# Insurance for model agencies, talent agencies and booking agencies in Germany

> A double booking on the day of a shoot, images used longer than agreed, a child model on set without a permit: for model agencies, talent agencies and booking agencies, claims arise between client, talent and agency. If you run an agency in Germany, German law applies. This page shows which insurance catches these risks and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-talent-and-model-agency.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Who pays if a booked model does not show up and the whole shoot is cancelled?

That depends on the contract. If the agency booked the wrong date or failed to pass on a cancellation, the client can claim studio, photographer and crew costs. Professional indemnity covers such agency errors if placement and booking are described as your business. If the model drops out, your terms decide whether you must find a replacement; no policy takes that over entirely.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No insurance is required by law for placing models and performers
- **Children on set:** Children may only take part in advertising, film and photo shoots with an exemption from the supervisory authority: from over three to six years for up to two hours a day between 8 am and 5 pm, from six years for up to three hours between 8 am and 10 pm
- **Biggest risk:** Financial loss at clients from booking errors and disputes over image usage rights
- **Basic cover from:** about €223 a year including insurance premium tax for €100,000 of professional indemnity, a tariff example for media professions
- **Often forgotten:** Data protection for comp cards, measurements, ID copies and children's data in your database

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Booking errors:** Wrong day, wrong model, missed cancellation: the client is left paying for studio, photographer and make up artist.
- **Usage rights:** Images run longer, in more countries or in other media than booked. Client, model and agency argue over extra fees and damages.
- **Children and minors:** Without a permit from the authority or with shoots running too long, fines and trouble with parents and clients follow.
- **Accidents on set:** A model falls down stairs in high heels, a performer is injured during a stunt.
- **Data protection:** Comp cards, body measurements, ID copies and bank details are sensitive. An attack on the database affects many people.
- **Unpaid fees:** A client does not pay, but the agency has already paid the model.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Professional indemnity covers financial loss at clients and talent from errors in booking, placement and contracts, including usage rights disputes if included. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Business liability** (Strongly advised): For injury and property damage at castings, fashion shows and in other people's studios. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): For attacks on your database and mailboxes with comp cards, measurements and ID data, including data protection reports. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Strongly advised): For disputes over fees and commission with clients and talent and for fine proceedings. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Depends on the business): For staff and, if you wish, exclusively represented talent who travel a lot and work on set. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php
- **Trade credit insurance** (Depends on the business): For agencies with large outstanding fees from a few big clients. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-trade-credit.php
- **D&O insurance** (Depends on the business): For managing directors of a GmbH who are personally liable for breaches of duty. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-directors-and-officers.php

## What it costs: example prices

Insurers price agencies by turnover, number of bookings and clients. If you place children or book international campaigns, you pay more than a small agency for extras.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Sole trader, €100,000 financial loss, tariff example for advertising and media professions | from about €223 a year including tax |
| Professional indemnity | Model and talent agency with five bookers, €500,000 cover | about €900 to €2,500 a year |
| Business liability | Agency with castings and shows, €3 million cover | about €250 to €700 a year |
| Cyber insurance | Agency with online database, €250,000 cover | about €600 to €1,400 a year |
| Business legal expenses | Agency with contract and employment legal cover | about €500 to €1,000 a year |

For comparison: Professional indemnity for a small agency costs about as much a year as the commission on one day's booking for a catalogue shoot.

_The first example is a publicly quoted tariff example on a German comparison site for advertising and media professions (checked October 2026), converted from a monthly premium. The other values are guide figures from our quoting practice, excluding German insurance premium tax._

- [German business insurance comparison site: tariff examples for advertising and media professions](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/werbeagentur)
- [Youth Employment Protection Act (JArbSchG), section 6: exemptions for events and shoots](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/jarbschg/__6.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Boutique** (Small agency with one or two bookers): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Cyber insurance. Together: about €1,000 to €2,200 a year
- **Agency** (Model and talent agency with a children's division and castings): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Cyber insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: about €2,200 to €5,000 a year
- **International** (Agency with international campaigns and frequent travel): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Cyber insurance, Business legal expenses, Group accident insurance, D&O insurance. Together: individual, usually from about €5,000 a year

## The worst day at the agency

Six things agencies really go through, all in one week with three campaigns. Tap through and see who pays.

- 07:30: A model turns up at the studio on the wrong day because the booking was entered wrongly. The client wants studio and crew costs back. (€9,500, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 10:00: A model finds her images on billboards in a country that was never booked and claims extra fees. (€12,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 12:30: At a casting in your office an applicant trips over a tripod and hurts her knee. (€5,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 15:10: The online database is hacked, and ID copies and measurements are exposed. (€18,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 17:45: A client does not pay a fee, and the talent still wants the money. (€3,200, Paid by: Business legal expenses)
- 20:00: On a trip to a production a booker falls on the hotel stairs. (€6,000, Paid by: Group accident insurance)

**Damage so far:** €54,200

## Practical tips from your broker

- Describe your business precisely in the policy, including placement, booking and contract work for talent.
- Have usage rights disputes and personality rights included expressly.
- Always confirm bookings in writing with type of use, duration and territory.
- Apply in good time for the authority's exemption for children and keep to the approved hours.
- Store ID copies and bank details separately from the public database and delete them when no longer needed.
- Pay out fees only once the client has paid, or protect yourself against large clients defaulting.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We describe your business properly:** Agencies fit no standard category. As brokers we make sure placement and booking are written into the policy and compare several insurers.
- **Data protection covered:** Comp cards and children's data are sensitive. We check that cyber and liability cover fit.
- **Agency and private in one place:** Liability, cyber, legal cover and your own provision all sit with us, with one contact who speaks English.
- **Family run, brokering since 1989:** Norman Nammert arranges your cover as an insurance broker. It is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Does a model agency need compulsory insurance in Germany?

No, there is no statutory requirement. Professional indemnity is still the most important cover.

### Can children be booked for advertising shoots?

Only with an exemption from the supervisory authority under the Youth Employment Protection Act, with written parental consent and a medical certificate. Children over three up to six may work up to two hours a day, older children up to three.

### What does liability cover cost for a small agency?

Tariff examples for media professions start at about €223 a year including tax; an agency with several bookers usually pays €900 to €2,500.

### Are models insured through the agency?

Usually not. Self employed models need their own accident and liability cover; a group accident policy of the agency can add to it.

### Does public liability cover booking errors?

No. Booking errors cause pure financial loss, which only professional indemnity covers.

### What if images are used beyond the booking?

Document the use and settle the extra fee with the client. Legal cover helps with the dispute, and professional indemnity covers claims against the agency if included.

## 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-talent-and-model-agency.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.