# Insurance for language schools, language courses and study trips in Germany

> Language schools in Germany teach staff at companies, adults in evening classes and teenagers in summer courses, often with freelance native speaker teachers. German law has no special insurance duty for you, but plenty of liability. Here is what to insure, what is compulsory and what it roughly costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-language-school.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Is ordinary public liability enough for my language school?

For accidents and property damage in the classroom it usually is, as long as teaching is correctly described. Make sure freelance teachers, excursions, in company lessons and supervision of minors are expressly included. If you register students for exams or issue certificates, add professional indemnity for financial loss.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No general compulsory insurance for language schools. If you sell study trips as package holidays, section 651r of the German Civil Code (BGB) requires insolvency protection for customer payments
- **Biggest risk:** Injuries and damage during lessons and excursions, especially with minors you supervise
- **Basic cover from:** about €250 to €500 a year of public liability for a small school, a guide figure from our quoting work
- **Statutory accident insurer:** Employed teachers are covered by the statutory accident insurance; for education providers such as adult education centres this is the VBG
- **Often forgotten:** Freelance teachers not named in the policy, and lessons or trips outside your own premises

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Supervising minors:** A summer course for teenagers: whoever takes on supervision by contract is liable under section 832 BGB for damage the teenagers cause to others, unless supervision was adequate.
- **Accidents on the premises:** A wet floor at the entrance or a loose carpet edge: injured students claim damages for pain and medical costs.
- **Excursions:** City tours, canoe trips, barbecues: many schools run activities next to classes that the policy does not mention.
- **Exams and certificates:** A student is registered for the wrong exam date and loses a university place or a visa deadline.
- **Equipment and rooms:** Burglary, water damage or fire in the classrooms stop teaching while rent keeps running.
- **Student data:** Passport copies and payment data on the booking system make a cyber attack a reportable data breach.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers injury and property damage in class, on trips and in rented rooms, including supervision of minors when named. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Professional indemnity** (Strongly advised): Covers financial loss from wrong exam registrations, faulty certificates or missed deadlines. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Covers furniture, teaching material and equipment against fire, burglary and water damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Covers laptops, projectors and headsets, including breakage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Covers the learning platform, booking system and student data. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Accident cover for students on excursions, who often have no other accident cover. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): Legal expenses for disputes over fees, cancellations and contracts with freelance teachers. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php

## What it costs: example prices

Premiums depend on turnover, number of teachers, premises and whether minors, excursions or study trips are involved. An evening school for adults costs much less than a summer camp for teenagers.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | School with €150,000 turnover, adult courses, €3 million limit | about €250 to €500 a year |
| Business liability | School with summer camps for teenagers and excursions | about €600 to €1,200 a year |
| Professional indemnity | Exam centre with registrations and certificates, €100,000 limit | about €200 to €400 a year |
| Business contents | Three classrooms with furniture and equipment worth €40,000 | about €150 to €350 a year |
| Cyber insurance | Learning platform and booking system, €250,000 limit | about €350 to €700 a year |

For comparison: Public liability for a small language school usually costs less a year than one intensive course fee.

_Guide figures from our own quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax, October 2026. We found no public tariffs specifically for language schools. The sources support the legal statements on this page._

- [Section 651r BGB, insolvency protection for package travel](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__651r.html)
- [Section 832 BGB, liability of persons with a duty of supervision](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__832.html)
- [VBG: education providers](https://www.vbg.de/cms/bildungseinrichtungen)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Classroom** (Small school with adult courses on its own premises): Business liability, Business contents, Electronic equipment. Together: about €500 to €900 a year
- **School** (School with exams, learning platform and several teachers): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Business contents, Electronic equipment, Cyber insurance. Together: about €1,200 to €2,200 a year
- **Campus** (School with teenage summer camps and leisure programme): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Business contents, Cyber insurance, Group accident insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: about €2,500 to €5,000 a year

## The worst day at a language school

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

- 08:15: A student slips on the wet floor at the entrance and breaks an arm. (€9,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 10:30: The ceiling projector falls onto the desk and both are ruined. (€1,800, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 12:00: A student was registered for the wrong exam and misses a visa deadline. She claims travel and resit costs. (€6,500, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 14:45: On a city tour a 15 year old student kicks a ball through a shop window. (€2,400, Paid by: Business liability)
- 17:20: A student hurts a knee on the canoe trip. (€5,000, Paid by: Group accident insurance)
- 22:40: Criminals encrypt the learning platform with passport copies of 400 students. (€15,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)

**Damage so far:** €39,700

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have supervision of minors expressly included if you run courses for teenagers.
- Name excursions, leisure programmes and lessons at client premises in the policy.
- Check whether freelance teachers are covered by your policy or need their own.
- If you sell study trips as package holidays, you need insolvency protection under section 651r BGB. It is separate from liability insurance.
- Keep passport copies only as long as needed and secure the learning platform.
- Insure laptops that teachers take home with cover outside the premises.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We read the activity description:** For language schools the wording decides about trips, minors and freelancers. We collect offers from several insurers and check that your school is fully described.
- **Advice in English:** German policy wording is hard going. We explain what is covered in plain English before you sign.
- **Claims experience:** In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. We use that experience when we prepare a claim with you for the insurer.
- **Broking since 1989:** Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker. Our work is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Is insurance compulsory for language schools in Germany?

There is no general duty. If you sell study trips as package holidays, section 651r BGB requires insolvency protection for customer payments. Public liability is still the most important cover.

### Am I liable for damage caused by teenage students?

If you took on supervision by contract, yes, under section 832 BGB, unless you supervised adequately. Make sure supervision is included in your liability policy.

### Are my freelance teachers covered?

That depends on the policy. Many cover freelancers only if they are named. Otherwise teachers need their own liability cover.

### Are students covered for accidents?

Usually not through your school. Employed teachers are covered by the statutory accident insurer. For students, group accident cover is an option.

### What does insurance for a language school cost?

Public liability for a small school with adult courses is about €250 to €500 a year in our quoting work. With rooms, equipment and cyber, usually €1,200 to €2,200.

### Are online lessons covered?

For liability, yes, if online teaching is in the policy. Hacked platforms and data breaches need cyber insurance.

## 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-language-school.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.