A single serious accident — a fall off a bike, down stairs, or a road accident — can cause permanent invalidity. Germany's statutory accident insurance only covers commuting and work accidents. For leisure, household and hobby risks you need a private accident insurance (Unfallversicherung). Our accident insurance calculator estimates premium and invalidity benefit in seconds.
How the premium is calculated
Four factors drive the yearly premium:
- Profession group — office work (group A) is cheap; manual and craft work (group B) costs 60–100 % more.
- Base sum (Grundsumme) — the basis for the invalidity benefit. Higher base = higher premium.
- Progression — 225 %, 350 % or 500 %. More progression = higher maximum payout = higher premium.
- Age — premiums rise from age 45 onwards, sharply from 60.
How to size the base sum
Rule of thumb: 4–6 × gross annual income, at least €100,000. With €50,000 gross income that means €200,000–€300,000 base sum. Anyone supporting a family or paying off a home should pick the upper end.
Progression: 225 %, 350 % or 500 %?
Progression means the insurer pays disproportionately more at high invalidity grades. Example with €100,000 base sum and full invalidity (100 %):
- No progression (100 %): €100,000 payout
- 225 % (standard): €225,000 payout
- 350 % (recommended): €350,000 payout
- 500 % (maximum): €500,000 payout
Progression only kicks in above ~25 % invalidity. For minor injuries, payouts follow the base sum proportionally.
Profession groups: A vs. B
Insurers classify professions by accident risk:
- Group A — office and admin work, teachers, IT, doctors, lawyers, students without manual side jobs
- Group B — building trades, industry, nursing, hospitality, police, fire service, jobs with machinery or work at height
Hobbies are also asked at signup: climbing, motorsport and skydiving may trigger surcharges or specific exclusions.
Hospital daily allowance — for whom?
Hospital daily allowance pays a fixed amount for each day spent as an inpatient (e.g. €50/day). It covers co-payments, lost income for self-employed, and incidental costs. Rule of thumb: €1/day costs about €4/year extra premium.
Worked example: 35-year-old office worker
- Base sum: €200,000
- Progression: 350 %
- Hospital allowance: €0
- Yearly premium: about €175 (≈ €14.60/month)
- Maximum payout at 100 % invalidity: 200,000 × 350 % = €700,000
When it pays off
- You have hobbies with injury risk (sport, travel, DIY).
- You are self-employed or the family's main earner.
- You want to top up your occupational disability (BU) cover for accident risk.
- You are young — the entry premium stays low.
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FAQ
What does it cost per year?
For €100,000 base sum at 350 % progression: 35-year-old office workers around €90/year, manual workers around €165/year. Up to 70 % more at age 60.
Which progression is best?
350 % is a good compromise between premium and payout. 500 % only pays off if the extra premium scales reasonably with the higher maximum benefit.
Does it replace BU (occupational disability)?
No. BU also covers illness (90 % of disability cases). Accident insurance only covers accidents.
Does it apply worldwide?
Yes, generally worldwide and 24/7 — also during holidays, sport and leisure.
Do I get money for a simple bone fracture?
Not from the invalidity benefit, which requires permanent impairment. Some tariffs include immediate benefits or fracture allowances.