# Musical instrument insurance in Germany: cover for rehearsals, gigs and travel > If you play in Germany, your instrument is covered at home by German household contents insurance (Hausratversicherung), but only against fire, burst pipes, storm and burglary. Most damage happens elsewhere: in the car, at rehearsal, on stage or in the hold of a plane. That is what a dedicated instrument policy is for, usually written on an all risks basis. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-musical-instrument-insurance.php Updated: 2026-11-03 ## Does my German contents insurance cover my instrument? At home, against named perils only: fire, water from pipes, storm, hail and burglary. A guitar falling off its stand is not one of them. Away from home, contents policies usually pay up to 10 percent of the sum insured, only while the item is inside a building, and for no more than three months. Transport is not covered. If you rehearse, perform or travel with your instrument, you need separate instrument insurance. ## At a glance - **Mandatory?:** No, it is voluntary - **Type of cover:** all risks: everything not excluded is covered - **Contents cover away from home:** often up to 10% of the sum, inside buildings, up to three months - **Instrument in the car:** many policies exclude theft at night, often 10 pm to 6 am - **Airline liability:** baggage up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger ## Named perils versus all risks German contents insurance lists the perils it covers. Anything not on that list is not insured, so a cracked neck, a dented bell or a cymbal stand knocked over at home are your own loss. Many expats are surprised, because policies in other countries sometimes include accidental damage as standard. Instrument insurance works the other way round. It pays for any sudden and unforeseen damage or loss unless an exclusion applies. Typical exclusions are wear and tear, damage from climate, humidity or pests, and intent. Note that some German contents policies exclude items that are insured separately, so the two contracts should fit together. ## On the road: cars, rehearsal rooms and flights Most thefts happen from cars. Many instrument policies only pay if the car was locked and the instrument could not be seen from outside. On top of that, a night clause often applies: if the instrument stays in a car parked outdoors between 10 pm and 6 am, theft is not covered. Some policies start the clause at midnight, and some waive it for an extra premium. When you fly, the airline is liable for checked baggage under the Montreal Convention only up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger, a little under EUR 2,000. That rarely covers a cello or a double bass. A good policy includes transport in the aircraft hold. ## Insuring the right value You insure a value that you declare, backed by an invoice or a valuation. If it is too low, the insurer reduces any claim in proportion, which is called underinsurance. Old string instruments and sought after vintage guitars often rise in value, so have the value checked every few years. For valuable instruments an agreed value (Taxe) is worth asking for: the value is fixed when the policy starts, so there is no argument about market value after a loss. Also ask whether loss of value after a repair is covered. A repaired crack leaves a violin worth less than before. ## What is covered - Accidental damage such as drops, cracks and breakage - Theft, including theft away from home, depending on the terms - Theft from a locked car, within the time rules of the policy - Transport by car, train, bus and in the aircraft hold, if included - Damage during rehearsals, lessons and performances - Fire, water, storm and burglary at home - Accessories such as cases, bows, amplifiers and effects, if included - Loss of value after a repair, in better policies ## What is not covered - Wear and tear, for example strings, drum heads, bow hair and pads - Damage from climate, humidity, temperature changes and pests - Theft from a car at night, where the policy excludes it - Intent, and gross negligence with a reduced payout depending on the policy - Purely cosmetic damage such as scratches, often excluded - Electronic faults without external cause, depending on the terms ## Who needs it - Professional musicians in orchestras, bands and ensembles - Music students with a valuable own or borrowed instrument - Amateur musicians who regularly drive to rehearsals or play gigs - Bands that transport instruments, amps and PA together - Music teachers who travel to pupils or schools ## Who does not need it - A separate policy for an inexpensive instrument that never leaves your flat and that you could replace yourself. German contents insurance is enough for that. ## What it costs The premium is a rate on the declared value. Published German rates are roughly 1 to 3.5 percent of the instrument value per year, plus 19 percent insurance tax. Modern instruments with electronics and worldwide cover cost more, a deductible lowers the premium. **What drives the premium:** - Value of the instrument and accessories - Type of instrument: strings, wind, guitar, drums, electronics - Territory: Germany, Europe or worldwide - Private or professional use - Waiver of the night clause for cars - Deductible and minimum premium _Guide figures from published German tariffs and consumer guides, 2026. Many policies have a minimum premium, which makes cover for very cheap instruments poor value. Your premium is fixed in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Contents insurance with away from home cover:** Protects at home and temporarily inside other buildings, against named perils only. No accidental damage, no transport. - **Basic instrument policy:** All risks within Germany, theft from cars only by day, accessories with a small limit. Suits amateurs and students. - **Professional instrument policy:** Europe or worldwide, aircraft hold, night clause waived or relaxed, loss of value, agreed value and a hired replacement instrument. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Basis of cover | all risks | all risks with a short, clear list of exclusions | Only then is a fall from the stage or the stand covered. | | Car and night clause | locked car, daytime only | around the clock or clause from midnight only | After a gig the instrument often stays in the car late at night. | | Territory | Germany | Europe or worldwide, including the aircraft hold | Tours, masterclasses and holidays otherwise end at the border. | | Insured value | invoice value | agreed value based on a valuation, with updates | Old instruments rise in value, an agreed value avoids disputes. | | Loss of value | not covered | loss of value after repair included | A repaired crack noticeably lowers the value of a string instrument. | | Gross negligence | reduction by degree of fault | no reduction up to a set amount | A case left briefly on a platform is quickly treated as grossly negligent. | | Accessories and cases | case included | bows, amps and effects with their own sum | A good bow can be worth as much as the instrument. | | Borrowed instruments | on request | borrowed and rented instruments included | Students often play instruments owned by a university or foundation. | ## Insurers on the German market In Germany a few specialists have insured musical instruments for decades, alongside large property insurers with their own policies. Terms differ most on cars, night clauses and flights. This list is a market overview. - **Mannheimer**: specialist musician cover under the Sinfonima brand, Continentale group - **Nürnberger**: instrument policy for Germany or worldwide - **WGV**: direct insurer from Stuttgart with its own music policy - **BGV**: insurer from Baden with instrument cover - **Allianz**: instrument insurance, agents and brokers - **ERGO**: art and music cover, part of Munich Re 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 - **Guitar tips off its stand** (repair by a luthier): Drops and breakage are the core of all risks cover. German contents insurance would pay nothing, even at home. - **Violin stolen from the car at night** (the full value of the instrument): With a night clause, theft between 10 pm and 6 am from a car parked outdoors is not covered. Strong policies waive it. - **Cello broken in the aircraft hold** (repair or total loss): The airline is only liable up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights. Basic policies often cover Germany only, strong ones include flights. - **Beer spilled into the keyboard** (repair or new instrument): An accident on stage is sudden and unforeseen damage. For electronics, check that they are expressly included. - **Crack glued, value gone down** (loss of value on top of the repair): After a repair a string instrument is often worth less. Only policies with loss of value cover make up the difference. - **Wood cracks in dry air** (repair by a violin maker): Climate, humidity and temperature changes are excluded. Only care helps here, not insurance. ## Myth or truth - „At home, German contents insurance covers my instrument against burglary." ✔ True. Musical instruments count as household contents and are covered at home against fire, water, storm, hail and burglary, up to the sum insured. - „If my guitar falls off its stand at rehearsal, contents insurance pays." ✘ No. A fall is not one of the named perils. Only all risks cover, as offered by instrument insurance, pays for it. - „If my instrument breaks in the hold, the airline pays its full value." ✘ Usually not. Under the Montreal Convention its liability for baggage is capped at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger unless you declared a higher value at check in. - „An old instrument can rise in value until the sum insured is no longer enough." ✔ Correct. Good string instruments and sought after vintage guitars often become more expensive. If the sum is too low, claims are reduced in proportion. - „Every instrument policy pays in full even if I was grossly negligent." ✘ No. Many policies reduce the payout according to the degree of fault, for example when a case was left unattended on a platform. Better ones waive the reduction up to a set amount. ## Common mistakes - Assuming German contents insurance pays when the instrument falls off the stage - Leaving the instrument in the car overnight after a gig - Keeping the purchase price from twenty years ago as the insured value - Forgetting to insure the case, bow and amplifier - Flying abroad with a policy that only covers Germany - Playing a borrowed university instrument without your own cover ## FAQ ### Is my instrument covered by my German contents insurance? At home yes, but only against fire, water from pipes, storm, hail and burglary. Away from home the outside cover usually pays up to 10 percent of the sum insured, only inside buildings and for at most three months. Accidental damage and transport are not covered. ### What does all risks mean? Any sudden and unforeseen damage or loss is covered unless it is expressly excluded. In a dispute, the insurer has to prove that an exclusion applies, rather than you proving which peril caused the loss. ### Is my instrument covered in the car? By day usually yes, if the car was locked and the instrument was out of sight. At night many policies exclude theft from a car parked outdoors, typically from 10 pm to 6 am. Some policies have no such clause. ### What does the airline pay if my instrument breaks in the hold? Under the Montreal Convention at most 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger, a little under EUR 2,000, for all of your baggage. More is only possible with a special declaration of value at check in. An instrument policy with flight cover closes the gap. ### Which value should I insure? Today's replacement value, backed by an invoice or a valuation. If the sum is too low the insurer pays proportionally less. For old or valuable instruments an agreed value based on a valuation is the safest option. ### I am a professional musician. What should I look for? Your instrument is your livelihood, and losing it costs fees. Look for worldwide cover, transport in the aircraft hold, a waived night clause and whether a hired replacement is paid during repairs. ### Can I get a quote in English? Yes, we advise in English. The policy documents themselves are usually in German, and the German text is the binding one. We explain the key clauses for you. ### Are cracks from dry heating air covered? As a rule, no. Damage from climate, humidity, temperature changes and pests is treated as avoidable and is excluded. A humidifier in the case is cheaper than any repair. ## 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-musical-instrument-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.