All about this insurance: Travel insurance
Which travel insurance do I need if I live in Germany?
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When does trip cancellation insurance pay in Germany?
In short
German trip cancellation insurance (Reiserücktrittsversicherung) pays the cancellation fees if a covered reason stops you from travelling: mainly sudden serious illness, an accident or death of you or a close relative, plus losing your job or major damage to your home. Usually an excess of 20 percent remains, at least about EUR 25 per person.
What it costs
Guide figures from published tariff examples for single trips and annual policies.
| Example | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Single trip, price EUR 2,000, with excess | about EUR 50 to 90 one off |
| Annual policy for a family, trips up to EUR 8,000 | about EUR 240 a year with excess |
| Tariff without excess | often 25 to 35 percent more expensive |
Guide values as of September 2026. The extra cost of tariffs without excess is a guide value from our quoting practice; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Couple, package holiday for EUR 3,000, cancelled 20 days before
The partner falls seriously ill, the tour operator charges 40 percent in cancellation fees.
| Cancellation fees (40 percent of EUR 3,000) | EUR 1,200 |
| Excess 20 percent | EUR 240 |
| Paid by the insurer | EUR 960 |
The couple pays EUR 240 instead of EUR 1,200. With a tariff without excess it would have been EUR 0.
Which reasons are covered
Only events that are unexpected and outside your control are covered. The list is in the policy terms and is final: what is not on it, the insurer does not pay.
Close relatives usually include spouse or partner, children, parents, siblings and grandparents. How far the circle reaches differs from tariff to tariff.
| Reason | Usually pays? |
|---|---|
| Sudden serious illness or accident | yes, with a doctor's certificate |
| Death of a close relative | yes |
| Unexpected dismissal by the employer | yes, in many tariffs |
| Damage to your home from fire, water or burglary | yes, if it is significant |
| Pregnancy found out after booking | often yes |
| Changing your mind, bad weather | no |
| Known illness without a new decline | usually no |
What is different if you come from abroad
Many newcomers book expensive flights home for holidays or family events. If a parent abroad falls seriously ill, that usually counts as a covered reason as long as they are in the tariff's list of close relatives. Check how the tariff treats relatives who live outside Germany and what proof it accepts.
Certificates from doctors abroad are usually accepted, but the insurer may ask for a translation into German. A new residence permit that is not ready in time, or a visa refused for your trip, is usually not a covered reason.
In the UK and US, cancellation cover often comes bundled in one travel policy. In Germany it is often sold separately or as a package with trip interruption (Reiseabbruch). Many tariffs require you to buy it within 14 to 30 days after booking.
When the insurance does not pay
Most refusals are due to illnesses already known when booking and cancellations reported too late. If you wait, you pay the extra fees caused by the delay yourself.
A travel warning or a strike is not a covered reason in many tariffs either. Here your rights against the tour operator help more.
How the insurer settles
It pays the cancellation fees the tour operator actually charges, up to the sum insured. The excess is deducted.
The sum insured must match the full trip price. If it is too low, you pay the rest.
Step by step
- As soon as it is clear the trip cannot happen, cancel with the tour operator or airline at once.
- Inform the insurer the same day.
- Get a doctor's certificate with diagnosis or other proof, translated if needed.
- Send the booking confirmation and the cancellation invoice.
- Check the payout and ask for the reasons in writing if it is refused.
Checklist
- Sum insured covers the full trip price
- Bought within the deadline after booking, often 14 to 30 days
- Excess known or excluded
- Circle of relatives fits your family, including relatives abroad
- Trip interruption covered too
Common mistakes
- Waiting to cancel in case things get better
- Overlooking known illnesses when choosing the tariff
- Not raising the sum insured after rebooking
- Assuming visa or residence permit problems are covered
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does it pay if I get Covid?
Many tariffs now treat Covid like any other serious illness. Quarantine or travel warnings, on the other hand, are often not covered.
Do I need a doctor's certificate?
For illness almost always. Many insurers want a certificate with diagnosis, issued no later than the day you cancel.
Does it pay if a relative in my home country falls ill?
Usually yes, if that person is on the tariff's list of close relatives and the illness is sudden and serious.
What if I cancel too late?
Then the insurer usually only pays the fees that would have applied if you had cancelled in time.
Does it pay if I lose my job?
If your employer dismisses you unexpectedly, many tariffs pay. Quitting yourself does not count.
Does it cover holiday flats and flights?
Yes, all booked travel services you must pay for if you cancel, as long as they are included in the sum insured.
Sources
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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker. Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated