Are the contents of a bank safe deposit box insured in Germany?

In short

The contents of a bank safe deposit box (Bankschließfach) in Germany are only insured to a limited extent. The bank is fully liable only if it breached its duties; otherwise a flat sum from the rental contract applies, usually about EUR 2,500 to 50,000, often EUR 10,000 to 15,000. More cover comes from your contents insurance or a separate box policy, from about EUR 7 a year per EUR 1,000.

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Are the contents of a bank safe deposit box insured in Germany?

What it costs

Published premiums for safe deposit box insurance in Germany and usual rents, as of October 2026.

Example	Typical range
Box insurance, sum EUR 1,000	from EUR 6.99 a year
Box insurance, sum EUR 5,000	EUR 12.99 a year
Box insurance, sum EUR 20,000	EUR 26.79 a year
Box insurance, sum EUR 100,000	EUR 238 a year
Rent for a bank safe deposit box	about EUR 30 to 150 a year

Gross premiums including insurance tax from one published tariff; other providers and banks differ.

Ask your bank for the flat cover in your rental contract; we obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Gold and jewellery worth EUR 20,000 in a safe deposit box

How large the gap is if only the flat cover from the rental contract applies.

Value of the contents	EUR 20,000
Flat cover in the rental contract, assumed	EUR 10,000
Uncovered remainder without further protection	EUR 10,000
Separate box insurance for EUR 20,000	EUR 26.79 a year

For about EUR 27 a year the full value is insured, instead of losing EUR 10,000 after a break in.

What the bank is liable for

Legally, a safe deposit box is a rental contract. The bank must secure the vault against unauthorised access according to the state of the art. If it breaches this duty, it may be liable for the entire contents of the box. In a dispute, however, that has to be established first.

Liability and insurance are two different things. Many rental contracts also include insurance of the contents up to a fixed amount, regardless of what is actually in the safe deposit box.

The flat cover in your box contract

How much of your safe deposit box contents is insured is stated only in your contract. Usual amounts are about EUR 2,500 to 50,000, often EUR 10,000 to 15,000. Some contracts include no insurance at all.

After the break in at a bank branch vault in Gelsenkirchen at the end of 2025, cover there was EUR 10,300 per box, cash included. According to the bank, there was no further insurance cover beyond that.

Protection	Limit	When it pays
Flat cover in the rental contract	usually EUR 2,500 to 50,000	burglary, robbery, fire depending on contract
Bank liability	up to full value	only if the bank breached its duties
Contents insurance add on	often 20 to 40 percent of the sum insured	under the contents policy terms
Separate box insurance	up to the agreed sum	fire, water, storm, burglary, robbery

What contents insurance pays for a safe deposit box

Through outside cover (Außenversicherung), contents stored away from home temporarily are usually insured by your contents insurance (Hausratversicherung). But jewellery, valuables and cash often have tight limits that rarely suffice for a well filled safe deposit box.

Some tariffs offer a specific add on for valuables in a bank box, typically 20 to 40 percent of the sum insured per claim. Better tariffs state limits of EUR 20,000 or even EUR 100,000.

Separate safe deposit box insurance

Separate safe deposit box insurance pays up to the agreed sum, cash included. One offer quotes EUR 6.99 a year for EUR 1,000, EUR 12.99 for EUR 5,000, EUR 26.79 for EUR 20,000 and EUR 238 for EUR 100,000, tax included.

Covered there are fire, water leaks, storm, hail, burglary and robbery, with no excess. You do not need separate box insurance if the contents are worth less than the flat cover in your rental contract.

No proof, no payment

The bank does not know what is in your safe deposit box. After a loss you have to prove what was inside. Keep an inventory with photos and receipts, and store it away from the box.

Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler) and arranges contents insurance with a box add on or separate safe deposit box insurance. The commission is paid by the insurer, so the service is free for you.

Step by step

Read the insured flat sum and the covered risks in your box contract.
Estimate the value of the contents and create an inventory with photos.
Check whether and up to what amount your contents insurance includes the bank box.
Close the gap with a contents insurance add on or separate box insurance.
Review the value every year, especially for gold, whose price fluctuates.

Checklist

Flat cover in the rental contract known
Inventory with photos and receipts kept outside the box
Cash expressly included
Sum insured matches today's value
Key loss and risks such as water leaks included

Common mistakes

Believing the bank automatically replaces everything in the safe deposit box
Keeping receipts and the inventory in the same box
Mistaking the deposit guarantee scheme for protection of box contents
Overlooking the limits of contents insurance for jewellery and cash

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Is cash in a safe deposit box insured?

Only if your contract or policy includes it.

Some banks' flat cover includes cash; contents insurance often has tight limits for it.

Do I have to tell the bank what is in the box?

No, the bank does not know the contents.

After a loss, however, you must be able to prove them yourself.

Does the deposit guarantee scheme help after a break in?

No.

It only protects account balances, not the contents of a safe deposit box.

Is separate box insurance worth it?

Usually yes, if the contents are worth clearly more than the flat cover in your contract.

One tariff quotes about EUR 27 a year for EUR 20,000.

What should I do after a break in at the vault?

Report it to the police, gather your inventory and receipts,

and notify every insurance policy that may apply.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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