I’m sure you’ve heard this joke before, “Germans have insurance for everything.” While it is quite the statement, it is actually (often) true.
In case you’re interested in obtaining a list of different insurances while in Germany, this list will either make you giggle or intrigue you to consider some new insurances while you’re living here.
And of course, a few of these are mandatory and a few of them are also ones you should actually seriously consider.
Health Insurance (Krankenversicherung)
Health insurance ensures that whatever illness you might get, you’ll receive coverage for medical bills and hospital visits. Every resident in Germany (foreign or not) is required by law to have health insurance. Some people, depending on their line of work, will have the choice between public or private insurance (you can check out your options on our blog post comparing the two options).
Want to figure out which option is best for you? Try using Feather’s comparison tool (it’s in English). Also, using free broker services such as KLforExpats can simplify this process for you (in English and entirely for free).
If you choose private, you can use a comparison website to compare different private health insurance providers. If you choose public, there are a few popular public health insurance providers for expats that you’re likely to consider: TK Die Techniker, Barmer, and AOK.
The best way to compare your public insurance options is via Feather’s comparison tool. If you are a freelancer, TK Die Techniker is often the better choice (from personal experience).
The best way to compare your private insurance options is to contact a free broker service such as KLforExpats.
TIP ALERT: If you’re new to Germany, taking a language course, or while finding a job, you also have the option of purchasing expat health insurance, which is a much cheaper option than private and public healthcare. If you have the opportunity and are not yet in the public or private healthcare system, you should take advantage of the expat health insurance while you can (as long as you have no pre-existing medical conditions that need tending to).
Contents Insurance (Hausratversicherung)
Contents insurance covers your personal belongings that are within your home against insured risks. Household contents can include your electronics, furniture, clothes, etc. If they’re stolen, damaged by a fire, leaking water, or storms, this is all covered within your contents insurance.
This insurance is extremely recommended and more than 76% of the German population has this so-called “Hausratversicherung”. It’s cheap and easy to sign up for, and there are also English insurance providers like GetSafe and Feather.
🥳 Also, for a limited time, GetSafe is offering all Life in Düsseldorf readers a 15 Euros bonus towards their content and/or liability insurance using this code: LIFEINGERMANY15
Disability Insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung
Disability insurance allows you to still receive an income in the event of a disability. This is not mandatory insurance (it is also not often included in your health insurance plans), so you can choose to add this insurance onto your plan as ‘supplemental insurance’.
Use an insurance comparison website to find the best deal for the best price and/or go directly to an English provider.
Car Insurance (Autoversicherung)
Car insurance allows you and your vehicle to be protected in the event of an injury or car accident. Before you even register your car in Germany, you are required to provide proof of third-party liability coverage. There are some different packages you can choose from when purchasing car insurance. To compare car insurance prices, I would recommend using a Vergleichsportal (aka. comparison site) and searching for the “Kfz” category when you get there (that means car insurance).
Life Insurance (Lebensversicherung)
Life insurance ensures that in the event of death, an insurance company will pay the appropriate sum of money to the pre-selected beneficiary. There are many different places where you can buy life insurance, including several banks as well. I would always suggest comparing your options first to ensure that you get the best value for the best price. If you’re looking for a provider in English, I would head straight to Feather Insurance.
Homeowners Insurance (Hausbesitzer Versicherung and Hausratversicherung)
Homeowners’ insurance is to ensure your home and the contents in the home are covered in the event of a fire or other possible ways of damage. A good thing to note here is that landlords are responsible for insurance covering water and fire damage (not the tenants).
Personal Liability Insurance (Persönliche Haftpflichtversicherung)
Personal liability insurance is a popular insurance to have in Germany. This insurance will cover you in the event of accidental damage to a third party and/or their property (and again, there are providers in English like GetSafe and Feather too which is great). That means that if you break or damage someone else’s things, your personal liability insurance will cover this (like spilling your soda on someone’s laptop). You can compare your options for personal liability insurance as well.
Renter’s Liability Insurance (Mieterhaftpflichtversicherung)
Renter’s liability insurance will cover you for any damages in your rental apartment. This can include water damage, wall damage, and basic repairs. So, if you’re a tenant, you may not need homeowners insurance, but renter’s liability insurance is always a good thing to have.
Legal Insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung)
Ensuring you in the event of legal action. This one is actually highly recommended for international residents as you may encounter problems while you’re here (more specifically with your landlord). The types of fees that legal insurance may cover include hiring an attorney, court fees, cost of witnesses, etc. You can compare your options and/or go directly to an English provider like GetSafe or Feather. For a full guide on legal insurance, head here.
Work/Unemployment Insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung)
Unemployment insurance will cover you in the event of being laid off, fired, or when unexpected problems happen in the workforce. This type of insurance is actually mandatory for everyone who is hired as an employee in Germany. Typically, this insurance will cost you around 3% of your gross monthly income. Your employer will often pay half of the expenses.
Travel Insurance (Reiseversicherung)
Travel insurance is for when you miss a flight or run into health troubles abroad. This one is always a great idea and is quite standard around the world. I wouldn’t recommend you go anywhere without travel insurance unless you are 100% sure that your health insurance back home will cover you in case of illness abroad. You might also be able to add travel insurance to your health insurance plan here in Germany, ask first as they can often be much more affordable!
For other more particular cases, there is also pet insurance (in case your animal gets into a brawl and needs someone to bail them out – I can personally recommend GetSafe Dog Insurance if you’re bringing a pup to Germany) and bike insurance (this is actually very practical in cities like Dusseldorf where people’s bikes get stolen every day).
Better safe than sorry, right?
There are some insurances that you should purchase immediately including some of the most important: car insurance, health insurance, homeowners insurance, disability insurance, and life insurance.
