# Personal accident insurance in Germany: the cover your employer's scheme does not give you > If you work in Germany, you are covered by statutory accident insurance at work and on your commute, but not at home, on holiday or while doing sport. German private accident insurance pays a lump sum for permanent physical impairment after an accident. It is common here and often misunderstood by newcomers. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php Updated: 2026-09-18 ## Do I need private accident insurance if I already have health insurance in Germany? Health insurance pays for treatment, not for the lasting consequences of an injury. After a leisure accident, nobody in the German system pays you a lump sum for a stiff knee, a rebuilt bathroom or lost earnings. Private accident insurance does exactly that. It is most useful for children, the self-employed and people who cannot get income protection. If you can get occupational disability insurance, buy that first, because illness causes far more lost careers than accidents. ## At a glance - **Mandatory?:** No - **Statutory cover:** work, commute, nursery, school and university only - **Main benefit:** lump sum: base sum multiplied by degree of impairment - **Deadlines:** standard terms: 15 months to have impairment certified and claimed - **Cancellation:** annually with three months' notice, or after a claim ## What the Berufsgenossenschaft covers, and what it does not As an employee in Germany you are automatically insured by your employer's Berufsgenossenschaft, the statutory accident insurer for your industry. It pays for accidents at work and on the direct route between home and work. Your employer pays the contribution, which is why you never see it on your payslip. Outside that, you are on your own. A cycling fall on a Sunday, a skiing accident in Austria or a slip on the stairs at home are not covered. Even for work accidents, a statutory injury pension is only paid if your earning capacity is reduced by at least 20 percent beyond the 26th week after the accident. Freelancers are not covered at all unless they join their Berufsgenossenschaft voluntarily. ## How a German accident policy calculates what it pays German policies do not work like UK or US accidental death and dismemberment cover with a fixed sum per injury. They use a table called the Gliedertaxe, which assigns a percentage to each body part. Losing the full use of a hand might be 55 or 70 percent, depending on the insurer. That percentage is multiplied by your base sum (Grundsumme). Many contracts add progression: above a certain degree of impairment, the payout rises faster than the percentage. A policy with 350 percent progression pays three and a half times the base sum for total impairment. Sales brochures like to quote that maximum. For comparison, the base sum and the Gliedertaxe matter much more. If a pre-existing condition or wear and tear contributed to the injury, the insurer reduces the payout. Standard terms do so from a 25 percent contribution, better policies only from 50 percent or more. This clause decides many claims involving knees, shoulders and the spine. ## Deadlines that catch newcomers out The model terms published by the German Insurance Association (AUB 2014 and 2020) require the permanent impairment to arise within 15 months of the accident, to be certified in writing by a doctor and to be claimed from the insurer within that time. Miss the deadline and the claim is lost, even if the injury is obvious. If you are treated abroad, keep every medical report and have them translated early. A German insurer will need a doctor's statement that a lasting impairment is likely. Good policies extend the deadlines considerably, which is worth more than most optional extras. ## What is covered - Accidents during leisure, sport, housework and travel, worldwide and around the clock - Lump sum for permanent impairment according to the Gliedertaxe - Progression for severe cases, if agreed - Monthly accident pension from a set degree of impairment, if agreed - Search, rescue and helicopter recovery costs - Cosmetic surgery after an accident - Death benefit for dependants, if agreed - Depending on the policy: tick-borne diseases, poisoning of children, strains from extra physical effort ## What is not covered - Illness, including heart attack and stroke - Damage caused mainly by wear and tear - Accidents under the influence of alcohol or drugs above the policy's limits - Accidents while committing a deliberate crime - Psychological reactions without physical injury, except in top-tier policies - Motor racing and extreme sports unless specifically included ## Who needs it - Children, who have no statutory cover outside nursery and school - Freelancers and company founders without a voluntary Berufsgenossenschaft membership - Anyone who cannot get or afford occupational disability insurance - Active people who cycle, ski, climb or dive - Retirees who would need practical help at home after a fall ## Who can do without - Employees who already hold good occupational disability insurance and have savings to cover adapting a home ## What it costs Premiums in Germany depend mainly on the base sum and your occupational risk class. Office workers and children pay least, manual trades and older people more. **What drives the premium:** - Base sum and progression - Occupational risk class, usually A for office work and B for manual work - Age, particularly after 60 or 65 - Extras such as accident pension, death benefit, hospital daily allowance - Minimum degree of impairment before anything is paid - Contract term and payment frequency _We do not quote a premium range, because prices vary too much with the base sum and occupation. Your premium is only fixed in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Basic:** Model Gliedertaxe, moderate progression, standard 15-month deadlines, reduction from 25 percent pre-existing contribution. Covers severe accidents, leaves gaps for wear-related injuries. - **Comfort:** Improved Gliedertaxe, longer deadlines, reduction only from 40 or 50 percent, wider definition of accident, tick bites included. A sensible choice for most adults. - **Premium:** Very generous Gliedertaxe, long deadlines, psychological consequences and own-movement injuries included, guaranteed future improvements of the terms. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Gliedertaxe | model values of the German Insurance Association | clearly higher percentages for hand, foot and eye | With the same base sum, this table decides how much money you actually receive. | | Deadlines for impairment | 15 months | 36 months to arise, 48 months to claim | Missed deadlines are the most common reason valid claims fail. | | Pre-existing conditions | reduction from 25 percent | reduction only from 60 to 100 percent | Most adults have some joint wear, and that is where reductions bite. | | Definition of accident | includes strains from extra effort on limbs | includes own movements without external impact | A torn ligament from twisting your knee is otherwise often not an accident. | | Loss of consciousness | excluded | included, even when caused by a stroke or heart attack | Falling after fainting would otherwise not be covered at all. | | Rescue costs | up to €5,000 | €25,000 or more | Mountain rescue by helicopter quickly costs five figures and is not fully paid by health insurance. | | Improvement guarantee | none | future better terms apply automatically | Your old contract then benefits from later improvements without a new health check. | ## Insurers on the German market Almost every German property and casualty insurer sells accident cover. The differences lie in the Gliedertaxe, deadlines and pre-existing condition clause, often between two product lines of the same company. This is a market overview, not a statement about which insurers we work with. - **Allianz**: German non-life company of the Allianz group, sold through agents and brokers - **AXA**: German arm of the French AXA group, agents and brokers - **ERGO**: owned by Munich Re, agents, brokers and direct sales - **R+V**: insurer of the German cooperative banks - **Gothaer**: group headed by a mutual, agents and brokers - **InterRisk**: part of the Austrian Vienna Insurance Group, sells through brokers - **Die Haftpflichtkasse**: mutual insurer, sells through brokers - **Ammerländer**: regional mutual from Lower Saxony, sells through brokers - **HUK-COBURG**: sells through its own network only, does not work with brokers 123 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Unfall, Summenversicherung). 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 - **Ski crash in Austria, helicopter lift** (helicopter rescue from the mountains: several thousand euros): Basic German policies pay rescue costs up to about €5,000, which a long mountain operation can exceed. Strong ones go to €25,000 or more. - **E-scooter fall on cobblestones** (wrist fracture with lasting stiffness: four- to five-figure payout): A fall caused by an uneven road is a classic accident. Unless you were commuting, the Berufsgenossenschaft pays nothing, so the private policy is the only lump sum. - **Tick bite in the Black Forest** (lasting joint or nerve damage: payout by degree of impairment): Infections are excluded in the model terms, and basic policies only add back tetanus and rabies. Strong policies include Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis. - **Dizzy spell, fall down the stairs** (spinal fracture with lasting damage: five to six figures): A fall caused by a blackout counts as loss of consciousness, excluded in basic cover. Strong policies pay even when a stroke or heart attack triggered the fall. - **Slipped disc lifting moving boxes** (surgery, rehab and possible lasting damage: four to five figures): Without an external event, basic cover sees no accident. Strong policies accept injuries from your own movement but still deduct for wear and tear. - **Heart attack on a bike ride** (hospital, rehab and lost income: easily five figures): A heart attack is an illness, and no accident policy covers illness. That gap is what occupational disability insurance is for. ## Myth or truth - „My German employer's insurance covers me around the clock." ✘ False. The Berufsgenossenschaft only pays for accidents at work and on the direct commute. A hiking fall on Saturday is covered by your health insurance for treatment, but nobody pays a lump sum for lasting damage. - „German accident insurance can pay out even if you never miss a day of work." ✔ True. It pays for lasting physical impairment, not for lost income. Someone who loses the full use of a finger gets money even if they keep working in the office as before. - „A tick bite in a German forest can be an insurance claim." ✔ True, if the policy includes infections from tick bites. Tick-borne encephalitis is concentrated in southern Germany, Lyme disease occurs across the country. Strong policies include both, basic ones often neither. - „You need a German passport to buy accident insurance here." ✘ False. Insurers want a residence in Germany and an account in the SEPA area for the premium. Nationality plays no role in the price or the cover. - „Accident insurance just pays the hospital bill." ✘ False. Treatment costs are your health insurer's job. An accident policy pays a lump sum for lasting impairment, plus agreed extras such as rescue costs or a daily hospital allowance. ## Common mistakes - Assuming the employer's statutory cover also applies at weekends - Buying accident insurance instead of occupational disability insurance - Comparing only the headline maximum with progression - Missing the 15-month deadline while being treated abroad - Not telling the insurer about a move from office work to manual work ## FAQ ### Does German accident insurance pay out if I have an accident in my home country? Yes. Private accident policies in Germany normally cover you worldwide. You will need medical reports the insurer can assess, so ask for detailed written findings and keep copies. Deadlines run regardless of where you were treated. ### Am I covered by my employer if I have an accident while working from home? Since 2021, German law extends statutory cover to activities at home that are directly part of your work, and to the route to your children's nursery when working from home. Making coffee in your kitchen or going to the shops is generally not covered. ### What is the Gliedertaxe? It is a fixed table in the policy that gives each body part a percentage for complete loss or loss of function, for example an arm, a hand, an eye or hearing. Partial loss gives a proportional share. It is the core of every German accident policy. ### Does accident insurance pay for a slipped disc? Usually not, or only in part. Insurers treat a slipped disc as caused mainly by wear unless an accident was the main cause. Strong policies include own-movement injuries and reduce payouts only when pre-existing damage clearly dominates. ### Is accident insurance the same as income protection? No. Accident insurance pays a lump sum based on physical impairment after an accident. The German equivalent of income protection is occupational disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung), which pays a monthly pension if you cannot work in your job, whatever the cause. ### Should I insure my children against accidents in Germany? It is one of the more useful policies for children. Statutory cover applies only at nursery, school and on the way there. Children cannot yet get disability insurance, and a lasting injury affects their whole working life. ### Can I keep my policy if I leave Germany? That depends on the insurer. Many policies continue if you move within the EU, some end when you give up your German residence. Check the terms before you move and tell your insurer about the new address. ### How much base sum should I choose? Work from what you would need at a medium impairment of 20 to 50 percent: adapting a home, a car, aids and several years of reduced income. The maximum with progression only matters in rare severe cases. ### Can the insurer cancel after I make a claim? Yes. After an insured event, both sides may cancel the contract. That is one reason to choose a good policy from the start rather than switching later with a claims history. ## Legal basis and sources - [Social Code Book VII (statutory accident insurance)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_7/) - [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-accident-insurance.php#anfrage --- 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.