Accident insurance in Germany
Private accident insurance in Germany pays you a single agreed sum if an accident leaves you with permanent physical damage. It works around the clock, at home and abroad, and it exists to cover the hours your statutory insurance does not: evenings, weekends, sport, holidays, everything outside work and your commute.
Key takeaways
- Statutory accident insurance only covers work, work trips and your direct commute. Everything else is on you.
- Stiftung Warentest tested 120 policies in February 2026. Good adult cover started at around 100 euro a year, and eight policies earned the top grade.
- Your payout is the Gliedertaxe percentage for the injured body part multiplied by the sum you insured. Insurers use different tables.
- The disability claim deadline is short. Under standard terms the damage must show within 12 months and be claimed in writing within roughly 15 months.
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What the policy actually pays for
The core benefit is one payment for lasting damage. Not a refund of medical bills, not a monthly income. A sum you agreed in advance, released once a doctor confirms the impairment is permanent.
That distinction trips up a lot of newcomers. Your health insurance already pays the surgeon and the hospital. What it does not do is pay for the flat that suddenly needs a walk-in shower, or cover the months after statutory sick pay stops. Statutory sick pay (Krankengeld) runs for a maximum of 78 weeks for the same condition within three years, under section 48 SGB V. After that the gap is yours to fill.
Most policies bundle in a few extras: rescue and recovery costs, a daily allowance while you are in hospital, sometimes cosmetic surgery after a serious injury. These vary, and they are written into your policy terms rather than fixed by law.
Where your statutory cover stops
If you are employed in Germany, your employer already pays into the statutory scheme run by the Berufsgenossenschaften and the DGUV. It is real cover and it costs you nothing. It is also narrow: it applies to accidents at work, on work-related journeys and on your direct route to and from the office. The Federal Ministry of Labour sets out the same boundary in English.
| Question | Statutory (BG / DGUV) | Private accident |
|---|---|---|
| When does it apply? | Work, work trips, direct commute | Around the clock, worldwide |
| Who pays? | Your employer | You |
| What comes out? | Treatment, rehabilitation, ongoing benefits | An agreed lump sum |
| Covers the self-employed? | Only in specific trades or by voluntary membership | Yes, anyone can take it out |
Working for a German employer and want the statutory side explained properly? We cover it on the workplace accident insurance page.
What it costs
The most useful independent figures come from Stiftung Warentest, the German consumer testing foundation. In the test it published on 18 February 2026 it examined 120 policies and gave its top grade of “sehr gut” to eight of them. It weighted the capital benefit at 45 percent, the policy conditions at 45 percent and the application forms at 10 percent.
| Who is insured | Annual premium |
|---|---|
| Adult, good cover | from about 100 euro a year |
| Adult, top-rated cover | from 188 euro a year |
| Child, good cover | from about 50 euro a year |
| Child, top-rated cover | from 127 euro a year |
Source: Stiftung Warentest, Private Unfallversicherung im Test, published 18 February 2026.
Your own quote will sit somewhere around those numbers, not exactly on them. Insurers price on your occupation first, then your age, the sum insured and any progression you choose. A roofer and a software developer do not pay the same for identical cover. If price is the deciding factor, the cheaper end of the market is worth a look, and the side-by-side comparison page lines up the features.
How the payout is worked out
German accident policies use a scale called the Gliedertaxe. Each body part carries a percentage. Multiply that percentage by the sum you insured and you have the basic payout. Insure 100,000 euro and lose the use of a hand rated at 55 percent, and the basic calculation gives 55,000 euro.
| Body part | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Arm | 70% |
| Leg above the knee | 70% |
| Hand | 55% |
| Sight in one eye | 50% |
| Foot | 40% |
| Hearing in one ear | 30% |
| Thumb | 20% |
| Index finger | 10% |
These are example figures based on the scale recommended by the German Insurance Association (GDV). The recommendation is not binding. Insurers set their own tables and a good policy often pays above it, so compare the Gliedertaxe in the actual contract rather than assuming the numbers above apply to you.
Progression, and why the number on the offer matters
You will see policies advertised with 225 percent, 350 percent or 500 percent progression. It means the payout rises faster than the disability percentage once the damage gets serious. Small impairments pay the ordinary rate. Severe ones pay a multiple.
The catch is that the curve behind that headline number is not standardised. Two insurers can both advertise 350 percent and pay different amounts for the same 50 percent disability, because they step the increase differently. Ask for the progression table, not just the number.
A higher progression costs more, so treat it as a trade-off, not a free upgrade. Severe disability is the scenario that actually ruins a household budget, which is the argument for buying it. A low insured sum with high progression is usually worse value than a solid sum with moderate progression.
What is usually not covered
Every policy carries exclusions, and they differ more than the marketing suggests. The ones that come up most often:
- Accidents caused by alcohol or drugs, where the policy argues your awareness was impaired. Where exactly that line sits depends on the wording and on case law, so read the clause.
- Damage caused by an illness or a seizure, where no external event was involved.
- Higher-risk sport. Motorsport, competitive martial arts and some climbing usually need an add-on or are excluded outright.
- Anything you did not declare. Leaving a regular hobby off the application is the fastest way to lose a claim later.
The consumer advice centres publish an independent view on when this product is worth buying and when it is not: Verbraucherzentrale on private Unfallversicherung.
One specific case worth knowing: cycling accidents are covered by a standard policy, but the rules around e-bikes and pedelecs are their own topic. We go through it on the bicycle accident insurance page.
Making a claim, and the deadline people miss
Under the policy terms most German insurers use, the lasting damage has to appear within 12 months of the accident, and it has to be confirmed by a doctor and claimed in writing within roughly 15 months. Miss that window and the claim can fail even when the injury is real and documented. Deadlines are not identical across policies, so check yours the day you sign.
- 1
Report the accident
Tell your insurer as soon as you can. Note the date, the time, where it happened and what you were doing. Keep the confirmation.
- 2
Collect the medical paperwork
Doctor letters, hospital discharge notes, imaging. Anything that shows what the injury is and how it developed.
- 3
Get the lasting damage confirmed
A doctor has to put in writing that the impairment is permanent. This is the step people skip, and it is the one the insurer needs.
- 4
File the disability claim in writing
Do this well inside the deadline in your policy, which is usually around 15 months from the accident.
- 5
Assessment and decision
The insurer works out the disability percentage against the Gliedertaxe in your contract and pays on that basis.
- 6
If you disagree
You can ask for a second medical assessment, or take the case to the Versicherungsombudsmann free of charge.
If your premium goes up, you get a separate right to cancel within one month of being told, regardless of the normal notice period. That right comes from section 40 VVG, the German insurance contract act.
Waiting on a decision and short of money in the meantime is a common situation. Comparing a small loan in Germany is one way to bridge it, though it is worth exhausting the insurer's advance payment options first.
Getting cover as a foreigner in Germany
Nothing in German law limits private accident insurance to German citizens. The obstacles that do come up are set by individual insurers, not by the state.
In practice most will ask for a German address, a SEPA bank account and, if you are from outside the EU, a valid residence permit. Some handle the whole application in English; others will send you a German PDF and expect you to sign it. Ask before you start filling anything in, because switching provider halfway is more annoying than checking first.
There is also a German-language version of this page at Unfallversicherung sofort online if you would rather read it in German.
Accident insurance or disability insurance?
These two get confused constantly, and they do different jobs. Occupational disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung, usually shortened to BU) pays a monthly income if you can no longer do your job, whatever the cause. Illness, burnout and back problems all count, and those are the causes behind most claims.
Private accident insurance only responds to accidents, and it pays once instead of monthly. It is cheaper and the health questions are lighter, which matters if a pre-existing condition makes BU expensive or unavailable.
If you can only have one and you work for a living, BU is normally the one that protects your income. Accident cover is the sensible addition, not the substitute. You can compare BU policies here and see how the two prices sit next to each other.
Questions people actually ask
What does private accident insurance cover in Germany?
It pays a one-off sum if an accident leaves you with lasting physical damage. The money is yours to use for anything: rebuilding a bathroom, paying rent while you recover, or covering the gap after sick pay runs out. It is not health insurance and it does not pay your hospital bill. Most policies also include rescue costs and a daily hospital allowance, but the exact list is set by your policy terms (AVB).
How much does accident insurance cost in Germany?
Stiftung Warentest looked at 120 policies in its test published on 18 February 2026. Good cover for an adult starts at around 100 euro a year, and one of the eight policies it rated 'sehr gut' was available from 188 euro a year. Cover for children starts at roughly 50 euro a year, with top-rated child policies from 127 euro. Your own price depends on your job, your age and the sum you insure.
Is accident insurance mandatory in Germany?
No. Private accident insurance is voluntary. If you are employed, your employer already pays into the statutory scheme run by the Berufsgenossenschaften, but that scheme only steps in for accidents at work, on work trips and on your direct commute. Anything that happens on a Saturday afternoon sits outside it.
What is the difference between statutory and private accident insurance?
Statutory accident insurance (gesetzliche Unfallversicherung) is tied to your job. It covers work, work-related travel and the direct commute, and it pays ongoing benefits administered by the Berufsgenossenschaft. Private accident insurance is tied to you, not your employer, and it applies around the clock. It normally pays a single lump sum rather than a pension.
How are payouts calculated?
Through the Gliedertaxe, a scale that puts a percentage on each body part. That percentage is multiplied by the sum you insured. With 100,000 euro insured and a hand rated at 55 percent, the basic calculation gives 55,000 euro. The GDV publishes a recommended scale, but insurers are free to use their own, and many pay above the recommendation. Check the table in your own policy before you compare prices.
What is progression in accident insurance?
Progression raises the payout for severe disability without raising the base sum. A policy sold with 225 or 350 percent progression pays the ordinary rate for small percentages and a steeply higher rate at the top end. The curve is not standardised, so two policies with the same headline progression number can pay different amounts for the same injury.
Can foreigners get accident insurance in Germany?
Yes. Nationality is not a barrier, and there is no rule that limits private accident cover to German citizens. What varies is what each insurer asks for: most want a German address, a SEPA bank account and, for non-EU applicants, a valid residence permit. Some accept applications in English. Ask the provider before you fill in the form.
How long do I have to make a disability claim?
Shorter than most people expect. Under the usual policy terms the lasting damage has to appear within 12 months of the accident, and it has to be confirmed by a doctor and claimed in writing within about 15 months. Deadlines differ between policies, so read the AVB when you sign, not when something happens.
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Sources
- Stiftung Warentest, Private Unfallversicherung im Test, 18 February 2026: premiums and test results.
- DGUV, the umbrella body for the statutory accident insurance scheme.
- Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, English overview of statutory accident insurance.
- GDV, the insurance association that publishes the recommended Gliedertaxe.
- Verbraucherzentrale, independent consumer guidance on private accident insurance.
- Section 40 VVG and section 48 SGB V, for the cancellation right and the sick pay limit.
This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. What your own policy covers and excludes is set by its terms and conditions. For a decision about your own situation, speak to a licensed adviser, and for tax questions to a Steuerberater.