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.

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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 insure 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 underwriting authority covers. 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.

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 write the policy, and we will tell you so directly rather than leaving you waiting. It is a question of our underwriting territory, 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.

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