What is the guaranteed increase option (Nachversicherungsgarantie) in German BU insurance?
In short
The guaranteed increase option (Nachversicherungsgarantie) lets you raise your German BU disability benefit later without new health questions, for example after marriage, the birth of a child or a pay rise. Typical limits are 250 to 500 euros more monthly benefit per event, a deadline of 6 to 12 months and an age limit around 50. The extra premium is based on your age at the time.
Published premium examples for increasing a German BU benefit, office job, cover to age 67.
Example
Typical range
Extra 500 euros benefit insured from the start, age 30
about 24 euros a month extra, roughly 10,700 euros over 37 years
Extra 500 euros benefit added at age 40 under the option
about 28 euros a month extra, roughly 9,000 euros over 27 years
Base 1,000 euros benefit for 40 euros, increase by 250 euros
about 52 to 53 euros a month in total
Base 1,000 euros benefit for 40 euros, increase by 500 euros
about 62 euros a month in total
As of October 2026, from published examples of individual insurers.
Your premium depends on job, age, health at first application and benefit level;
we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Engineer from abroad, 28, later child and flat in Munich
She starts with a benefit of 1,500 euros and uses the guaranteed increase option twice.
Start at 28
1,500 euros a month
Pay rise of 15 percent at 30, applied after 5 months
plus 500 euros
Birth of first child at 33, applied after 8 months
plus 500 euros
New health questions
none, despite a migraine diagnosis at 31
At 33 she has 2,500 euros of BU benefit, although the migraine diagnosis could make a new policy harder to get. The second increase only worked because her policy allows 12 months.
How the guaranteed increase option works
BU insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung) pays a monthly income if illness or injury stops you working in your job. Your health is checked once, when you apply. The guaranteed increase option means that even if you develop a back problem or depression later, you can still raise the benefit after a qualifying event.
The insurer will usually only check that your new total benefit fits your income. You send proof such as a marriage certificate (Heiratsurkunde), birth certificate or payslips. Some insurers also ask again about a riskier job or hobby.
Event
Usual proof
Typical increase per event
Marriage or civil partnership
certificate
250 to 500 euros
Birth or adoption of a child
birth certificate or court order
250 to 500 euros
First job after training or university
employment contract
sometimes up to 1,500 euros
Pay rise, often 10 percent or more
payslips
up to about 1,000 euros
Buying a home you live in
purchase or loan contract above a minimum
250 to 500 euros
No event, within the first five years
none
limited, depends on the policy
The limits in the small print
The guaranteed increase option is never unlimited. Most German policies cap the increase per event, cap all increases together and require the total benefit to fit your income, in some policies no more than 60 percent of your gross pay.
The age limit matters too. With an event the right usually ends around 50, without an event at 40 or 45. If you buy a policy at 35 and marry at 52, the option no longer helps.
When the option does not apply
If you are already unable to work or on sick leave (krankgeschrieben) when you apply for the increase, nearly all policies refuse it. Anyone who has received BU benefits before often loses the option fully or in part.
Miss the deadline after a wedding or birth and that event is used up. A later increase then means new health questions. Set a reminder right away, alongside parental allowance (Elterngeld) and other paperwork.
What the later increase costs
The premium for the guaranteed increase is calculated at your age on the day of the increase. Each extra euro of benefit therefore costs a little more per month than if you had insured it from the start, but you pay it for fewer years.
Over the full term the later increase can even cost less in total. The real risk is different: if you become disabled before the event, you only have the smaller benefit.
Increase option or indexation?
Indexation (Dynamik) raises premium and benefit automatically every year to keep up with inflation. The guaranteed increase option raises the benefit in steps when your life changes. Good German BU policies offer both.
For students and new graduates the increase option usually matters more, because income tends to rise fast in the first years. If you already earn well and chose a fitting benefit, indexation alone is often enough.
When you hardly need it
If your BU benefit is already as high as your income allows, there is little room for an increase. The same applies if you are over 45 and expect no major life events.
The option is valuable if you are under 35, plan children or a home, or are self-employed with growing profits. If you might leave Germany, check how the insurer handles increases while you live abroad.
Step by step
Find the list of events, the deadline and the age limit in your policy terms.
After each life event, check whether it is on the list.
Get the proof: certificate, contract or payslips.
Apply in writing within the deadline.
Check the new total benefit against your current net income.
Keep the confirmation showing the new benefit and premium.
Checklist
Qualifying events known
Deadline per event noted, 6 or 12 months
Age limit and overall cap known
Increase without an event possible in the first years
Exclusion during sick leave understood
Indexation and increase option in the same policy
Common mistakes
Letting the deadline after a wedding or birth pass
Trying to increase while on sick leave
Starting with a very small benefit and relying on later increases
Forgetting that the total benefit must fit your income
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do I have to answer health questions again?
No, that is the point of the option.
Some insurers do ask about your job, hobbies and any current sick leave.
How often can I increase?
Each time a new qualifying event happens, until you reach the overall cap or the age limit.
Some policies require a year between two increases.
Does a pay rise count?
In many policies yes, usually from a rise of 10 percent.
For self-employed people it is often measured on average profit over several years.
Can I increase without an event?
Many policies allow it once or several times in the first five years,
usually only up to 40 or 45 and for a smaller amount.
Does the increase extend the policy term?
No.
The increase ends at the same age as the original policy.
Does the option still work if I move abroad?
That depends on the insurer.
Ask before you move, because proof of income and events may be handled differently.
