Main types of insurance in Germany

The kind of insurance in Germany you will subscribe to might not be the first thing that comes to mind when planning to move here, but it is utmost important to plan ahead some coverage. Life is a bitch and you never know what it has in store for you so a good coverage makes sure you are not left penniless after something happens. Some may differ from what you know from back home so i made an overview types of insurances you can subscribe to in Germany.

List of possible insurance in Germany:

Krankenversicherung: Health insurance

Your health insurance in Germany. I have made a dedicated page to see here. You can be public or private insured and you might need to subscribe to a complementary insurance for costs like heavy dental surgery for example. It’s a fairly complex topic to grasp at the beginning but it gets clearer with time. It’s a highly suggested read.

Haftpflichtversicherung: Liability insurance

It can be translated to personal liability insurance. This is probably the only one in this list apart from health insurance that you should be sure to have. It’s so important actually that it is illegal in most EU countries not to have one! It covers you from all the little accidents that can happen every day to you as an individual. Why you should probably get one and how to pick the right coverage for your case; this is what you can learn in this dedicated post about liability insurance in Germany this way.

Hausratversicherung: Home contents insurance

That insurance will cover every item you own in your flat or house like your furniture or your TV set. It might come handy when you have finally gathered all those precious antiquities from the flea markets around Berlin. It covers your belongings in case of fire, water damages and theft happening at home. However, it only cover belongings/things/stuff. Insuring the actual walls, doors, windows or roof is something else: Gebäudeversicherung, something we cover later in this post.

If you want to know more about home contents insurance for Germany (sometimes known as house insurance), and how to pick a good policy, follow the link.

Zahnzusatzversicherung – Dental insurance

Dental care is one of the more costly aspect of health care. It is somewhat covered by your Krankenkasse but you may need an additional policy to get your money back in case heavy duty work is performed. Whether or not you really need it and a good overview is available via this post on dental insurance in Germany.

Glasversicherung:

Unfortunately, the Hausratversicherung doesn’t cover broken windows in your flat, this will do the trick. It might be useful if you live in a place with large windows. However some Hausrat do have protection against broken windows, for a slightly higher fee. Broken windows are one of the most common damages in a house and one of the most labour intensive too.

Kfz-Versicherung – Car insurance:

This is your car insurance in Germany that can be more or less extensive. I have made a more detailed guide about this on this page. It will help you decide which insurance is best for you and give you tips on how to get the best deal to save money. We also show you how to use your past driving record in your home country to get an even better price for your policy.

Rechtsschutzversicherung:

Literally “ law-protection-insurance”, this will cover you from any procedural fees you might have to pay when resolving a dispute in court. If you feel that conflicts with your landlords or neighbors might arise, it could be wise to subscribe to such insurances. There are policies covering personal risks or professional risks. You might also need protection in your professional life as well. Doctors have often that type of insurance in case their make a medical error and they have to face it in court. If interested, Preisvergleich.de can help you to find the best rates.

Risiko-Lebensversicherung:

Your life insurance in Germany. You never know what comes around the corner for you in life, do you? This will make sure that the people you love have enough resources while you are in heaven looking over them. You can pick policies that cover you for 15, 20, 25 or more years through your life. This is something people tend to subscribe to when they have children or get married.

Unfallversicherung:

Your accident insurance in Germany : this will make sure that you have enough financial means in case you become you become permanently handicapped after a grave accident. This is really relevant if your job is depending on your ability to move or use strength. It’s also something worth considering if you can’t do your job remotely or if you rely on the use of your hands for you job. Even developers can be at risk there, if they can’t use a computer anymore.

Wohngebäudeversicherung:

If you get far enough to buy your own flat, you will need that to cover the actual building where you live in. It covers walls, roofs and basement. This is also important if you rent your flat out. Your tenant’s insurance doesn’t cover the walls he is living in.

I can not stress enough how important is it to have some sort of coverage. Living on the edge can be fun until you must pay 5000€ to your neighbor because of water damages caused by a flimsy washing machine (true story, it happened to me).

Tip : If you want to have a look at prices and compare plans between insurance companies, i would suggest to have a look on the price comparison website Preisvergleich.de. They specialize in comparing prices.