables limit.
If your art clearly exceeds the cap, you own a single expensive piece, or you lend works to exhibitions, separate fine art insurance is usually better. You do not need it for prints and posters you could easily buy again.
Documenting the value of your art
For fine art insurance you need a list of individual values, photos, invoices and, for expensive works, an appraisal. One specialist insurer asks for expert reports on single works from EUR 50,000 and lists that are no older than three years.
The same art inventory helps with contents insurance too, because there you must prove the value after a loss. Norman Nammert compares contents and fine art insurance as an insurance broker; the commission is paid by the insurer, so it costs you nothing.
Step by step
List every work with photo, size, artist and purchase price.
Look up the valuables cap in your contents insurance terms.
Compare the total value of your art with that cap.
Get an appraisal for expensive works.
Compare fine art quotes with a higher valuables limit.
Update the list after every purchase and at least every three years.
Checklist
Inventory with individual values, photos and invoices
Valuables cap of your contents policy known
Breakage and accidents covered if that matters to you
Transport and stays at the restorer clarified
Automatic cover for new purchases included
Common mistakes
Assuming contents insurance pays for art without limit
Having no photos or receipts and being unable to prove the value
Not reporting new purchases and ending up underinsured
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
How do I insure a single expensive painting?
With fine art insurance at an agreed value for that work, often with an appraisal.
Many insurers charge a minimum premium, one of them EUR 595 a year.
Does contents insurance pay if a painting falls off the wall?
Usually not, because breakage is not a named peril.
Fine art insurance pays in that case.
What is the difference between replacement value and agreed value?
Contents insurance pays what a work of the same kind and quality would cost, and you must prove it.
With fine art insurance the value is fixed in the contract beforehand.
Do I need a safe for art?
No, but for some valuables lower limits apply outside a certified safe.
Check your terms.
Is fine art insurance worth it for prints?
Usually not.
What you can easily buy again is adequately protected by contents insurance.
