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Is occupational disability insurance worth it in Germany?

In short

Yes, for almost everyone who lives on their earnings. The state reduced earning capacity pension (Erwerbsminderungsrente) is low and only pays if you can hardly do any work at all. An office worker aged 30 often pays around EUR 70 a month for EUR 1,500 of monthly benefit. You do not need it if your assets carry you until retirement.

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Is occupational disability insurance worth it in Germany?

What it costs

Guide figures from published tariff examples, EUR 1,500 monthly benefit until age 67.

Example	Typical range
Age 30, office job	around EUR 70 a month
Age 30, trade job	often EUR 100 or more above the office tariff
Range across jobs and ages	about EUR 20 to over 200 a month

Guide values as of September 2026 from publicly quoted tariff examples. Your premium depends on age, job and health; we obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Employee, 30, EUR 2,200 net a month

How big the gap would be without a BU.

Net income	EUR 2,200
Reduced earning capacity pension	well below that, and only if you can hardly work at all
BU benefit EUR 1,500, premium	around EUR 70 a month

For just over 3 percent of net income, around two thirds of your income stays secured.

Why the state cover is not enough

Anyone born after 1960 has no statutory protection for their own occupation. The state asks whether you can do any work at all, not whether you can still do your job.

The reduced earning capacity pension is usually well below your previous net pay.

What is different if you moved to Germany

The state pension only pays after a minimum period in the German pension system, generally five years. If you arrived recently, you may get nothing at first. Periods in other EU countries can count towards this, periods elsewhere often not.

A private BU pays from the start of the policy and does not depend on how long you have contributed. If you plan to leave Germany one day, check that the policy keeps paying abroad.

Who needs it and who does not

If your income pays for family, rent or a loan, you need it. If you can live on your assets until retirement, you do not.

Situation	Assessment
Employee, main earner	clearly worth it
Self-employed	clearly worth it, state cover is often missing
Student or apprentice	worth it, cheap now and healthy
Civil servant (Beamter)	with a clause for unfitness for service
Assets cover your needs until retirement	not needed

If you cannot get a BU

With pre-existing conditions, insurers often decline or exclude something. Then basic abilities insurance (Grundfähigkeitsversicherung), general disability insurance (Erwerbsunfähigkeitsversicherung) or accident insurance can serve as weaker alternatives.

Step by step

Write down your net income and fixed costs.
Set the benefit at 70 to 80 percent of your net income.
Collect your doctor visits of the last five to ten years, in Germany and abroad.
Have anonymous pre-checks (Risikovoranfrage) sent to several insurers.
Choose a term until age 67.

Checklist

Term until 67
No referral to other jobs (abstrakte Verweisung)
Benefit from 50 percent disability
Increase option without new health checks
Payment worldwide if you might move on
Health questions answered completely

Common mistakes

Answering health questions vaguely or leaving out treatment abroad
Choosing a term only until 60
Counting on the state pension before you have enough contribution years
Waiting too long until illnesses appear

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

At what age is a BU worth it?

As early as possible, for example during training or university, because premium and health are most favourable then.

Which is better, BU or accident insurance?

The BU, because it also pays for illness, and most cases are caused by illness.

Does my employer provide this?

Usually not. Some employers subsidise a company scheme, but most people in Germany buy a BU themselves.

What if I am turned down?

Search via several anonymous pre-checks or switch to basic abilities or general disability cover.

How high should the benefit be?

About 70 to 80 percent of your net income, so you can keep paying health insurance and pension savings.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Occupational disability

We compare several insurers and come back with a proposal. Free for you; the insurer pays our fee. You can write in English.

1Who is it for?

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2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

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Please review all my existing policies

3Details

Occupational disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung)

Year of birth * Your exact job * For example data analyst in an office, or civil engineer with site visits Share of desk work * Gross annual income in euros * Monthly pension you would like in euros * Smoked in the last twelve months? * Any medical treatment or diagnosis in the last five years, in Germany or abroad? * We discuss details personally for an anonymous enquiry Anything else that matters to you For example how long you plan to stay in Germany, self-employment, existing policies

4Your current policy

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5How can we reach you?

Name * Email * Phone Postcode Town Preferred contact Anything else we should know