Important additional insurances in Germany 2026

Which insurances are compulsory by law in Germany

Before choosing among the seven described above, it helps to separate two categories. There are three core types of compulsory insurance, plus one group that is compulsory for certain professions. In addition, several federal states require dog owners to hold Hundehaftpflicht (dog owner’s liability insurance); in Lower Saxony this applies to every dog over six months old. You cannot get a hunting licence without Jagdhaftpflicht (hunting liability insurance), and employees are automatically covered by statutory social insurance. Everything else — including Privathaftpflicht, which is often called “compulsory” here — is legally voluntary.

1. Health insurance. § 193 Abs. 3 VVG (Insurance Contract Act) requires everyone with a place of residence in Germany to hold cover for outpatient and inpatient medical costs. The duty is tied to residence, not to citizenship and not to having a job. The excess under such a contract is capped at €5,000 per calendar year per person. How the Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer) works and what it costs is explained on the page statutory health insurance in Germany.

There is a sanction for a gap in cover, but it is not a fine. In private insurance a surcharge applies under § 193 Abs. 4 VVG: one monthly premium for every started month without cover, and from the sixth month one sixth of a premium for each further month. If the length of the gap cannot be established, the law assumes five years. With a Krankenkasse, the gap is closed by charging contributions retroactively, but § 256a SGB V (Social Code Book V) obliges the Kasse to reduce them to a concessionary rate and to waive late-payment surcharges in full. German law provides no administrative fine for having no health insurance.

2. Long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung). You do not buy it separately: under § 1 Abs. 2 SGB XI (Social Code Book XI) everyone insured with a Krankenkasse is included in the social Pflegeversicherung automatically, by operation of law. Those with private cover, however, must take out a private policy themselves — usually with the same insurer (§ 23 Abs. 1 SGB XI).

The 2026 rate is 3,6 %. There is a subtlety here that even specialist sites get wrong: § 55 Abs. 1 SGB XI still says 3.4 %, while the rate actually in force is set by a separate ordinance (PBAV 2025) and has been 3.6 % since 1 January 2025. Childless members aged 23 and over pay 0.6 points more, i.e. 4.2 %. For each child from the second to the fifth the rate falls by 0.25 points, until that child turns 25.

Saxony is a special case. The overall rate is the same, but under § 58 Abs. 3 SGB XI the employee pays one percentage point more than the employer: 2,3 % versus 1,3 % (not counting the surcharge for childless members). The reason is that Saxony is the only Land (federal state) that kept Buß- und Bettag (Day of Repentance and Prayer) as a public holiday. What Pflegeversicherung covers and how a Pflegegrad (care grade) is awarded is explained on the page long-term care insurance.

3. Motor third-party liability — but only if you own a vehicle. § 1 PflVG (Compulsory Insurance Act) requires the keeper of a vehicle regularly based in Germany to take out and maintain liability cover. The provision was rewritten by the law of 11 April 2024. The sanction for driving without it is not administrative: § 30 PflVG provides for up to one year’s imprisonment or a fine, and for negligence up to six months or 180 daily rates, while the vehicle itself may be confiscated.

4. Professional indemnity — compulsory not for everyone but for specific professions, with minimum sums set by law:

One detail worth knowing when choosing a broker: the figures in the text of § 12 VersVermV (Insurance Mediation Ordinance) are out of date. It still states €1,276,000 and €1,919,000, whereas since 9 October 2024 the higher amounts from EU Regulation 2024/896 actually apply. Asking your broker for proof of a current policy is normal practice.

Not compulsory, but needed by almost everyone

Here it is more useful to show not one opinion but where the independent consumer organisations agree and where they disagree.

Everyone agrees on:

• Privathaftpflicht — Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg calls it one of the most important insurances there is, Stiftung Warentest counts it among the indispensable ones. Nobody disagrees.
• Berufsunfähigkeit — for everyone who lives on earned income.
• Wohngebäude (buildings insurance) together with natural-hazard cover — for property owners.
• Travel health insurance — if you travel abroad.

They disagree on:

• Hausratversicherung. The Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband puts it among the indispensable ones, Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg says it depends on the situation, and Stiftung Warentest rates it important but not top three.
• Rechtsschutzversicherung. A direct contradiction: Stiftung Warentest considers it necessary, while Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg writes plainly that it is “kein Muss” (not a must) and puts it on the not-recommended list.
• Unfallversicherung. The Verbraucherzentrale itself plays down its importance: most cases of lost earning capacity are caused by illness rather than accident, so occupational disability cover addresses the risk far more broadly.

The practical conclusion: if the budget is tight, the order of purchase is set not by promotional lists but by which loss you could not cover yourself. We review the policies most often sold unnecessarily in a separate article: useless insurance policies in Germany.

Where to start after moving: the order of priority

The first weeks. Health insurance — compulsory from the first day of residence, and without it neither visa nor everyday matters can be settled. Pflegeversicherung is attached to it automatically and needs no separate step. If you have a car, motor liability cover comes before registration — without it the car will not be registered.

The first month. Privathaftpflicht. It is not legally required, costs €20 to €50 a year, and covers the one risk that can cost you everything: harm accidentally caused to another person. It is the sensible starting point for all voluntary cover.

The first six months. Berufsunfähigkeit, if you live on a salary or income from your own business. The earlier you take it, the cheaper it is and the fewer health questions arise. Hausrat — if the contents of your flat are worth a noticeable amount.

The first year and beyond. Rechtsschutz, Unfall, Zahnzusatz, Risikoleben — according to your situation, not “just in case”. Each of the seven policies is examined above; if you are unsure which of them is yours, look at which loss your savings would not cover.

What it costs per year

The figures below are reference points from public surveys, not offers. The exact premium depends on age, family composition, place of residence, occupation and the cover chosen.

Two caveats on the figures. The Rechtsschutz range comes from a survey three years old — there is no newer public one, and the market has become more expensive since. And for Hausrat the spread between insurers for one and the same contract reached a factor of two, so comparing pays off here more than in other lines.