Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Long-term care

When should I take out long-term care insurance in Germany?

In short

When should I take out long-term care insurance in Germany? Ideally between 30 and 50, while you are healthy. At 40 you pay about EUR 32 to 64 a month for up to EUR 1,500 benefit, at 60 already EUR 86 to 160. With a serious pre-existing condition you often cannot get a normal contract at all.

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What it costs

Published monthly premiums for a daily care allowance with up to EUR 1,500 benefit in care grade 5, by entry age.

Example	Typical range
Entry age 30	about EUR 20 to 43 a month
Entry age 40	about EUR 32 to 64 a month
Entry age 50	about EUR 52 to 99 a month
Entry age 60	about EUR 86 to 160 a month
Subsidised Pflege-Bahr, any age from 18	at least EUR 15 a month, of which EUR 5 is a state subsidy

Guide values as of October 2026 from publicly quoted premium examples.

The totals in the worked example assume constant premiums up to age 85, which is a simplification.

Maximum entry ages, the strictness of health checks and the rules for moving abroad are guide values from our quoting practice.

We obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Same benefit, three starting points

What you pay in total up to your 85th birthday, basic tariff, without premium increases.

Start at 40, 45 years at EUR 32.35	about EUR 17,500
Start at 50, 35 years at EUR 52.25	about EUR 21,900
Start at 60, 25 years at EUR 86.05	about EUR 25,800

Starting at 40 costs about EUR 8,300 less in total than starting at 60, despite 20 more years of payments, and you are covered the whole time.

The premium is set by your entry age

Your premium is fixed according to your age when you sign. It can rise later if costs in the tariff rise, but not just because you get older. Starting early means keeping the lower premium.

The figures apply to a daily care allowance (Pflegetagegeld) paying up to EUR 1,500 a month in care grade 5. The basic tariff pays little in the lower care grades, the strong one much more.

Entry age	Basic tariff	Strong tariff
20	about EUR 10	about EUR 14
30	about EUR 20	about EUR 43
40	about EUR 32	about EUR 64
50	about EUR 52	about EUR 99
60	about EUR 86	about EUR 160

Why your health matters more than your age

When you apply, you answer questions about your health. What counts is your condition on the day you sign. Illnesses that come later change nothing in the contract.

That is why waiting is risky. A diagnosis such as diabetes, a heart condition, a mental illness or early dementia can mean you only get a contract with a surcharge, or none at all. From around 60 the checks become noticeably stricter, and many tariffs have a maximum entry age.

If you may not stay in Germany

Check before signing whether the policy keeps paying if you move to another country. Within the EU and EEA many tariffs continue, outside it the rules differ a lot.

If you are likely to leave Germany within a few years, it can be more sensible to wait and decide where you will grow old. But remember that your health may change in the meantime.

Why not at 20?

At 20 the premium is lowest, but you pay it for 60 years or more. Premiums may rise several times, and money you need now for training, family or a pension is tied up.

When you are young, cover against losing your ability to work and personal liability usually come first. Care insurance follows once your income is stable, often between 30 and 45.

When it is too late, and when you do not need it

If you already need care or have applied for a care grade, no normal tariff will accept you. Then only the subsidised Pflege-Bahr remains, which accepts every adult who has not yet received care benefits, without health questions, but pays only after a waiting period of up to five years.

If your pension and savings could pay for a care home for several years, timing does not matter because you do not need the policy. If you have hardly any savings and would rely on social assistance, a contract mainly relieves the state, not you.

Step by step

Check whether your pension and savings could pay for a care home for years.
If not, plan to sign as soon as your income is stable.
Apply before medical appointments that may lead to a diagnosis, not after.
Answer the health questions completely and honestly.
Compare benefits in care grades 2 and 3, not only in grade 5.
If you are turned down, look at the subsidised Pflege-Bahr.

Checklist

Signed before any serious diagnosis
Noticeable benefit from care grade 2
Premium waiver while you receive care
Indexation so the benefit grows with costs
Premium affordable even after increases
Rules for moving abroad checked

Common mistakes

Waiting until retirement and then failing the health questions
Hiding pre-existing conditions to get accepted
Looking only at the low premium at 20 and forgetting the long term
Choosing a premium you can no longer afford at 70

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

From what age can I sign?

Usually as an adult; the subsidised Pflege-Bahr from 18. For most people it makes sense from about 30, once income is stable.

Up to what age is it possible?

Many tariffs have a maximum entry age, often between 65 and 75. Your health usually matters more.

What if I fall ill after signing?

Nothing changes in the contract. Your health at signing counts; later illness does not lead to cancellation or a surcharge.

Does the premium rise as I get older?

Not because of your age. It can rise if costs in the tariff go up, for example because care becomes more expensive.

Is signing at 60 still worth it?

If you are healthy and can safely afford about EUR 86 to 160 a month, yes. But check whether saving the money yourself would be cheaper.

I have a pre-existing condition. What now?

Ask several insurers, as their acceptance rules differ. If none accepts you, the subsidised Pflege-Bahr takes you without health questions.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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Long-term care insurance in Germany

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