# Insurance for film production, video production and cinemas in Germany

> On set, expensive kit, other people's locations and a large crew all meet, usually against the clock. A toppled lamp in a listed building, a lead actress who falls ill, a damaged hard drive holding three days of footage: this page shows which of these should be insured and what that costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-film-production.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Is an annual policy enough, or do I need separate cover for every film?

Both have their place. Liability and equipment make sense as an annual policy for all shoots. Cast cover, footage and props are usually insured per project on larger productions, because budget, cast and shooting schedule differ every time. For commercials and corporate films the annual policy with blanket cover is often enough.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No general legal requirement, but filming permits, locations and funding bodies almost always ask for proof of liability cover
- **Biggest risk:** Damage to hired locations and equipment, and cast or footage lost in the middle of a production
- **Basic cover from:** about €400 a year for a small production company's media liability
- **Statutory accident insurer:** usually the VBG (stage and studio section), the Berufsgenossenschaft or statutory accident insurer; compulsory for everyone employed on set, including short term staff
- **Often forgotten:** Damage to hired premises: harm to the rented villa or studio is excluded in many liability policies
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 59.11 Herstellung von Filmen, Videofilmen und Fernsehprogrammen, 59.12 Nachbearbeitung und sonstige Filmtechnik, 59.13 Filmverleih und -vertrieb, nicht an private Haushalte, 59.14 Kinos

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Other people's locations:** Parquet floors, ornate plaster ceilings, furniture in rented property: lighting stands, dolly track and cable drums leave marks, and owners bill every one.
- **Kit on the move:** Cameras, lenses and lights are often hired and travel in a van from location to location. Theft from the vehicle is a classic.
- **People dropping out:** If the lead actress or the director falls ill, crew, kit and location are paid for but nothing gets shot.
- **Footage and data:** A drive that fails before backup, a lost case of memory cards: shooting days have to be repeated.
- **Accidents on set:** Stunts, heights, pyrotechnics and vehicles put crew, extras and passers by at risk of injury.
- **Rights:** Unlicensed music, recognisable brands, people filmed without consent: one lawsuit can stop a finished film from being released.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Media liability covers injury and property damage on set and at locations; damage to hired premises, to things you work on and lost keys are the important extras. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Film equipment insurance replaces owned and hired cameras, lenses and lights after breakage, theft and transit damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Professional indemnity** (Strongly advised): Covers clients' financial losses and infringements of music rights, image rights and personality rights. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Strongly advised): Protects cast, stunt performers and freelance crew after accidents on set that the Berufsgenossenschaft does not cover. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Depends on the business): For vans and camera cars; from three vehicles a fleet policy is usually worth it. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): Rushes, edit projects and unreleased films are targets for extortion and data leaks. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business interruption** (Depends on the business): For cinemas and studios: rent and wages keep running while you are closed after a fire. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php

## What it costs: example prices

Annual premiums depend on turnover, the value of the kit and the type of shoots. Production specific cover such as cast insurance or footage is priced individually according to budget and risk.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Small production company making commercials and corporate films, €3 million limit including damage to hired premises | about €400 to €1,200 a year |
| Electronic equipment | Own camera and lighting kit worth €50,000, worldwide, €1,000 excess | about €800 to €1,600 a year |
| Electronic equipment | Videographer with kit worth €15,000 | about €300 to €500 a year |
| Professional indemnity | Financial loss and rights infringements up to €250,000 | about €400 to €1,000 a year |
| Group accident insurance | Per cast or crew member for the shooting period, €100,000 disability benefit | about €60 to €150 a year per person |

For comparison: Media liability and equipment insurance for a small production company cost about as much a year as two shooting days with a camera crew.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The equipment figures are derived from publicly quoted rates for camera and film kit; the rest are guide values from our own quoting work. We price per project production cover according to your budget._

- [Zurich über Deutsche Versicherungsbörse: Versicherung für Filmproduktionsfirmen (PDF)](https://www.deutsche-versicherungsboerse.de/download/tarifkompass/tarife/396/medienversicherung_filmproduktionsfirmen%20Prospekt.pdf)
- [fotoversicherung.com: Beitragssätze für Foto- und Videotechnik](https://www.fotoversicherung.com/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Solo** (Videographers and sole traders with their own kit): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Professional indemnity. Together: about €800 to €1,600 a year
- **Production** (Production company for commercials, corporate films and social content): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Professional indemnity, Group accident insurance, Fleet insurance. Together: about €3,000 to €7,000 a year
- **Complete** (Film and TV production, studio or cinema): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Professional indemnity, Group accident insurance, Fleet insurance, Cyber insurance, Business interruption. Together: about €7,000 to €18,000 a year, plus production cover per project

## The worst day on set

Six things that really happen on productions, all on a single shooting day. Tap through and see who pays.

- 06:30: Two lenses and a monitor are stolen from the van parked outside the hotel. (€18,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 09:15: The dolly track scratches the oak parquet in the rented villa. (€7,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:40: An extra falls off a ramp and breaks an ankle. (€6,000, Paid by: Group accident insurance)
- 14:00: A lamp topples and damages a plaster ceiling in a listed stairwell. (€12,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 17:20: The client discovers the background music is not licensed. The spot has to be rescored and the campaign postponed. (€15,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 21:10: The laptop holding the unreleased rough cut is encrypted and a ransom demand arrives. (€9,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)

**Damage so far:** €67,500

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have damage to locations, studios and hired vehicles expressly included, with a limit that matches your locations.
- Hired kit must be listed in the equipment policy; rental houses often ask for proof before they hand anything over.
- Check the terms for theft from vehicles: overnight, unattended and without an alarm is often excluded.
- For larger productions, per project production insurance with cast cover and footage is worth having.
- Pyrotechnics, drones, stunts, water and aerial filming must be notified to the insurer in advance.
- Clear music and image rights in writing before the shoot; insurance does not pay if you knowingly worked without a licence.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We build cover around your shoots:** As a broker we obtain quotes from several insurers and combine the annual policy and project cover so that nothing is doubled and nothing is missing.
- **Claims practice first hand:** In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. We know how to report a theft or damage to a hired location so that the insurer pays promptly.
- **Certificates when time is short:** Locations and rental houses often want confirmation the day before. With us you have named contacts instead of a hotline.
- **Family run since 1989, no cost to you:** The insurer pays our commission. Alongside the business we can also look after your personal cover if you wish.

## FAQ

### Which insurance does a film production absolutely need?

Media liability that includes damage to hired premises and to things you work on. Without proof, many locations and authorities in Germany will not issue a filming permit.

### Is hired equipment covered?

Only if it is included in the equipment policy. Many rental houses ask for exactly this proof, otherwise you are liable for the full replacement value.

### What happens if an actor falls ill?

The extra costs of postponing or abandoning a shoot are only covered by cast insurance taken out for the production. Liability insurance does not pay here.

### Are extras and freelance crew covered by the Berufsgenossenschaft?

Anyone you employ, even briefly, is covered by the Berufsgenossenschaft, Germany's statutory accident insurer. For self employed crew and for benefits beyond that, group accident insurance helps.

### What does insurance for a small production company cost?

Liability, equipment and financial loss cover usually come to €3,000 to €7,000 a year for small companies, depending on the value of the kit and the type of shoots.

### Do cinemas need different insurance?

Cinemas mainly need public liability, contents cover including projection and sound equipment, and business interruption, because income stops the moment something goes wrong.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-film-production.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

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