In short
Student insurance in Germany is compulsory only for health cover. Private liability insurance is not compulsory, but it protects you from damage claims paid out of your own assets, and you are often covered through your parents. Whether contents insurance pays off depends mainly on the value of your belongings. Statutory accident insurance covers lectures, university sport and journeys to and from university, but not your free time.
| Key fact | Value | Date and source |
|---|---|---|
| Liability insurance | no legal obligation, the consumer advice centre recommends cover of at least 10 million € | Verbraucherzentrale, page dated 7 Oct 2026 |
| Damage to rented property | cover of at least 500,000 € recommended | Verbraucherzentrale, page dated 7 Oct 2026 |
| Co-insurance of children | usually during the first uninterrupted course of education, depends on the contract | Verbraucherzentrale, page dated 7 Oct 2026 |
| Contents insurance | not compulsory, cover through a parents’ policy is possible and depends on the contract | Guide on contents insurance in halls and shared flats, October 2026 |
| Statutory accident insurance | students during education and training at universities, with no contribution of their own | Section 2(1) no. 8 letter c SGB VII, Unfallkasse NRW, accessed 25 Oct 2026 |
Which student insurance is compulsory?
Health insurance is compulsory, and vehicle owners also need motor liability insurance (section 1 Compulsory Insurance Act). All other policies are voluntary, including private liability insurance. How health insurance works during your studies is covered in the guide Krankenversicherung im Studium ab 30 (in German) and the other guides in that category. An overview of all other policies is in Versicherungen für Studenten (in German).
What does private liability insurance cover?
Under section 823(1) of the German Civil Code (BGB), anyone who unlawfully injures another person’s property, body or health, intentionally or through negligence, must compensate the damage. In principle, you are liable for this with your own assets. Private liability insurance pays justified claims and fends off unjustified ones. Typical cases are a bicycle accident that injures a pedestrian or coffee spilled on a friend’s laptop. Your own damage and intentionally caused damage are generally not covered. The basic guide Haftpflichtversicherung für Studenten (in German) goes into the types of damage.
As a minimum standard, the Verbraucherzentrale recommends a sum insured of at least 10 million € for personal injury, property damage and financial loss, better 50 or 100 million €. It also recommends cover for damage to rented property of at least 500,000 €, loss of other people’s keys and cover for unpaid claims. These are recommendations, not legal rules. Check the terms of your policy against this list.
Am I covered through my parents, and for how long?
Usually yes, as long as you are in your first uninterrupted course of education. The Verbraucherzentrale describes this as the usual rule. It is not set by law, and the terms of your parents’ contract decide.
| Situation | What is usual | What you should clarify |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree straight after school | co-insured in the first course of education | Does the policy expressly cover students? |
| Break before studying | according to the Verbraucherzentrale, good policies cover internships and a short waiting period | How long may the break be? |
| Master’s degree after a bachelor’s | depends on the policy | How much time between the stages is allowed? |
| Second degree | open to interpretation | Does it count as the first course of education? |
| Marriage or age limit in the policy | usually ends the cover | What age limit does the contract name? |
Ask your parents’ insurer and have the answer put in writing. The detailed answers are in the guide Haftpflicht über die Eltern (in German).
What applies in a shared flat and in your own flat?
First, check whether your parents’ contract includes you at your place of study. If not, you need a policy of your own. Damage to the rented flat must be expressly included, and so must loss of keys if that matters to you. Each flatmate can be insured individually. A joint contract requires agreement on who may cancel it and what happens when someone moves out. More in the guide Haftpflicht in WG und eigener Wohnung (in German), and on the tenancy agreement in the guide Mietvertrag für Studenten (in German).
Do I need contents insurance?
Not necessarily. It replaces your own belongings after fire, tap water damage or burglary. Whether a policy of your own is worth it for your first flat depends on the value of your belongings. Students who live away from home can be covered through their parents’ policy, often with a cap on compensation. Whether that applies to your room is stated in the terms of your parents’ contract, and you can ask the insurer. If you take out your own policy, base the sum insured on the replacement value of all your belongings, so that you are not underinsured. Add-ons such as bicycle cover cost extra, and whether they pay off for your bike depends on its value. The details are in the guide Hausrat in Wohnheim und WG (in German), and advice on equipment is in the guide Erstausstattung für Studenten (in German).
What does statutory accident insurance cover at university?
Under section 2(1) no. 8 letter c SGB VII, students are covered by statutory accident insurance during education and training at universities, with no contribution of their own. According to Unfallkasse Nordrhein-Westfalen, the federal states, municipalities and municipal associations bear the costs. The following overview comes from the Unfallkasse NRW leaflet, which carries no date. For your case, the information from your university or the responsible accident insurance body applies.
| Covered | Not covered |
|---|---|
| Lectures, seminars, exercises | study groups and self-study at home |
| University libraries | privately organised study trips |
| Field trips in Germany and abroad, university sport | private activities on campus, for example a visit to the canteen |
| Journeys to university (commuting accidents) | free time in general |
The leaflet does not expressly mention internships and semesters abroad. Whether your internship or stay abroad falls under the statutory cover of your university depends on the individual case, for example who organises the event and whether it is part of your degree. Clarify this with your university before you start, and take out extra cover if needed. Report an accident to the responsible office at your university as soon as possible, including a commuting accident. At the doctor’s, it is enough to mention the link to university. You do not need to show an insurance card, and the doctor bills the accident insurance body.
Private accident insurance does not replace statutory cover. It adds to it for free time and journeys outside the university context. Whether it suits you depends on your situation. How income protection works if you cannot work is explained in the guide Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung für Studenten (in German).
What applies abroad?
Whether your liability cover applies worldwide abroad and for how long is set out in the terms and depends on the policy. Medical costs abroad need cover of their own, which the guide Auslandskrankenversicherung für Erasmus, USA und Work and Travel (in German) explains.
Which questions does insurance leave open?
No insurance replaces checking the terms. Depending on the policy, loss of keys, damage caused by guests, subletting and the limits of cover outside your home may stay open. Student discounts matter less than the scope of cover, and the guide Studentenrabatte bei Versicherungen (in German) gives an overview.
What to do next
- Ask your parents’ insurer in writing whether liability and contents cover applies to you at your place of study, and until when.
- If you have no cover, take out your own liability policy with at least 10 million € of cover and damage to rented property of at least 500,000 €, as the Verbraucherzentrale recommends.
- Estimate the replacement value of your belongings room by room before you decide on a contents policy of your own.
- Before internships and semesters abroad, clarify with your university and insurer what statutory accident cover includes and what it does not.
- Report an accident at university to the responsible office straight away.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own liability insurance as a student?
It is not a legal obligation. It makes sense as soon as nobody co-insures you any more. First check whether you are covered through your parents’ policy. That depends on the contract, and you should have the answer in writing.
Until when am I co-insured under my parents’ liability policy?
According to the Verbraucherzentrale, usually as long as you are in your first uninterrupted course of education. Marriage, an age limit in the policy or the end of your first education can end the cover. The terms of your parents’ contract decide.
Does liability insurance pay if I break something in a shared flat?
Damage to third parties, yes, as far as the policy applies. Damage to the rented flat itself, known as damage to rented property, must be expressly included. The Verbraucherzentrale names cover of at least 500,000 € as the minimum standard.
Is my room in a hall of residence covered by my parents’ contents insurance?
It may be, but that is not certain. Ask your parents’ insurer expressly about your hall room and the compensation limit, and have the answer put in writing. Whether a policy of your own is worth it depends on the value of your belongings.
What does statutory accident insurance cover during studies?
Students are insured during education and training at universities (section 2(1) no. 8 letter c SGB VII). According to the Unfallkasse, this includes lectures, libraries, field trips, university sport and the journeys there. Study groups at home and free time are not included.
Does private accident insurance replace statutory cover?
No. The Unfallkasse makes clear that private accident insurance does not replace statutory cover. It can add to it for free time and accidents outside university. Whether that makes sense for you depends on your situation.
Related guides
- Haftpflichtversicherung für Studenten: Wer sie braucht (in German)
- Haftpflicht über die Eltern: Wie lange bist du mitversichert? (in German)
- Haftpflicht in WG und eigener Wohnung (in German)
- Hausratversicherung im Wohnheim und in der WG (in German)
Sources and review
- Verbraucherzentrale, private liability insurance, page dated 7 Oct 2026, verbraucherzentrale.de, accessed 22 Oct 2026
- Compulsory Insurance Act section 1 (liability insurance obligation for vehicle owners), gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Statute text section 2 SGB VII (persons insured by law), gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Statute text section 823 BGB (liability for damages), gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Unfallkasse Nordrhein-Westfalen, leaflet “Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung Studium” (undated, insured figures as of 2018), unfallkasse-nrw.de, accessed 22 Oct 2026
Editorial team: Academycon
Last updated: 25 October 2026
If you want to sort out your cover during your studies, start with the Academycon online check.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative. The liability recommendations come from the Verbraucherzentrale and are not legal rules.
