Liability insurance is not legally required for students, but it is a voluntary policy that matters a great deal. If you cause someone else a loss through fault, you must compensate it under § 823 of the German Civil Code (BGB), with your own assets and, for large sums, over many years. As a student you are often still covered by your parents’ liability insurance, as long as you are unmarried and in your initial training. Check in writing whether this applies to you.
Key facts
- Private liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) is not a legal requirement. For students, health insurance is compulsory and, if you own a car, motor liability insurance.
- Children are usually covered free of charge under their parents’ policy, as long as they are unmarried and in a school education or a first vocational training that follows directly.
- Cover can end with a delayed master’s degree, a permanent job or a legal traineeship (Referendariat). Some insurers limit the cover to a certain age.
- With your own policy, loss of keys, damage to rented property, gratuitous damage and cover abroad matter more than the lowest premium.
- The premium depends on the tariff. Compare the benefits first, then the price.
Do you need liability insurance as a student?
Yes, as soon as no one else covers you anymore. Private liability insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung) is not legally required. Compulsory are health insurance and, for car owners, motor liability insurance. Private liability insurance protects you from claims for damages that would exceed your budget. Where it stands in relation to your other policies is shown in Insurance for students: an overview (in German).
Private liability insurance pays if you unintentionally cause damage to others, and it defends you against unjustified claims. It covers three types of damage:
- Personal injury: you bump into someone with your bicycle and they are hurt. The insurer covers medical treatment, pain and suffering damages (Schmerzensgeld) and any pension payments.
- Property damage: you spill coffee on a friend’s laptop. The insurer pays for the repair or the replacement value.
- Financial loss: your mistake causes someone a financial disadvantage without a person or object being directly damaged, for example a loss of earnings for another person.
As a rule, damage you suffer yourself and damage you cause intentionally are not covered. For a car you need motor liability insurance (Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung), and for dogs and horses usually a separate animal keeper’s liability insurance.
Are you covered by your parents’ liability insurance as a student?
Mostly yes. Children are generally covered free of charge under their parents’ liability insurance, as long as they are unmarried and in a school education or a first training that follows directly. This includes dual vocational training, full-time study and a dual degree programme. The specific conditions depend on the tariff, however.
| Your situation | Cover under your parents’ policy |
|---|---|
| Full-time study directly after school, unmarried | Generally yes |
| Master’s degree that follows the bachelor’s with a delay | Cover may end |
| Permanent job or legal traineeship (Referendariat) | Cover may end |
| Age limit in the tariff | Some insurers set an age limit in the tariff |
| Second degree or second training | Depends on the tariff terms, no general answer |
Example: Leon, 25, worked full-time for two years after his bachelor’s degree and now starts a master’s. Whether his parents’ policy still covers him depends on their terms. Leon asks the insurer in writing and, if necessary, takes out his own policy in good time. When you enter working life, you usually need your own cover at the latest, because a permanent job can end the cover under your parents’ policy. More on this in Starting working life after your degree (in German).
Is “family insured” in liability insurance the same as in health insurance?
No, the two sets of rules apply separately. In health insurance you are family insured up to age 23, or up to age 25 if you study, provided your total income is at most €565 a month. How long you are covered under your parents’ liability policy is determined solely by the terms of their tariff.
Does your parents’ liability insurance also cover a second degree?
The cover is aimed at the school education and the first training that directly follows. How a second degree is treated depends on the tariff terms; there is no general rule. Ask the insurer for the answer in writing. If the answer is negative or unclear, you need your own policy.
Does liability insurance cover damage to rented property and lost keys?
That depends on the tariff. Damage to rented property, lost keys and gratuitous damage are not always included, especially in cheaper tariffs. Check these three points explicitly before you sign.
| Situation | Type of damage | What to check in the tariff |
|---|---|---|
| Tap not turned off, water runs into the flat below | Property damage to third parties | Property damage generally included |
| Water damage or a burn mark in the rented flat | Damage to rented property | Scope and cap for damage to rented property |
| Loss of the front door key or the lecture hall key | Lost key | Third-party keys, cost of a locking system |
| Dropping a friend’s television while helping them move | Gratuitous damage | Expressly covered |
| Semester abroad | Damage abroad | Scope and duration of the cover |
Especially for damage to rented property, read the small print. Some tariffs limit the benefit or treat glass, doors and fixed fittings separately. Damage to borrowed items is restricted or excluded depending on the tariff.
What does liability insurance cost for students?
The premium depends on the provider, the sum insured (Deckungssumme), the excess (Selbstbeteiligung) and the modules included. A fixed figure would be misleading, because premiums differ considerably between tariffs. A price comparison only makes sense once you have compared the benefits. A low premium is of little use if lost keys or damage to rented property are not covered.
What should you look for in your own policy?
- Sum insured: it should be high enough, especially for personal injury, because that is where the highest claims arise.
- Excess (Selbstbeteiligung): it lowers the premium, but you bear part of a claim yourself. With a tight budget, a low or no excess is usually the calmer choice.
- Damage to rented property, lost keys, gratuitous damage: these should be named expressly.
- Cover abroad: check in which countries and for how long the cover applies.
- Exclusions: watch out for sports, volunteer work or side jobs that are not covered.
Frequently asked questions
Is liability insurance compulsory for students?
No. For students, health insurance is legally compulsory, and for a car of your own, motor liability insurance. Private liability insurance is voluntary, but sensible, because you are liable with your assets for damage you cause to others. Often the cover under your parents’ policy is enough while you are in your initial training.
Am I covered by my parents’ liability insurance as a student?
Usually yes, if you are unmarried and in a school education or a first training that follows directly, for example a full-time degree. Cover can end with a delayed master’s degree, a permanent job or a legal traineeship. Some insurers set an age limit. Ask your parents’ insurer and get the answer in writing.
What does liability insurance cost for students?
That depends on the provider, the sum insured, the excess and the modules. A fixed figure cannot meaningfully be given. Get several offers and compare the benefits first, especially damage to rented property, lost keys, gratuitous damage and cover abroad, and only then the price.
Does liability insurance pay for damage in a shared flat?
Damage you cause to the rented flat is not included to the same extent in every policy. Some cap the benefit or treat glass and fittings separately. Damage to your flatmates’ belongings is generally ordinary property damage. Check this before you move in. More details are in Liability insurance in a shared flat or your own flat.
Does your parents’ liability insurance cover a second degree?
There is no blanket answer. The cover refers to the school education and the first training that directly follows. How a second degree is treated depends on the terms of the tariff. Ask the insurer for a written statement, and if necessary take out your own policy.
Your next steps
- Ask your parents’ insurer whether you remain covered, and have the answer confirmed in writing.
- If the cover ends or remains unclear, choose your own policy using the criteria above and compare the benefits first.
- Before a semester abroad, check the geographic scope and the duration of the cover.
- If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the route to advice on the Academycon homepage (in German).
- Once your insurance is in order, you can start building retirement provision early (in German).
Related articles
- Insurance for students: the cover you really need (in German)
- Retirement provision for students: starting early with small amounts (in German)
- Starting working life after your degree (in German)
- Insurance brokers for students: what to look for (in German)
- Liability insurance during your studies (in German)
Related guides
- Living and studying in Germany
- Liability insurance in a shared flat or your own flat
- Scholarships for students: types, providers, requirements
- Studying over 30: funding, health insurance, daily life
- German original (in German)
Information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative. Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.
