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Can I insure with a German insurer?
Short answer
You need one of two things, not both: residence in Germany, Austria or Spain; or a German,
Austrian or Spanish flag on the boat.
The policy itself is accepted everywhere.
The question we are asked most often by English-speaking owners is whether they qualify at all. The rule is simple and worth stating plainly: we can arrange cover for you if you are resident in Germany, Austria or Spain, or if your boat flies the German, Austrian or Spanish flag. Either condition on its own is sufficient; you do not need both.
In practice this covers most situations that come up. A British owner living in Munich qualifies through residence. A German owner who has moved to Portugal but kept the German flag on the boat qualifies through the flag. A Dutch couple resident in Vienna qualifies through residence, whatever flag the boat carries.
What we cannot do is insure an owner resident outside these three countries whose boat also flies a fourth country’s flag; an Irish owner in Ireland with an Irish-flagged boat, for instance. That is not a judgement about the risk; it is the territorial scope our cover concept allows. If you are unsure which side of the line you fall on, ask us before you go further. We will tell you in one email, and if the answer is no we will say so.
Worth remembering
Residence
in Germany, Austria or Spain
Or the flag
German, Austrian or Spanish
Either one on its own is enough. Most people qualify through the one they had forgotten about.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
I live in the UK but my boat is German-flagged. Does that work?
Yes. The flag alone is sufficient; residence outside Germany, Austria or Spain does not exclude you in that case.
I live in Germany but my boat flies a Dutch flag. Does that work?
Yes. Residence alone is sufficient. The flag does not have to be German.
What if neither applies to me?
Then we cannot arrange cover, and we will tell you so directly rather than leaving you waiting. It is a question of our territorial scope, not of your boat.
Will the policy be accepted abroad?
Yes. The contract is recognised in every country we have dealt with, and the international insurance card (IVK) presents your cover in the standard European format that harbour offices and authorities expect.
Related
Not sure whether you qualify?
Whether it is “Can I insure with a German insurer?” or another question: send us your residence and the flag your boat flies. You will get a straight answer in one email; including a no, if that is the answer.
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