# Insurance for learning therapists and learning therapy practices in Germany

> A child falls on the stairs, a progress report for the youth welfare office contains a mistake, a laptop with test results is left on the train. If you support children with dyslexia, dyscalculia or attention problems, you take on supervision and work with sensitive data. This page explains which policies learning therapists and learning therapy practices in Germany really need and what they cost.

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

## Does my personal liability policy cover my work with children?

No. Personal liability insurance excludes professional activity. As soon as you work for a fee you need business or professional liability cover that includes injury, property damage and financial loss and names the supervision of children. For a sole practice it usually costs only a little more than a private policy.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No specific statutory insurance; youth welfare offices, schools and providers usually ask for proof of liability cover before giving you work
- **Supervision:** If you take over supervision of a child by contract, you are liable under § 832 (2) of the German Civil Code (BGB) for damage the child causes to others if supervision was inadequate
- **Biggest risk:** Inadequate supervision and mistakes in assessments or reports that parents, schools or the youth welfare office rely on
- **Basic cover from:** around 100 euros a year for the liability cover of a self employed learning therapist, a guide figure from our quoting experience
- **Often forgotten:** Test results and diagnoses are health data; losing them quickly becomes expensive

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Supervision:** A child runs out onto the road during a session or hurts another child in the waiting area. The question then is whether supervision was adequate.
- **Reports and assessments:** Progress reports decide on funding and school careers. A mistake can cost parents money or a school year.
- **Health data:** Test results, doctors' letters and diagnoses sit on your laptop. Loss or a cyber attack means reports, talks with parents and possible claims.
- **Damage in other people's premises:** Many learning therapists work in schools or in families' homes. A knocked over screen or a damaged door happens quickly.
- **Illness:** In a sole practice every session depends on you. If you are ill, income stops while rent continues.
- **Materials and technology:** Test kits, learning materials, tablets and laptops are expensive and travel between practice, school and families.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers injury and property damage from your work with children, including supervision taken over by contract and damage in schools and private homes. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Professional indemnity** (Strongly advised): For financial losses caused by assessments, progress reports and opinions; often available as an add on to public liability. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Pays for data recovery, forensics and handling a data breach when diagnoses and reports are affected. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): In a sole practice there is no income without your ability to work; a disability pension keeps the practice and household going. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Business contents** (Depends on the business): Replaces practice furniture, test kits and equipment after fire, escape of water or burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Accident insurance** (Depends on the business): For self employed therapists who have not joined the statutory accident insurance voluntarily, for example on journeys between schools and families. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes with employees and over practice premises once the practice grows. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php

## What it costs: example prices

There are hardly any dedicated tariffs for learning therapy; cover usually comes from tariffs for educators, tutoring or non medical therapy. Staff numbers, fee income and whether you write reports decide the premium.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Self employed learning therapist without staff, 3 million euros combined | around 100 to 250 euros a year |
| Business liability | Practice with three employed therapists and own premises | around 250 to 600 euros a year |
| Professional indemnity | Financial losses from reports and assessments, 250,000 euros | around 150 to 400 euros a year |
| Cyber insurance | Sole practice with laptop, tablet and online sessions | around 200 to 500 euros a year |
| Business contents | Furniture and test materials worth 20,000 euros | around 80 to 200 euros a year |

For comparison: Liability cover for a sole practice costs about as much a year as two therapy sessions.

_Guide figures from our quoting experience, excluding German insurance premium tax, as of October 2026. The sources confirm the legal rules mentioned; we obtain your premium from several insurers._

- [§ 832 BGB: liability of the person responsible for supervision](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__832.html)
- [§ 35a SGB VIII: integration assistance for children and young people](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_8/__35a.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Starter** (Self employed learning therapist working in schools and with families): Business liability, Professional indemnity. Together: around 200 to 500 euros a year
- **Practice** (Own practice rooms with test materials, technology and written reports): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Cyber insurance, Business contents. Together: around 500 to 1,200 euros a year
- **Institute** (Learning institute with several employees and work for youth welfare offices): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Cyber insurance, Business contents, Business legal expenses. Together: around 1,200 to 3,000 euros a year

## The worst day in a learning therapy practice

Six things that really happen in learning therapy practices, all on one Monday. Step through the day and see who pays.

- 08:15: At a school the therapist knocks a projector off its trolley while setting up. (€900, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:30: A boy runs out of the room into the car park and scratches a car with his bike when he falls. (€2,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:00: A test result is missing from the report to the youth welfare office; funding is delayed for months and the parents pay in the meantime. (€2,400, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 15:20: A child trips on the practice stairs and breaks an arm. The parents claim compensation for pain and suffering. (€6,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 17:45: The laptop with diagnoses of forty children is stolen from the car. Reports, letters to parents, legal advice. (€5,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 22:10: A burst pipe soaks test materials and the games shelf in the practice. (€4,500, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €21,300

## Practical tips from your broker

- Make sure the policy names supervision of children and damage in schools and private homes.
- If you write reports for the youth welfare office or schools, the policy should include financial losses.
- Encrypt laptops and storage; many cyber insurers ask about it, and it lowers the risk a lot.
- Include employees and freelance therapists in your liability cover as soon as you no longer work alone.
- Insure test kits at replacement value; new test sets and licences cost more than you think.
- Think about your own cover for illness and disability, because a sole practice has no stand in.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We find the right tariff:** Learning therapy sits between teaching and therapy. Norman Nammert, as an independent insurance broker, looks for tariffs that really describe your work.
- **Work and private in one place:** Practice, your own provision and your family's policies are handled together, in English.
- **Free of charge:** We have arranged insurance since 1989. The insurer pays our commission, not your practice.

## FAQ

### Is liability insurance compulsory for learning therapists in Germany?

Not by law. Youth welfare offices, schools and providers usually ask for proof before giving you work, and without cover you are liable with your private assets.

### Am I liable if a child damages something during my session?

If you took over supervision by contract and it was inadequate, yes, under § 832 (2) BGB. Your liability insurer examines the claim and pays justified demands.

### What does insurance for a learning therapist cost?

Liability cover for a sole practice is usually around 100 to 250 euros a year, with financial loss and cyber cover around 500 to 1,200 euros. These are guide figures from our quoting experience.

### Who pays for learning therapy?

Often the parents. Children with a mental disability, or at risk of one, are entitled to integration assistance from the youth welfare office under § 35a SGB VIII.

### Does a sole practice need cyber insurance?

If you keep diagnoses and reports digitally, it makes sense. Even a stolen laptop can lead to reports and advice costs.

## 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-learning-therapist.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.