# Do You Need Dental Insurance in Germany? (2026) > Dental insurance in Germany: what statutory health insurance already pays at the dentist, what a Zahnzusatzversicherung adds on top, and four tariffs compared on published annual premiums. By Jules de Bruin · URL: https://www.guide-germany.com/insurance/dental-insurance **The verdict** A **Zahnzusatzversicherung is a private add-on that sits on top of statutory health insurance**, never a replacement for it. Statutory cover already pays for check-ups, amalgam and composite fillings and a **fixed 60 to 65 percent subsidy on dentures**, the Festzuschuss. The add-on pays the rest. The best-tested policy is **Continentale CEZE** at **EUR 360 a year**, the strongest English-language option is **ottonova Zahn 100** at **EUR 242.16 a year**, and the cheapest way in is **Getsafe** at **EUR 112.56 a year**. ## Which dental add-on is worth buying in Germany? Four tariffs with a [published annual premium](/insurance/price-research), ordered by our editorial rating. All four skip the waiting period, but they differ sharply on how much they reimburse and on the Zahnstaffel, the ramp-up cap that limits payouts in the first contract years. Read that line before you read the price. Sort byOur rankingAnnual premiumNotice periodSorted by **annual premium**, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below. Sorted by **notice period**, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below. #3 by notice period3 monthsContinentale Krankenversicherung ### Continentale CEZE 4.8Best overall. Graded 0.5 and top of test at Stiftung Warentest and Finanztest in July 2025, with no waiting period and 100 percent cover in all core areas. [See Continentale CEZE](https://continentale-binner.de/zahnzusatzversicherung-sofort/)Reimbursement?Reimbursement The share of an approved bill the insurer pays back, after the deductible. 100% returns the whole bill; 80% leaves a fifth with you. Best100 percent in all core areasWaiting period?Waiting period The gap between signing and the day cover starts. Anything that appears during it is never paid, not even later, so shorter is better. NoneRamp-up cap on denturesEUR 1,500 / EUR 3,000 / EUR 4,500 / EUR 6,000 in years 1 to 4, unlimited from year 5Notice period?Notice period How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term. 3 monthsPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Test grade 0.5, top of test - Premium held stable against age - Usable immediately Cons - Ramp-up cap **EUR 1,500** to **EUR 6,000** across years 1 to 4 - German only - Sold through agents Best for Long-term residents who want the best-tested cover #2 by annual premiumEUR 242.16/yearottonova Krankenversicherung ### ottonova Zahn 100 4.6Best in English. The only 100 percent tariff here with English documents and English support, at EUR 242.16 a year and with no waiting period. [See ottonova Zahn 100](https://www.ottonova.de/zahnzusatzversicherung)Reimbursement?Reimbursement The share of an approved bill the insurer pays back, after the deductible. 100% returns the whole bill; 80% leaves a fifth with you. 100 percent in the top tariffWaiting period?Waiting period The gap between signing and the day cover starts. Anything that appears during it is never paid, not even later, so shorter is better. NoneRamp-up capEUR 1,250 / EUR 2,500 / EUR 3,750 / EUR 5,000 across months 0 to 48, unlimited from month 49English documentsBestYesPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - English end to end - No waiting period - Fast app reimbursement Cons - Ramp-up cap **EUR 1,250** to **EUR 5,000** over the first 48 months - Strict acceptance, a parodontitis history is rejected - Only one missing tooth insurable Best for Newcomers who need the contract and service in English #3 by annual premiumEUR 314.40/year#1 by notice periodNo notice periodBarmenia Krankenversicherung ### Barmenia Mehr Zahn 100 4.5Most flexible. 100 percent including implants, no waiting period and cancellable daily, at EUR 314.40 a year in age band 21 to 30. [See Barmenia Mehr Zahn 100](https://barmenia-direkt.de/gesundheit/zahnversicherungen/)Reimbursement?Reimbursement The share of an approved bill the insurer pays back, after the deductible. 100% returns the whole bill; 80% leaves a fifth with you. 100 percent including implantsWaiting period?Waiting period The gap between signing and the day cover starts. Anything that appears during it is never paid, not even later, so shorter is better. NoneRamp-up capEUR 1,500 year 1, EUR 3,000 years 1 to 2, EUR 4,500 years 1 to 3, EUR 6,000 years 1 to 4, unlimited from year 5Notice period?Notice period How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term. BestCancellable dailyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Cancellable daily - 100 percent including implants - Modular by design Cons - Premium rises by age band, no Altersrückstellung in the base tariff - Professional cleaning capped at **EUR 150** a year - German only Best for Anyone who wants 100 percent cover without tying themselves down #1 by annual premiumEUR 112.56/year#2 by notice periodNo notice periodGetsafe ### Getsafe Zahnzusatzversicherung 4.0Cheapest way in. The lowest published annual premium in this catalogue at EUR 112.56 a year, with no waiting period and monthly cancellation. [See Getsafe dental](https://www.hellogetsafe.com/de-de/zahnzusatzversicherung)Reimbursement?Reimbursement The share of an approved bill the insurer pays back, after the deductible. 100% returns the whole bill; 80% leaves a fifth with you. 75 percent on prosthetics in the base planWaiting period?Waiting period The gap between signing and the day cover starts. Anything that appears during it is never paid, not even later, so shorter is better. NoneRamp-up capEUR 800 in year 1, rising by EUR 800 each year, unlimited from year 5Notice period?Notice period How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term. Cancellable dailyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Cheapest premium here - Available in English - Cancel at any time Cons - 75 percent rather than 100 percent on prosthetics in the base plan - First-year cap of **EUR 800** - Underwriter transition running through 2025 and 2026 Best for Students and newcomers on a small budget ## What does statutory health insurance already pay at the dentist? More than most newcomers expect. TK and BARMER both cover basic dental care and pay a fixed 60 to 65 percent subsidy on dentures, the Festzuschuss. A Zahnzusatzversicherung does not replace that cover, it tops it up: without [membership of a health fund](/insurance/health-insurance), the add-on does nothing for you. ### Paid by statutory insurance - Routine check-ups - Amalgam and composite fillings - Fixed 60 to 65 percent subsidy on dentures (Festzuschuss) ### The gap that is left - The remaining 35 to 40 percent of the denture bill - Implants - Professional cleaning (PZR) That gap is the entire case for the add-on: implants and professional cleaning are included in good supplementary tariffs and are not part of basic statutory care. ## What does a Zahnzusatzversicherung add on top? The add-on reimburses a set share of the bill, typically 75, 90 or 100 percent. Good tariffs include implants and professional cleaning up to a tariff limit. What you actually get back turns on three numbers: the reimbursement rate, the ramp-up cap and the yearly limit on cleaning. The Zahnstaffel is the most commonly missed clause. Across the first four contract years it caps what the insurer pays, typically EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,000 in year one, roughly doubling over four years and unlimited afterwards. The exact limits are tariff specific: Continentale and Barmenia open at EUR 1,500, ottonova at EUR 1,250 and Getsafe at EUR 800. Two exclusions run right across the market. First the health questions: no insurer pays for treatment already advised or under way, and missing teeth are either excluded or surcharged depending on the tariff. Second the timing: the premium is set by your entry age, so signing later costs more for good. ## How much does a dental add-on cost in Germany? Published annual premiums in this catalogue run from EUR 112.56 at Getsafe through EUR 242.16 at ottonova Zahn 100 and EUR 314.40 at Barmenia Mehr Zahn 100 up to EUR 360 at Continentale CEZE. Cheaper exists, at the cost of reimbursement: Münchener Verein ZahnGesund 75+ costs EUR 190.80 a year in age band 26 to 35 but pays back only 75 percent. For market context: in 2025 Stiftung Warentest measured premiums of EUR 25 to 58 a month for a 43-year-old with no pre-existing dental issues on a 100 percent denture tariff, with very good basic tariffs from about EUR 6 a month. Other tariffs with a published price: Feather Advanced at EUR 192 a year in English, HanseMerkur Zahn Komfort at EUR 261.72 a year at age 35, and Signal Iduna ZahnEXKLUSIV at EUR 309.72 a year. Allianz ZahnPlus, AXA Zahn, ERGO Zahn and Württembergische publish no price at all: the premium appears only after you feed personal data into their calculator. So never compare on premium alone. Read it with the reimbursement rate, the ramp-up cap and the waiting period. HanseMerkur, for instance, carries a three-month waiting period and the lowest ramp-up caps here, ${m(2400)} in total across four years. Sources: provider tariff pages and the Stiftung Warentest dental add-on test, accessed 2026-08-20. ## Related Guides [### Insurance in Germany Overview of every line.](/insurance)[### Health insurance Statutory and private compared.](/insurance/health-insurance)[### Insurance price research Price bands per line.](/insurance/price-research) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does statutory health insurance in Germany pay for dentures? Partly. TK and BARMER pay for check-ups, amalgam and composite fillings and a fixed 60 to 65 percent subsidy on dentures, the Festzuschuss. The remaining 35 to 40 percent of the bill is yours, and closing that gap is exactly what a Zahnzusatzversicherung is for. ### Does a dental add-on replace statutory health insurance? No. The add-on is a private module that assumes you already hold health cover. Without statutory membership it does nothing for you, and it is not accepted as a visa product. ### Can I use the policy straight away? Continentale, Barmenia, ottonova and Getsafe carry no waiting period. Two limits apply everywhere, though: treatment already advised or under way is excluded, and a Zahnstaffel caps what the insurer pays in the first contract years, at Getsafe for example EUR 800 in year one. ### Which dental add-on works in English? ottonova and Getsafe issue English policy documents and offer English support. ottonova Zahn 100 costs EUR 242.16 a year at entry age 30 to 32 and Getsafe EUR 112.56 a year. The tested German incumbents Continentale and Barmenia operate in German only. --- Source: https://www.guide-germany.com/insurance/dental-insurance Last updated: n/a Format: LLM-readable Markdown twin (.md) of the canonical HTML page.