# Insurance for doulas and birth companions in Germany

> Perhaps you trained as a doula in the UK, the US or Ireland and now support families in Berlin, Munich or Hamburg. In Germany, obstetric care itself is reserved by section 4 of the Midwifery Act (Hebammengesetz) for midwives and doctors, except in emergencies. Your role is emotional and practical support, and that is where liability questions start: advice understood as medical advice, a fall during an exercise, a dispute after a difficult birth. This page explains which insurance doulas and birth companions in Germany need and what it roughly costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-doula.php  
Updated: 2026-10-14

## Do I really need professional liability insurance as a doula in Germany?

It is not required by law. But you work at a moment when a lot is at stake, and after a hard birth families remember every word. If you are accused of advising against going to hospital, or a massage is said to have caused harm, professional liability cover examines the claim, defends unjustified demands and pays justified ones. Make sure the policy names your work as a doula, including massage, aromatherapy oils or classes if you offer them.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory compulsory insurance for doulas
- **Legal line:** Under section 4 of the Midwifery Act, monitoring labour from the onset of contractions, assisting the birth and monitoring the postnatal period are reserved for midwives and doctors, except in emergencies
- **Biggest risk:** An allegation that your advice delayed medical assessment
- **Basic cover from:** around 80 euros a year for professional liability without staff, a guide value from our quoting experience
- **Often forgotten:** Your own income: while on call there is no stand-in, and if you are ill you earn nothing

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Advice with consequences:** A family claims you encouraged them to stay at home too long or advised against seeing a doctor.
- **Crossing into obstetric care:** Monitoring contractions or interpreting findings is the midwife's field. In a dispute, what you did and said is examined closely.
- **Falls and injuries:** A woman in labour slips during an exercise, or a partner trips over your bag with birth ball and scarves.
- **Massage and oils:** Aromatherapy oils or massage can cause skin reactions or make discomfort worse.
- **Other people's property:** Furniture breaks during a home visit, or a birth pool is damaged at a birth centre.
- **Loss of income on call:** Around the due date you are on call. If you fall ill or get injured, you earn nothing and may have to refund fees.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 3, Fire and water 1, Theft 2, Cyber 2, Downtime 4, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Pays if a family claims personal injury or financial loss from your work and defends unjustified claims. The policy should name your work as a doula. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Accident insurance** (Strongly advised): Pays a lump sum for permanent injury, for example after an accident on the way to a night-time birth, whoever is at fault. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Replaces part of your income if your back or health no longer allow you to support births. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes over fees, cancellation charges or allegations after a birth. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For birth plans, contact details and health information on your laptop and phone. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Car insurance** (Depends on the business): If you drive to births, tell your motor insurer about the business use. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Professional liability for doulas is affordable because you carry out no medical procedures. What matters is any extra service, such as massage or classes, and the sum insured.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Doula without staff, 3 million euros cover | around 80 to 180 euros a year |
| Professional indemnity | With antenatal classes and massage, 5 million euros cover | around 150 to 300 euros a year |
| Accident insurance | Age 35, 100,000 euros base sum with progression | around 120 to 250 euros a year |
| Business legal expenses | Self-employed doula, contract and criminal legal cover | around 250 to 450 euros a year |
| Occupational disability | Age 35, 1,200 euros monthly benefit to 67 | around 800 to 1,600 euros a year |

For comparison: A doula's professional liability cover often costs less a month than two coffees in a café.

_Guide values from our quoting experience, as of October 2026, excluding German insurance premium tax. Your premium depends on your services and the insurer; we obtain the exact quote for you._

- [Midwifery Act (Hebammengesetz), section 4: reserved activities](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hebg_2020/__4.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start** (Part-time doula with a few births a year): Professional indemnity, Accident insurance. Together: around 200 to 430 euros a year
- **Full time** (Full-time doula with on-call periods and classes): Professional indemnity, Accident insurance, Occupational disability, Business legal expenses. Together: around 1,300 to 2,600 euros a year
- **All round** (Doula with classes, website, online booking and own car): Professional indemnity, Accident insurance, Occupational disability, Business legal expenses, Cyber insurance. Together: around 1,600 to 3,200 euros a year, excluding motor

## A doula's worst day

Six things doulas can really face, here all within one on-call period. Tap through and see who pays.

- 03:10: Driving to a birth at night, you slip on ice in the car park and break your wrist. (€4,000, Paid by: Accident insurance)
- 05:30: At the birth centre the partner trips over your bag and hits his head. (€3,500, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 09:00: A massage oil causes a skin reaction and treatment is needed. (€1,500, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 14:00: A family from the spring claims you advised against going to hospital and demands compensation. (€20,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 17:30: A family refuses to pay the agreed cancellation fee and you need a lawyer. (€1,200, Paid by: Business legal expenses)
- 21:00: Your laptop with birth plans and contact details is hacked and the families must be informed. (€3,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)

**Damage so far:** €33,200

## Practical tips from your broker

- Ask the insurer to confirm in writing that your work as a doula and all extras such as massage, oils or classes are covered.
- State in your contract with the family that you do not provide obstetric care and that the midwife and doctor carry medical responsibility.
- Do not give medical advice; refer questions about contractions, bleeding or medication to the midwife or hospital.
- Make a short note after each birth of what you did and recommended; in a dispute years later, every note counts.
- Check for run-off cover in case you stop working; claims can come long after the birth.
- Protect your income against accident and illness, because there is no instant stand-in while you are on call.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We read the activity wording:** As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert compares several insurers and makes sure your work as a doula does not disappear in a description that is too narrow.
- **We know claims handling:** In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. We know what an insurer wants to see when a family makes a claim.
- **Advice in English:** We explain German policy wording in plain English, and you get the documents explained before you sign.
- **Brokering since 1989:** Our advice costs you nothing, as the insurer pays our commission. You speak to people who know your policy.

## FAQ

### Is professional liability insurance compulsory for doulas in Germany?

No. Without it, however, you are liable with your own assets if a family claims damages, and birth centres or hospitals sometimes ask for proof of cover.

### How much does doula insurance cost in Germany?

As a guide from our quoting experience, around 80 to 180 euros a year without extras. With classes and massage, usually 150 to 300 euros.

### Am I allowed to help with the birth?

You may accompany, support and be present. Obstetric care within the meaning of section 4 of the Midwifery Act, meaning monitoring labour from the onset of contractions, assisting the birth and monitoring the postnatal period, is reserved for midwives and doctors. The rule does not apply in emergencies.

### Am I covered by the midwife's or hospital's insurance?

No. Their policies cover their own work. For your work as a doula you need your own policy.

### Who pays if I am injured on the way to a birth?

As a self-employed doula you are not automatically insured with a German statutory accident insurer (Berufsgenossenschaft). Private accident insurance pays for permanent injury around the clock, including in your free time.

### Can my insurance from home cover me in Germany?

Usually not for long. Policies from the UK or the US are rarely designed for permanent work in Germany. A German policy with German wording is the safer basis.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-doula.php#anfrage

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.