# Phone and gadget insurance in Germany: smartphone, tablet, laptop and camera > A phone slipping onto the pavement, coffee across a keyboard, a bag lighter than it should be after a crowded U-Bahn ride: that is what gadget insurance is for. In Germany it is entirely optional, and consumer testers are sceptical of it. It makes most sense for a new, expensive device you carry everywhere. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-gadget-insurance.php Updated: 2026-10-31 ## Do I need phone insurance in Germany? No, it is optional, and Stiftung Warentest, the German consumer testing body, does not count it among the important policies. Deductibles, depreciation and exclusions eat into what you get back. It can be worth it for a new, high-value device that you use on the move. First check what your Hausratversicherung (contents insurance), the two-year statutory warranty and any manufacturer guarantee already cover. ## At a glance - **Mandatory?:** No, voluntary property insurance - **Typical claims:** cracked screens, liquid damage, drops, theft - **Deductible:** almost always, often around 10 % of the purchase price - **Payout:** new value usually only in the first months, then current value - **Statutory warranty:** 2 years against the seller, but no cover for drops or water ## What the warranty, the guarantee and contents insurance already do Under German law the seller is liable for defects for two years. Since 2022, for the first twelve months it is presumed that a defect was there at delivery, so the seller has to prove otherwise. A manufacturer guarantee comes on top, voluntarily. Neither helps once the device has been dropped or got wet. Contents insurance pays for a phone stolen in a burglary at home or taken from you by force. A pickpocket lifting it from your jacket is usually not covered, and losing it never is. Breakage and liquid damage are outside contents insurance altogether. ## When a separate gadget policy pays off Weigh the annual premium plus deductible against what a repair or replacement would cost you. A brand new flagship phone with an expensive screen points towards insuring it. A mid-range phone that is three years old rarely does, because the insurer will only pay its current value. If several people in your household have expensive devices, a multi-device plan can be cheaper than separate policies. If you could pay for a repair without much pain, setting the premium aside yourself is often the better deal. ## Theft cover: read the conditions Theft usually costs extra and comes with a higher deductible. Many German policies only pay if the device was in your personal custody, meaning on your body or within reach. A phone left in a parked car or on a beach towel while you swim typically falls through. To claim you will need a police report, the receipt and usually the IMEI or serial number. Note it down when you buy the device and keep a digital copy of the invoice. ## What is covered - Accidental damage such as a cracked screen after a drop - Liquid damage from water, drinks or rain - Short circuits and power surges, depending on the policy - Repair or replacement up to the sum insured - Theft and robbery, if included - Several household devices on one contract, with some insurers ## What is not covered - Simple loss or leaving the device behind - Theft from unattended bags or vehicles, depending on the wording - Scratches and cosmetic damage that do not affect function - Deliberate damage - Lost data and data recovery - Accessories such as cables, cases and earphones unless listed ## Who needs it - Anyone who has just bought a new, expensive phone, tablet or laptop - Parents whose children are getting their first own phone - Commuters, students and frequent travellers who always carry their device - Photographers with valuable cameras and lenses - Households wanting to insure several devices together ## Who does not need it - A policy for an older device whose current value is barely above the deductible - An extra policy if your credit card or mobile contract already includes comparable device cover ## What it costs The premium mostly depends on what the device cost. Adding theft cover makes it noticeably more expensive. In a test by Stiftung Warentest, smartphone policies without theft cover cost roughly EUR 26 to 132 a year. | Example | Typical range | | --- | --- | | Smartphone, accidental and liquid damage, no theft | roughly EUR 26 to 132 a year | **What drives the premium:** - Purchase price and type of device - With or without theft cover - Size of the deductible - Age of the device when cover starts - Single device or multi-device plan - Monthly cancellable or fixed term _Guide figure from a published Stiftung Warentest comparison. Theft cover, laptops and cameras cost more. Your premium is only fixed in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Contents insurance:** Burglary at home and robbery are covered, some policies extend this to simple theft away from home. Breakage and water stay excluded. - **Device cover without theft:** Drops, breakage and liquid damage for one device. The lean option for people mainly worried about accidents. - **Full cover with theft:** Adds theft and robbery, often with a higher deductible for theft claims. For expensive devices that travel a lot. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Deductible | fixed amount or percentage, different for repair and theft | low fixed deductible or none | On a screen repair the deductible can take a large share of the payout. | | Payout basis | current value | new value for a longer period after purchase | After a year many policies pay only part of the purchase price. | | Theft | excluded or robbery only | simple theft included, with clear custody rules | Pickpocketing is the most common theft, and many policies do not pay for it. | | Waiting period and device age | new devices only, waiting period for older ones | cover from day one, also for devices a few months old | If you only think of insurance after the first drop, a waiting period can block you. | | Number of claims | one claim a year | several claims a year up to the sum insured | A screen can crack twice in a year, especially with children. | | Term | fixed one or two years | cancellable monthly | A new phone or a new mobile contract changes what you need. | | Language and service | claims in German only | English documents and claims handling | A claim is easier when you understand the conditions and the questions. | ## Insurers on the German market In Germany, gadget cover is sold by specialists, often through electronics retailers, and by large property insurers as a standalone policy or as a contents add-on. Mobile networks and shops sell policies too. The list is a market overview. - **WERTGARANTIE**: device and bicycle cover specialist, sold largely through retailers - **Allianz**: own phone insurance, agents and brokers - **Zurich**: phone insurance for private customers, agents and brokers - **R+V**: phone cover within its electronics insurance, cooperative banking group - **CosmosDirekt**: direct insurer of the Generali group, payout scaled by device age 155 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded. ## Typical claims and who pays - **Phone hits the cobblestones** (new screen, often a three figure sum): Drops are the core of every gadget policy. The deductible is taken off, and on cheap policies it can be high. - **Beer over the laptop** (repair or replacement, easily four figures): Liquid damage is included in almost every gadget policy. Contents insurance pays nothing here. - **Pickpocket at the Christmas market** (price of the phone): Without theft cover the gadget policy does not pay, and contents insurance usually does not either. Strong policies include simple theft. - **Camera stolen from a hire car** (body and lenses, often over EUR 1,000): From unattended vehicles many policies pay only under conditions such as a locked boot and daytime. Read the custody rules. - **Two year old phone written off** (current value instead of price paid): After the first months most policies pay only part of the price. After the deductible little may be left. - **Phone left in a taxi** (price of the phone): Losing or forgetting a device is not theft. Practically no policy pays for it. ## Myth or truth - „German contents insurance pays for any stolen phone." ✘ Wrong. It pays after burglary and robbery, but simple theft away from home only if your policy includes it. - „In the first year after purchase the seller must prove a defect was not there from the start." ✔ True, since 2022 this reversed burden of proof lasts twelve months. It does not help with drops or water, which are not defects. - „Gadget insurance always pays the price you paid." ✘ No. The full price is usually paid only in the first months, then current value or a scaled share. - „Nearly every phone policy has a deductible." ✔ Correct, Stiftung Warentest found the same. For theft it is often higher than for repairs. - „A cracked screen is a guarantee claim." ✘ Only rarely, if the glass cracks without any impact. After a drop, manufacturers and sellers refuse. ## Common mistakes - Signing the shop's policy at the till without comparing - Assuming theft is automatically included - Insuring an old device whose current value is barely above the deductible - Not keeping the receipt and IMEI - Reporting late or without a police report - Paying twice because a credit card or mobile contract already covers the device ## FAQ ### Does German contents insurance pay for a stolen phone? Only after a burglary at home or a robbery involving force. Pickpocketing on the train is usually covered only if your policy explicitly includes simple theft away from home. ### Is a cracked screen covered by the warranty? No. Warranty and guarantee cover defects present at purchase or arising without outside influence. A drop is outside influence, so you need gadget insurance for it. ### How soon after buying do I have to insure my phone? It depends on the insurer. Brand new devices are usually covered immediately, while some policies impose a waiting period of a few weeks for older devices or only accept devices up to a few months old. ### Will I get the full purchase price back? Usually only in the first months. After that many policies pay current value or a scaled share of the price, and the deductible is taken off as well. ### What if I simply lose my phone? Loss is almost never insured, neither under contents insurance nor under most gadget policies. Only proven theft or damage is covered. ### Is the insurance offered by my mobile network a good choice? It is convenient, but not automatically good value. Compare deductible, theft cover and minimum term with a standalone policy before you sign. ### Are devices I use for work covered? Private gadget policies often exclude mainly business use. Freelancers and company devices need commercial electronics insurance or a policy that allows work use. ### What do I need to make a claim? The receipt, IMEI or serial number, a short account of what happened and, for theft, a police report. Do not have the device repaired elsewhere before the insurer agrees. ## Legal basis and sources - [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/) - [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/) ## Request quotes We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-gadget-insurance.php#anfrage --- 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.