# Pet health insurance in Germany: how vet bills work and what to insure

> German vets charge according to a statutory fee scale, the GOT, which was raised substantially in November 2022. Emergency visits cost at least double the standard rate plus a flat fee. Pet health insurance pays for surgery or also for routine treatment, and the most important detail is how much of the fee scale it covers.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-pet-health-insurance.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Is pet insurance worth it in Germany?

Surgery cover is worth it for most dog and cat owners, because a single operation with a clinic stay easily costs several thousand euros under the German fee scale. Full cover, which also pays for check-ups, vaccinations and medication, costs much more and pays off mainly for breeds with known health problems. If you have savings to absorb a large bill, you can also set money aside yourself.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory?:** no
- **Vet fee scale:** GOT since 22 November 2022, one to three times the base rate
- **Emergency visits:** at least twice the base rate plus a 50 € emergency fee
- **Guide price, dog surgery cover:** about 160 to 550 € a year for a young small dog (Stiftung Warentest)
- **Key clause:** reimbursement up to which multiple of the GOT

## The GOT: why German vet bills look the way they do

Unlike in the UK or US, German vets do not set their prices freely. They bill according to the Gebührenordnung für Tierärzte (GOT), a federal fee scale. Since 22 November 2022 a revised version with much higher fees applies. Depending on effort, a vet may charge one to three times the listed base rate.

For emergencies at night, at weekends and on public holidays, the vet must charge at least twice and may charge up to four times the base rate, plus an emergency fee of 50 euros. A policy that reimburses only up to twice the rate leaves you paying part of exactly the most expensive bills. Good policies reimburse up to four times.

## Surgery cover or full cover

Surgery cover (OP-Versicherung) pays for operations under anaesthetic, including examinations beforehand, aftercare and the clinic stay. It covers the risk that really hurts: a torn cruciate ligament, a twisted stomach, a swallowed object, tumour removal.

Full cover (Krankenvollversicherung) also pays outpatient treatment and medication and often includes a budget for preventive care. It costs a multiple of surgery cover. For breeds prone to skin, joint or ear problems it can pay off; for a young indoor cat it usually does not.

## Moving to Germany with a pet

A policy from your home country usually ends or stops paying once you are resident in Germany, and German insurers treat conditions diagnosed abroad as pre-existing. Bring your pet's veterinary records, ideally translated, so the new insurer can assess them.

Pet health insurance in Germany is indemnity insurance, so after a claim both sides may cancel the contract, including the insurer after an expensive operation. Good policies expressly waive this right. Premiums usually rise as your pet gets older, and many insurers only accept animals up to a certain age.

## What is covered

- Operations under anaesthetic, including pre-op examinations and aftercare
- Clinic stays and boarding at the vet
- Emergency treatment, up to the fee multiple stated in the policy
- Outpatient treatment and medication under full cover
- Diagnostics such as X-ray, ultrasound and lab tests linked to treatment
- A preventive care budget for vaccinations and dental cleaning, in some policies
- Treatment abroad for a limited time
- Physiotherapy after surgery, depending on the policy

## What is not covered

- Conditions known before the policy started, including those diagnosed abroad
- Neutering without a medical reason, in many policies
- Treatment during the waiting period
- Congenital and breed-specific conditions in basic policies
- Food, grooming products and supplements
- Damage caused by another animal, where its owner's liability insurance pays

## Who needs it

- Owners who could not pay a vet bill of several thousand euros from savings
- Owners of young animals without pre-existing conditions
- Owners of breeds with known health weaknesses
- Owners of outdoor cats and active dogs

## Who can do without

- Owners with enough savings who set money aside every month
- Owners of older animals with many pre-existing conditions

## What it costs

Premiums depend mainly on species, breed, age and level of cover. Full cover costs several times as much as surgery cover, and premiums usually rise with age.

| Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- |
| Young small dog, surgery cover | about 160 to 550 € a year |

**What drives the premium:**

- Dog or cat, breed and size
- Age at entry and later
- Surgery cover or full cover
- Reimbursement up to two, three or four times the GOT rate
- Deductible and annual maximum

_Range from the Stiftung Warentest comparison of dog surgery policies. We give no guide prices for cats or full cover. Your premium is fixed only in the quote._

## The policy levels on the market

- **Surgery cover:** Operations with pre- and aftercare, often up to two or three times the GOT rate. Covers the big risk at a moderate premium.
- **Premium surgery cover:** Up to four times the rate, including emergencies, no annual limit, physiotherapy included. For owners who want the cost of surgery fully covered.
- **Full cover:** Adds outpatient treatment, medication and preventive care. For animals likely to need frequent vet visits.

## How to recognise a good policy

| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GOT multiple | up to twice the rate | up to four times, including emergencies | Emergency visits are billed at no less than twice the rate plus a flat fee. |
| Annual limit | low yearly cap | no limit | Two operations in one year can exhaust a small limit. |
| Cancellation after a claim | insurer may cancel | insurer waives its right to cancel | Otherwise you may lose cover just when your pet needs it most. |
| Breed-specific conditions | excluded | included, such as hip dysplasia | These conditions cause the highest costs in pedigree dogs. |
| Waiting period | several months for surgery | short, accidents covered from day one | You pay premiums without cover while it runs. |
| Deductible | percentage of each bill | none or a fixed yearly amount | A percentage becomes expensive on large bills. |

## Insurers on the German market

Specialist pet insurers and several large German property insurers offer pet health cover. Policies differ mainly in the fee multiple they reimburse and in cancellation after a claim.

- **AGILA**: pet insurance specialist in the Talanx group
- **Uelzener**: mutual insurer focused on animal insurance
- **Allianz**: dog and cat health cover, agents and brokers
- **Barmenia**: pet health and surgery policies, agents and brokers
- **DFV**: listed insurer selling mainly online
- **Helvetia**: German company of the Swiss Helvetia Baloise group
- **HanseMerkur**: Hamburg insurance group with dog and cat policies

155 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden). Source: BaFin company database, retrieved 2026-09-18. Insurers from other EU countries selling through a branch or without a German office are not included.

## Typical claims and who pays

- **Dog swallows a sock: bowel surgery** (around 1,500 to 4,000 €, more out of hours): Simple surgery cover pays, but often only up to twice the GOT rate. Anything above is yours; strong policies pay up to the maximum rate.
- **Cat falls from a balcony** (around 1,000 to 5,000 € for fractures): Fractures after a fall usually need surgery. This is exactly the risk that even basic surgery cover is built for.
- **Sunday night vet visit for vomiting** (around 150 to 400 €): Surgery cover pays nothing without an operation. Full cover includes outpatient and emergency visits.
- **Dental work under anaesthetic** (around 300 to 1,000 €): Dental treatment is excluded or capped in many German policies. Strong ones pay what is medically needed, routine scaling rarely.
- **Hip dysplasia in a young Labrador** (several thousand € per hip): Hereditary conditions are often excluded in basic cover. Good policies pay if the condition is first diagnosed after cover starts.
- **Allergy diagnosed before you moved** (a few hundred € a year, ongoing): Conditions known before the policy starts are excluded everywhere. That includes diagnoses from your vet back home.

## Myth or truth

- „German vets usually expect you to pay on the spot, not your insurer." ✔ True: in Germany you normally pay the vet and then claim the money back. Some insurers offer direct billing with the practice. Keep a little buffer for large bills.
- „Pet health insurance in Germany also covers damage my dog causes to others." ✘ False: damage to other people is a matter for dog liability insurance (Hundehaftpflicht). That is a separate policy and compulsory in some states. A few providers sell both as a bundle.
- „An indoor cat never needs more than vaccinations." ✘ False: indoor cats get bladder stones, dental disease and injuries from falling out of windows. An operation costs the same as for an outdoor cat. Only the traffic risk is lower.
- „Some German policies pay towards euthanasia and cremation." ✔ True: a number of policies include a fixed amount for putting an animal to sleep and sometimes for cremation. It is an extra, not standard. Ask for it if it matters to you.
- „Pet health insurance is compulsory for dogs in Germany." ✘ False: no German state requires health insurance for pets. What some states do require is liability insurance for dogs. Vet costs are your own risk unless you insure them.

## Common mistakes

- Waiting until your pet is already ill
- Choosing a policy that pays only up to twice the GOT rate
- Overlooking the cancellation clause after a claim
- Arriving without your pet's veterinary records from abroad
- Ignoring how premiums develop as the animal ages

## FAQ

### What is the difference between surgery cover and full cover?

Surgery cover pays only for operations with pre- and aftercare. Full cover also pays outpatient treatment and medication, often preventive care too, and costs more.

### What does an emergency vet visit cost in Germany?

Under the GOT, emergency treatment is billed at between two and four times the base rate, plus a 50 euro emergency fee and VAT. Insurance pays only up to the multiple stated in your policy.

### Will my insurance from home still cover my pet in Germany?

Usually not once you live here. Check the terms of your old policy. German insurers will treat conditions already diagnosed as pre-existing, so take out a German policy early.

### Can I insure an older cat?

Often yes, but many insurers have a maximum entry age and exclude known conditions. The older the animal, the less remains covered and the higher the premium.

### Can the insurer cancel after an expensive operation?

In many policies, yes, because both sides may cancel after a claim. Good policies waive the insurer's right. Look for this clause before signing.

### Is neutering covered?

Neutering without a medical reason is usually not covered. If it is medically necessary, surgery cover normally pays.

### Is there a waiting period?

Usually yes, a few weeks to a few months for illness and surgery. Accidents are often covered from the first day.

### Who pays if another dog injures mine?

The other owner's pet liability insurance. Under German law, treatment costs for an animal may exceed its market value. Your own pet insurance may pay first and recover the money.

### Why use a broker?

The real differences are in a few clauses: fee multiple, cancellation after a claim, breed-specific conditions. We compare them for you in English; the insurer pays our fee.

## 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 and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-pet-health-insurance.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.