3 Best Liability Insurance for Students in Germany [2023]
Liability insurance or Haftpflichtversicherung is necessary for everyone in Germany, especially for international students. In the end, you don’t want to pay from your pocket when bad things happen.
Getsafe and Feather offer the best liability insurance for students in Germany. They are two great choices for non-German speakers since both have full service in English and policies cost only between 2 EUR and 4,99 EUR per month respectively.
Liability insurance is one of the most important insurances you should have in Germany. It will protect you from various unlucky situations. For example, you have a crush on your bike, or your student apartment is on fire. Liability insurance will cover costs if you damage the third party or items of others during your stay in Germany.
Best liability insurance for international students in Germany
1. Feather
Feather‘s liability insurance costs only 4,99 EUR per month which is average for most liability insurance covers. It’s third-party liability insurance that covers all damages you make to other people and their properties/belongings.
Feather is an English-speaking company that will assist you with any questions and ensure you are properly insured. Germany liability insurance states family members be insured separately in a third party liability insurance.
Their liability insurance policies cover up to 30 million EUR in damage costs. Feather takes care of property damages, personal injuries, and car insurance. Additionally, this liability insurance will reimburse your lost keys (including your work keys).
Feather’s liability insurance is among the top liability insurance in Germany but is more on the expensive side.
Sign up here.
2. Getsafe
Getsafe is a German digital insurance provider company based in Germany and the UK. They have been around since 2015. With Getsafe you can manage all your liability insurance in Germany (personal liability insurance covers), file claims, or change the coverage just in one app.
Getsafe is a 100% digital, English-speaking provider with the highest customer reviews among other insurance apps. Read them here. Besides personal liability, they offer a wide range of liability insurance policies, from car insurance to pets. Getsafe liability insurance cover starts at 2,94 EUR a month.
Submitting a claim and getting paid is just as easy and efficient with an app.
Getsafe Insurance Highlights to consider:
- Policy from 2,94 EUR/mo
- English-speaking app and service
- Coverage up to 50 million EUR
- Cancel anytime
- Extreme hobbies are covered, e.g., skiing, surfing, sailing
- Key loss is covered
- Pets are covered too (except dogs)
- Worldwide coverage
- Rate 4,9
Sign up here.
3. Lemonade
The 3rd Best Liability Insurance in Germany is Lemonade.
You can see our review for Lemonade here.
Notes about liability insurance in Germany
Most companies will require you to pay a small contribution if an accident happens (deductible), usually 100 – 150 EUR. This way, you can significantly reduce your yearly payments.
However, a self-contribution isn’t mandatory, and you can decline it with all providers and insurance brokers that are mentioned above.
Read more about the cost of liability insurance in this article.
What is Personal Liability Insurance?
Private liability insurance is one of the most important insurance policies in Germany. Why? Even a small moment of carelessness can cause you significant damage.
This can be property damage, but also loss of assets or personal injury. For example, if your action harms one or even several people, the claim for damages can go into the millions.
According to civil law in Germany, everyone is held liable for all damages they cause. This means that you are liable for damages and will be financially responsible if something happens: thus, the need for private liability insurance in Germany.
Liability insurance can save you from financial responsibilities and a large amount of stress.
In case of damages, you are liable for all your assets (assets, salary, house, etc.). If you don’t have anything valuable, the burden will be passed to your parents. Neither amount nor duration of payments is limited. In the worst case, you will have to pay for a lifetime.
Luckily, liability insurance doesn’t cost a significant amount of money, so you can easily afford it and be on the safe side. In order to protect yourself and your family against this risk in everyday life, there is a personal liability.
Examples of when private liability insurance can be applied:
You accidentally spilled a cup of coffee over your fellow student’s new Laptop; therefore, you need to buy a new laptop or repair the old one. The insurance company will compensate you for all costs beforehand.
This insurance will protect you in case of unexpected events. It pays for damage you do to other things due to the accident, for example, a mobile phone of your friend, someone’s car/bike, and simply your house.
Do students need liability insurance in Germany?
Liability insurance isn’t mandatory in Germany, except for vehicles and dogs in some cases. But if you want to free yourself from paying large amounts of money if an accident happens, you must seriously consider getting liability insurance in Germany.
In fact, most people in Germany do have this insurance (more than 85% of the population). The answer is that liability insurance is worthwhile for everyone in Germany and in any other country. You can take it out in minutes online.
One unexpected event can become an enormous financial burden, especially for students who usually have a low budget. Without liability insurance, you are legally obliged to pay for any damage incurred – depending on the type of damage. In the end, this can lead to financial ruin.
Also important, if you are going to study abroad, whether it’s an entire program or just a semester, you better have extra liability insurance for this country so you don’t end up in debt there. It can be quite risky to live in another country without liability insurance. Although some people might do so, I will always recommend having one.
It can be quite risky to live in another country without liability insurance. Although some people might do so, I will always recommend having one.
What does liability insurance compensate?
Liability insurance is third-party insurance that covers you when you cause damage to other people or objects.
For example, you accidentally run into a biker while crossing the road where you are not allowed to, and the biker gets injured in the process. In this case, your insurance provider will take care of the treatment costs of the damaged person.
The current legal basis in Germany does not specify what upper limit your personal liability insurance will cover damages you did. The cost of your personal liability insurance will determine the possible coverage you’re going to get.
You never know what is going to happen tomorrow. It’s essential to pay attention to what your personal liability insurance covers. Ultimately you want to pick the best coverage instead of the cheapest one.
Apart from damages that you can claim, personal liability insurance must reimburse the defence against unjustified claims of third parties. If another person demands compensation from you, even though you didn’t do anything wrong, the insurance company will take overall costs related to your defence.
Are you an international student in Germany and looking for a cheap health insurance? We have picked the best & most affordable options in this article.
Must have for any liability insurance
High coverage amount
The covered amount is the sum that will be paid to others for damages made by you. You have to pay money yourself only when this coverage is spent completely. Hence, the higher the amount, the lower the possibility of reimbursing expenses from the personal budget.
Compensation inability (Forderungsausfalldeckung)
Also, make sure that your insurance covers the situation of Forderungsausfalldeckung – the bankruptcy of the guilty party.
Thus, your insurance provider will reimburse expenses when someone has caused you harm and isn’t able to pay it. It can be a lack of finances, absence of liability insurance, or because they have to go into private bankruptcy.
Yes, there is a high German population with extremely low incomes who can’t afford private liability insurance.
Most liability insurances cover the following damages:
- Personal injury/personal damage
For example, you ride a bicycle on the sidewalk and crash into a pedestrian while turning. As a result, he got injured, and his arm had to be operated on. It costs 6,500 EUR. Your insurance company will pay for this.
- Property damage/damage to objects
It includes all harm to objects caused by the insurance holder. For example, the coffee spilled over the laptop (rented or borrowed items are excluded), and many other property damages. It includes issues that happened with rented rooms, apartments, houses, and amenities.
Some insurances even cover short-term rental properties like hotels, Airbnb, hostels, etc.
- Financial damage
If your action results in financial damage to others, it will be determined as financial damage. For example, a bicycle accident that you caused. The affected person has injured himself and must immediately go to a hospital.
Thus, he can’t work today and maybe some days after, so your liability insurance compensates for the money he loses due to the accident.
Exceptions
Some insurances might cover damage to rental property, damage due to data exchange and internet use, and loss of keys, as well as your stay abroad.
Even attorneys and court costs can be covered by liability insurance. Make sure you carefully read all services and terms before signing up for the particular insurance.
The following damages won’t be covered by third-party liability insurance:
- Damage to rented, leased, or borrowed items
- Damages related to your job, workplace, volunteer work, or company
- Damage caused intentionally
- Damage caused while helping a friend
- Damage that you suffer
- Damage caused by the use of power, air, or water vehicle
- Your fines and penalties
- Physical or material damage caused by others
Costs of liability insurance in Germany
Don’t worry; even the best liability insurance in Germany fits into the student’s budget. This personal liability insurance coverage is comparatively cheap, despite it being the second most important insurance after health insurance. It will cost you significantly less than health insurance.
Here is the best price & value health insurance for students in Germany. The contributions for personal liability insurance are already very low, and most insurers also offer cheaper rates, especially for students.
You will be paying on average between 2 EUR to 3 EUR per month, and payment usually happens annually. However, don’t choose the cheapest liability insurance in Germany because they often involve self-contribution or low coverage.
The cost of purchasing liability insurance in Germany depends on several factors. The extent of coverage (Deckungssumme), the amount of your deductible (Selbstbehalt), and additional services you want to be included (Leistungseinschlüsse).
Each insurance provider sets its own rates. Above, we described one of the cheapest policies, and the deductible can push the price even lower.
Read more about the cost of liability insurance in this article.
How Much Does Liability Insurance Cost in Germany: Overview
Liability insurance for your semester abroad
If you plan to study among the German population, you will need to be covered or insured for your stay abroad.
Moreover, liability insurance is even mandatory for the Erasmus exchange, as well as for internships abroad to avoid being held liable in case of accidental damages. Your current provider for private liability insurance must pay for all unexpected damages caused during these programs.
One of the biggest private liability insurance in Germany for international students, DR.WALTER, has the solution for you – Protrip World liability insurance. This single-person insurance cover is made especially for exchange students, trainees, Erasmus, and language students.
It’s valid worldwide and provides high insurance compensation and full protection amongst German households. So you don’t have to worry while studying abroad and exploring a new country. However, you need separate insurance once you cease being a student and can cancel anytime.
Moreover, it costs only 5 EUR per month; you can sign up online and receive insurance coverage immediately via email. Protrip World insurance covers up to 5 million EUR for each personal accident and property damage and 1 million EUR each for financial loss damage.
With Protrip World, your rented property is insured too. Whether you stay in a hotel, hostel, rental apartment, or student residence: all accidental damages which occur there are covered by this liability insurance in Germany.
Furthermore, all financial losses incurred on these rented buildings, living spaces, and other privately rented properties are insured for up to 1 million EUR.
What to do in case of damage?
If you have accidentally hit and caused unintentional harm to a person, you should act as soon as it happens, or else you’ll be held liable. Here are the steps to do:
- Document damage
It’s advisable to take pictures of the damaged objects. Also, damaged items should only be disposed of after the claim has been completed, as they may have to be presented to an expert as well.
All persons involved in the damage should exchange their addresses and numbers.
- Don’t make any decisions on your own
Don’t make any admissions of guilt, and don’t make any compensation payment without first talking to the insurance company! They will charge who is right and who is wrong.
Report damage to the insurance company: it’s best to report the damage immediately, but totally okay within a week – preferably by phone.
- Truthful explanation
In any case, you should fill out the insurance claim form truthfully. If you have taken photos, you can attach them.
- Forwarding claims to the insurance company
If you receive claims, reminders, or even lawsuits due to the damage, you should immediately forward them to the insurance company; they will take over everything for you.
