Which insurance do professional athletes in Germany need?
In short
Which insurance do professional athletes in Germany need? Above all their own career ending insurance (Sportinvaliditätsversicherung), which pays a lump sum if you can never play your sport again. In one published tariff it costs 0.5 to 2.0 percent of the sum a year. Statutory accident insurance through the VBG replaces pay only up to EUR 120,000 a year, and a normal BU is rarely available.
Published tariff examples and legal limits, As of October 2026.
Example
Typical range
Career ending insurance, published Swiss tariff
0.5 to 2.0 percent of the sum insured a year
Footballer, 26, CHF 2.5 million sum
0.80 percent, so CHF 20,000 a year
Youth player 15 to 21, package
from about CHF 420 a year
Private accident insurance, EUR 100,000 base sum, office job for comparison
about EUR 60 to 180 a year
As of October 2026.
There are no public price lists for career ending insurance in Germany;
the Swiss rates show the order of magnitude.
The amounts in the worked example are guide values from our quoting practice.
Your premium depends on age, health and job; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Handball professional, 24, EUR 90,000 salary, two year contract
The VBG covers work accidents but does not replace income after a career end below 20 percent reduced earning capacity.
Career ending insurance, EUR 500,000 lump sum
guide value about EUR 3,000 to 7,500 a year
Daily benefit from day 43, optional
guide value about EUR 1,500 to 4,000 a year
Personal liability
about EUR 40 to 120 a year
About EUR 4,540 to 11,620 a year in total. Without daily benefit the premium falls a lot.
What statutory accident insurance covers for professional athletes
If you play your sport for pay as your main job, you are an employee of your club and insured through the VBG (the statutory accident insurer for sport). From 1 July 2026 two conditions apply: more than EUR 275 net in every month of the contract and at least EUR 13.90 gross per hour of training and competition. If either is missing, your sport counts as leisure.
An injury in training or a match is then a work accident. After six weeks of continued pay the VBG pays injury benefit of 80 percent of regular pay, but calculated on at most EUR 120,000 a year. For well paid professional athletes this leaves a big gap.
Why professional athletes rarely get BU
Insurers usually do not offer normal occupational disability insurance (BU) to professional athletes, or they exclude the sport. A BU taken out during training or studies before the first pro contract stays in force during the career, though. This is the key tip for young athletes.
The VBG injury pension only starts at 20 percent reduced earning capacity on the general labour market. A cruciate ligament injury can end a career without reaching that threshold.
Career ending insurance: the core cover for professional athletes
Career ending insurance pays an agreed lump sum if accident or illness stops you from ever playing your sport again. It does not refer you to a coaching job. Optional daily benefits for temporary absence often make up most of the premium.
In a published Swiss tariff, cover costs 0.5 to 2.0 percent of the sum insured a year. A 26 year old footballer pays 0.80 percent there, so CHF 20,000 for CHF 2.5 million. Contracts usually run one year; after a serious injury, renewal may exclude the injured joint.
Cover
Pays for
Limit
VBG injury benefit
work accident, after six weeks of continued pay
calculated on at most EUR 120,000 a year
VBG injury pension
lasting effects
from 20 percent reduced earning capacity
Career ending insurance
permanent end of your sport, accident or illness
usually one year term
Club market value policy
loss of the player
money goes to the club, not to you
Priorities for professional athletes
First your own career ending cover with a sum that reflects your income up to your planned career end. Then private accident insurance without a sport exclusion for life after sport, and personal liability. Consider legal expenses cover for employment law, as pro contracts are fixed term and often end in disputes.
Individual athletes who compete on their own account, for example in tennis or golf, are usually self-employed and not insured through a club. Our pages on business types cover the self-employed.
What professional athletes usually do not need
The market value policy many clubs buy does not replace your own cover, because the club receives the money. Expensive accident insurance with a low base sum helps little, as it pays by a fixed body part scale, not by your sport.
Step by step
Ask your club whether the VBG criteria are met.
Work out how much income you would lose up to your planned career end.
Request career ending cover with a suitable sum and, if wanted, daily benefit.
Check the wording on prognosis period, illness and renewal.
As a youth athlete, check BU before the first pro contract.
Checklist
Proof of VBG accident cover
Own career ending insurance, not just the club policy
Illness covered, not only accidents
Clear renewal rule after an injury
Personal liability
Common mistakes
Relying on the club market value policy
Overlooking the EUR 120,000 cap on injury benefit
Letting the policy lapse after an injury and then only getting cover with an exclusion
Missing BU before the first pro contract
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Are professional athletes covered by statutory accident insurance?
Yes, through the VBG, if from 1 July 2026 they earn over EUR 275 net a month and at least EUR
13.90 gross per hour.
Can professional athletes get BU?
Usually not.
A BU taken out before the pro career stays in force.
How much is career ending insurance?
In a published Swiss tariff 0.5 to 2.0 percent of the sum insured a year,
0.80 percent for a 26 year old footballer.
Does it still pay if I become a coach?
Known policy wordings do not refer you to other work; only your sport counts.
Is arthrosis an occupational disease for footballers?
Knee arthrosis in professional footballers after at least 13 years is listed as no.
