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Single or family policy: which liability insurance fits?

In short

If you live alone, a single policy is enough and usually costs EUR 40 to 120 a year. As soon as a partner or child lives with you, a couple or family policy for about EUR 60 to 180 is worth it. It is almost always cheaper than two single policies and covers children without a new contract.

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Single or family policy: which liability insurance fits?

What it costs

What the policy levels cost in Germany, based on published tariff examples.

Example	Typical range
Single, sum insured EUR 10 to 50 million	about EUR 40 to 120 a year
Basic single policy	from about EUR 20 to 30 a year
Couple or family with children	about EUR 60 to 180 a year
Family, per month	about EUR 3 to 11 a month

Guide values as of September 2026 from publicly quoted tariff examples. The extra cost of EUR 10 to 40 is a guide value from our quoting practice. Your premium depends on cover and deductible; we obtain the exact quote.

Worked example

Couple moves in together, both have a single policy

How merging into one contract works out.

Single policy person A	about EUR 55
Single policy person B	about EUR 65
Together so far	about EUR 120
One couple or family policy with the same cover	about EUR 75 to 95

Savings of around EUR 25 to 45 a year, and a future child is covered without another contract.

The difference in one sentence

A single policy covers only you. A couple or family policy gives the same cover to your partner and children, usually without naming each child in the contract.

The benefits themselves, such as the sum insured, lost keys or damage to a rented flat, are usually the same in both. With a family policy you simply pay for more people.

Your situation	Suitable policy
Living alone, no children	single
Couple without children, shared flat	couple or family
Couple with children	family
One parent with a child	single parent or family
Child in first education or training, covered by parents	no own policy needed
Retiree living alone	single, often with a senior discount

What is different if you come from abroad

Personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) is not mandatory in Germany, but landlords and employers often expect it, and damages can be very high. It is a separate policy, not part of contents or renters insurance.

A policy from your home country may not cover you once you live here permanently. When you move to Germany with a partner or family, one German family policy is usually the simplest solution.

When a single policy is right

If you live alone and have no children, a family policy means paying for cover nobody needs. The same applies if you are in a relationship but live apart and your partner has their own cover.

A single policy is not weaker cover. Check the same points as for any contract: enough sum insured, lost keys, borrowed items and cover if someone who damages you cannot pay (Forderungsausfall).

When couple or family is better

If you move in with your partner, two single policies usually cost more than one joint policy. Damage you cause each other is not paid by either policy anyway, so being insured twice gives you no extra protection.

For unmarried couples, many insurers require the partner to be named in the contract and to live in the same household. Children are usually covered automatically until the end of their first education or training.

Switching after marriage, birth or separation

If two people with their own policies marry, many insurers allow one of the policies to end early. Ask before you simply keep paying for the second one.

After a separation, the partner who is not the policyholder usually loses cover when moving out or shortly after. They then need their own policy, and the policyholder can switch to a single policy.

Step by step

Write down who lives in your household permanently.
Check whether your partner or children already have their own cover.
Choose the level: single, couple, single parent or family.
If you are not married, have your partner named in the contract.
Cancel the extra policy only once the joint one is in force.

Checklist

Everyone in the household covered by the policy
Unmarried partner named in the contract
Children included until the end of their first education
No gap between old and new policy
Sum insured at least EUR 10 million

Common mistakes

Keeping two single policies after moving in together
Not naming an unmarried partner in the contract
Cancelling the old policy before the new one applies
Overlooking after a separation that the partner who moved out has no cover

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Is a family policy much more expensive than a single one?

Usually not. The difference is often EUR 10 to 40 a year, and partner and children are included.

Do unmarried couples need a family policy?

A couple or family policy fits if you live together. Many insurers require the partner to be named in the contract.

Does the family policy pay if I damage my partner's things?

No. People insured under the same policy are not third parties to each other, so such damage is not paid.

What happens to two policies after marriage?

Many insurers then let you end one policy early. Paying twice does not give double cover.

Are my adult children still covered?

Usually until the end of their first school or vocational education, as long as they are unmarried. After that they need their own policy.

Is my policy from home valid in Germany?

Often only for trips, not for permanent residence. Check the terms or ask us before relying on it.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Personal liability

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?

Personal My company

2Which insurance?

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

Personal

Business

Please review all my existing policies

3Details

Personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht)

Who should be covered? * Year of birth of the oldest person * Do you work in the public sector? Liability claims in the last five years * What matters to you For example work keys, a drone, a small boat, documents in English

4Your current policy

Current insurer Policy ends on What matters more to you?

5How can we reach you?

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