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Can I get term life insurance in Germany without health questions?

In short

For normal sums of EUR 100,000 and more, practically not. Without health questions you mainly find funeral cover (Sterbegeld) with small sums up to about EUR 15,000 and a waiting period of usually one to three years. If your family or a mortgage depends on you, it is almost always better to answer the questions honestly and have an anonymous pre-check done first.

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Can I get term life insurance in Germany without health questions?

What it costs

Premiums from a published German test of funeral tariffs and from tariff examples, as of each source.

Example	Typical range
Age 65, EUR 3,000 funeral cover, 20 years of payments	about EUR 20 a month
Age 65, EUR 7,000 funeral cover, 20 years of payments	about EUR 39 to 53 a month
For comparison: normal policy, age 25, EUR 100,000, 30 years, healthy	about EUR 3 to 4 a month
Normal tariff with a surcharge for a condition	about 25 to 100 percent extra

As of October 2026. The surcharge for health conditions is a guide value from our quoting practice and depends heavily on the diagnosis and the insurer. We find the exact terms through an anonymous pre-check.

Worked example

Age 65, EUR 7,000 funeral cover without health questions

What you pay in if you live through the whole payment period.

Monthly premium	EUR 39 to 53
Payment period	20 years, so 240 months
Total paid in	EUR 9,360 to 12,720
Guaranteed payout	EUR 7,000

If you live through the payment period, you pay in EUR 2,360 to 5,720 more than your family receives. A savings plan would be cheaper here, provided there is time.

Why German insurers almost always ask

Term cover pays a large sum if you die during the term. Without questions mainly people who are already ill would sign up, and premiums would rise so much that the cover would no longer pay off for healthy people. So insurers ask about illnesses, treatment, weight and smoking, usually for the last five or ten years.

The questions are usually in German. Do not guess. A wrong answer, even by mistake, can let the insurer withdraw and refuse to pay. With deliberate deception this can happen many years after signing.

What you can get with few or no questions

Without any questions you mostly get small sums meant for a funeral. That is not enough for a family with a mortgage. There are also tariffs with a few simplified questions up to a capped sum, and group cover through employers or loans.

The table shows what you can realistically expect.

Route	Typical sum	Health questions	Catch
Funeral cover (Sterbegeld)	about EUR 3,000 to 15,000	none	waiting period, high price per euro of cover, you often pay in more than is paid out
Tariff with simplified questions	capped, depends on the insurer	a few	dearer than a normal tariff
Cover through the bank's loan	outstanding loan	sometimes none or few	exclusions for known conditions, often expensive
Normal tariff with pre-check	your choice	full	surcharge or exclusion possible, but full cover

The waiting period is the real price

Without questions there is almost always a waiting period. If you die of an illness during that time, the insurer pays back the premiums or part of the sum, depending on the tariff. Accidental death is usually covered in full straight away.

If a serious condition keeps you out of normal cover, be realistic: full protection starts only when the waiting period is over.

Health condition does not mean refusal

Many conditions lead to a surcharge or are not counted at all, rather than a refusal. Well controlled high blood pressure, a past depression or a higher weight are judged very differently from one insurer to the next.

That is why an anonymous pre-check pays off: we send your details without your name to several insurers and see who accepts you on which terms. A refusal does not go on your record, and you only apply once the result fits. Medical records from abroad may need a German or English summary.

Increase later without new questions

If you are healthy today, think ahead. Many tariffs have an increase option: on marriage, the birth of a child or buying a home you may raise the sum without new health questions. The limits per event differ by insurer.

That is the real way to more cover without a health check: sign up while you are healthy and top up later.

When you do not need such a policy

If you only want to cover a funeral and can set the money aside in a savings account, you do not need funeral cover. At a higher entry age you often pay in more than is paid out.

And if nobody depends on your income, you need no death cover at all, with or without questions.

Step by step

Work out what you really need to cover: a funeral, or family and loan.
Collect your medical details: diagnoses, medication, doctor visits of recent years.
Have an anonymous pre-check sent to several insurers.
Compare offers with surcharges or exclusions.
Only if all refuse: look at a no-questions tariff with a waiting period.
When you sign, choose an increase option for later.

Checklist

Sum you need is calculated
All health questions understood and answered completely
Pre-check made without your name
Waiting period and benefit during it known
Cover for accidental death during the waiting period checked
Total premiums compared with the payout

Common mistakes

Hiding a condition to get around the questions
Applying directly and then having to tell every other insurer you were refused
Treating small funeral cover as family protection
Overlooking the waiting period

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Is there term cover over EUR 100,000 without health questions?

Not as an individual policy, practically. High sums without questions exist at most through group schemes, for example via an employer, and usually with limits.

What is a waiting period?

The first period after signing, usually one to three years, in which death from illness does not trigger the full sum.

What if I answer a health question wrongly?

The insurer can withdraw or contest the policy and refuse to pay on death. With deliberate deception this applies even after many years.

What is an anonymous pre-check?

A broker sends your health details without your name to several insurers. You see the terms before you make a real application.

Will I be refused with a health condition?

Often not. Many conditions lead to a surcharge or are no longer counted after some years without symptoms.

Can I answer the questions in English?

The forms are usually in German. We can help you understand each question so that your answers are complete and correct.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Term life insurance

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