# Insurance for freelance lecturers, trainers and course instructors in Germany

> Freelance lecturers in Germany teach at adult education centres, universities, training providers or directly at companies, often in English. The organisations you teach for insure themselves, not your own liability. On top of that, German law has a pension rule for self-employed teachers that many newcomers miss. Here is what to insure and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-freelance-lecturer-and-course-instructor.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Am I insured through the adult education centre or university I teach for?

For your own liability as a freelancer, usually not. Their policy protects their organisation and employees. Many clients therefore ask freelance lecturers to show their own liability cover. Ask in writing what their policy includes.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No compulsory liability insurance. But self-employed teachers without employees subject to social insurance are compulsorily insured in the statutory pension scheme under section 2 of Social Code Book VI
- **Biggest risk:** Financial loss of participants who act on wrong content, especially in law, tax, IT and safety courses
- **Basic cover from:** about €108 a year of public liability, from €9 a month in a published tariff example of a commercial insurer for trainers
- **Accident cover:** Freelancers are usually not covered by the statutory accident insurance of their clients; private accident and income protection close the gap
- **Often forgotten:** Damage to borrowed equipment and rooms of the client, which many policies cover only to a low limit

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Wrong content:** An outdated deadline in a tax course or an old safety rule: participants who act on it and lose money claim compensation.
- **Injury in class:** First aid exercises, workshop courses or fitness classes: where participants get hands on, they can get hurt.
- **Borrowed equipment:** The projector of the adult education centre falls, coffee spills over a client's laptop.
- **Illness:** No teaching, no fee. Freelancers get no sick pay from a client.
- **Missed pension duty:** Self-employed teachers without employees must pay into the statutory pension scheme. Not registering can lead to claims for back contributions.
- **Copyright:** Third party images or texts in handouts and online material quickly lead to cease and desist letters.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers injury and property damage in class, including borrowed equipment and client premises when included. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Professional indemnity** (Strongly advised): Covers financial loss when participants act on your content, especially in specialist subjects. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Protects your income if illness stops you teaching for good. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Accident insurance** (Strongly advised): Covers accidents on the way to class and while teaching, as you are usually not covered by statutory accident insurance. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Depends on the business): Covers laptop, projector and presentation equipment you carry around. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Legal expenses insurance** (Depends on the business): Legal expenses for disputes over fees, cancellations and questions of false self-employment. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-legal-expenses.php

## What it costs: example prices

For single lecturers premiums are low. What counts is turnover, subject and whether practical exercises are involved. Law, tax and safety topics are rated higher for financial loss cover.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Lecturer with €30,000 turnover, €3 million limit, published tariff example | from €9 a month, about €108 a year |
| Professional indemnity | Lecturer in law or tax, €100,000 financial loss limit | about €200 to €400 a year |
| Electronic equipment | Laptop and projector worth €3,000 | about €80 to €150 a year |
| Accident insurance | Lecturer aged 40, €100,000 base sum with progression | about €100 to €200 a year |
| Occupational disability | Lecturer aged 35, €1,500 monthly benefit | about €60 to €120 a month |

For comparison: Public liability for a freelance lecturer often costs less a year than a single teaching hour including preparation.

_The first example comes from a published tariff example for trainers (October 2026, plus insurance premium tax). The other values are guide figures from our own quoting work, excluding insurance premium tax._

- [Published tariff example of a commercial insurer for trainers](https://www.hiscox.de/geschaeftskunden/trainer-versicherung/)
- [Section 2 Social Code Book VI, pension duty of the self-employed](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_6/__2.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Instructor** (Lecturer at an adult education centre or training provider with general subjects): Business liability, Accident insurance. Together: about €200 to €350 a year
- **Specialist** (Lecturer in law, tax, IT or safety with corporate clients): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Electronic equipment, Legal expenses insurance. Together: about €500 to €900 a year
- **Full time** (Lecturer who lives from teaching): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Occupational disability, Accident insurance, Legal expenses insurance. Together: about €1,300 to €2,200 a year

## The worst day as a freelance lecturer

Six things that really happen to freelance lecturers, all on one single day. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 07:50: On the way to class your bag slips and the laptop breaks. (€1,400, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 09:30: You knock the adult education centre's projector off its trolley. (€1,200, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:15: A participant cuts a hand during a practical exercise. (€4,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:40: A corporate client claims compensation after miscalculating a deadline based on your seminar. (€8,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 16:00: A client refuses to pay the fee for a course it cancelled. (€1,800, Paid by: Legal expenses insurance)
- 18:20: You fall off your bike on the way home and cannot work for six weeks. (€6,000, Paid by: Accident insurance)

**Damage so far:** €22,900

## Practical tips from your broker

- Register with the German pension insurance if you teach self-employed without employees. Late claims for contributions are expensive.
- Describe your subjects precisely in the policy, especially law, tax, IT or safety.
- Include damage to borrowed items and client premises with a sufficient limit.
- Keep handouts dated and up to date.
- Agree fees and cancellations in writing.
- Look at income protection early, while you are young and healthy.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We know advice liability:** As brokers we are liable for every piece of advice and carry compulsory cover ourselves. We know what good financial loss cover looks like.
- **Explained in English:** German policy terms are hard going. We explain them in plain English before you sign.
- **Offers from several insurers:** We compare the activity description, not just the price, so your subjects are really covered.
- **Broking since 1989:** Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker. Our work is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Do I need liability insurance as a freelance lecturer in Germany?

It is not required by law, but many clients ask for it, and freelancers are rarely covered by the client's policy. A published tariff example starts at about €108 a year.

### Do I have to pay into the German state pension?

If you teach self-employed and regularly employ nobody subject to social insurance, yes, under section 2 of Social Code Book VI.

### Do I need professional indemnity?

For specialist subjects that participants act on, such as law, tax, IT or safety, yes. Language, creative and fitness courses often only need public liability.

### Am I covered as a visiting lecturer at a university?

For your own liability as a freelancer, usually not. Ask what the university's policy includes and close the gap with your own cover.

### What happens if I fall ill?

Liability insurance does not pay for that. Daily sickness benefit and income protection insurance help with longer absences.

### Are online courses covered?

If they are in the policy, yes. With your own platform, also think about data protection and copyright.

## 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-freelance-lecturer-and-course-instructor.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.