Do You Need Pet Insurance in Germany? (2026)
The verdict
Two different products are called pet insurance in Germany. Tierkrankenversicherung pays vet bills: AGILA covers a young dog for EUR 233.28 a year, Lassie a cat for EUR 204.84. Hundehaftpflicht pays for the damage your dog does to others, cheapest at Haftpflichtkasse, EUR 36.89 a year for EUR 60,000,000 of cover.
Which of the two is compulsory
Tierkrankenversicherung is voluntary everywhere. Whether you must hold Hundehaftpflicht is decided by your Bundesland, and there is no federal rule: it is mandatory for all dogs in Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia, mandatory only for listed or dangerous dogs in eight more, and voluntary only in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
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Which pet health insurance is worth buying in Germany?
Three policies with a published annual premium, ordered by our editorial rating. All three carry a one-month waiting period and exclude pre-existing conditions. What separates them is the annual cover limit, the reimbursement rate and whether the paperwork exists in English.
Sorted 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.
AGILA Haustierversicherung
AGILA dog health insurance
Best for dogs. A pet specialist since 1994 and an OeKO-TEST winner, with full health cover from EUR 233.28 a year and surgery-only cover from EUR 95.16 a year.
See AGILA- Waiting 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.
- 1 month
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- None on the base tariff
- Notice 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 months
- English documents
- No
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Specialist since 1994
- Cheap surgery-only option
- Combination discount with liability
Cons
- German only
- Premium rises with age
- Surcharges possible for listed breeds
Best for Dog owners who want a specialist insurer
Wakam (risk carrier
Lassie dog health Midi
Most flexible. EUR 6,000 of annual cover for EUR 257.04 a year, with no fixed excess and monthly cancellation.
See Lassie dog cover- Annual cover
- EUR 6,000
- Waiting 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.
- 1 month
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- None on Midi and Maxi
- English documentsBest
- Yes
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- No fixed excess
- Cancellable monthly
- English-capable app
Cons
- Base plan reimburses only 80 percent
- The risk carrier is a partner company
- Premium rises with age
Best for Newcomers who want English paperwork and monthly cancellation
Wakam
Lassie cat health Midi
Best for cats. The cheapest English-language full health cover for cats in this catalogue: EUR 6,000 of annual cover for EUR 204.84 a year.
See Lassie cat cover- Annual cover
- EUR 6,000
- Waiting 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.
- 1 month
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- None
- English documents
- Yes
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Cheapest cat cover here
- Cancellable monthly
- English documents
Cons
- Base plan reimburses only 80 percent
- The risk carrier is a partner company
- Premium rises with age
Best for Cat owners on a budget
What does pet health insurance cover?
It reimburses vet bills up to a yearly limit and at a set reimbursement rate. Lassie covers EUR 6,000 a year on Midi, EUR 4,000 on Mini and has no limit on Maxi. Figo lets you pick 50, 70 or 90 percent reimbursement and a EUR 3,000, EUR 6,000 or unlimited cap, which is precisely what makes an entry price non-comparable between insurers.
Surgery-only cover is the cheaper variant: it pays for operations, not for ongoing treatment. Lassie starts at EUR 61.20 a year for dogs, AGILA at EUR 95.16 and Petolo at EUR 130.80.
Typically covered
- Operations and aftercare
- Treatment and diagnostics up to the annual limit
- Vet fees up to four times the GOT schedule in top tariffs
Excluded
- Pre-existing conditions, on every policy here
- Neutering, except through the prevention budget
- Anything in the first month: the waiting period is one month everywhere
Is dog liability insurance compulsory in Germany?
That depends on the Bundesland, and on nothing else. There is no federal rule. Liability cover is mandatory for ALL dogs in Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. In eight further Bundeslaender it applies only to listed or dangerous dogs. It is voluntary only in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Dog liability pays for injury or damage your dog causes to other people or their property. It is a different product from pet health cover and never a substitute for it, in either direction. Check two things before you buy: the cover limit, and whether your breed is accepted without an exclusion. Haftpflichtkasse insures every breed including Listenhunde, while Lassie and Getsafe decide on listed breeds case by case.
Dog liability policies
Sorted by annual premium, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by cover limit, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by excess, 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.
Haftpflichtkasse
Haftpflichtkasse Einfach Komplett dog liability
Cheapest. The cheapest verified cover in this catalogue: EUR 36.89 a year for EUR 60,000,000 of cover with no excess, and every breed is insurable.
See Haftpflichtkasse- Cover limitBest
Cover limit
The most the insurer pays for a single claim (Deckungssumme). Everything above it is yours, which is why liability policies carry limits in the millions.
- EUR 60,000,000
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- None
- Waiting 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.
- None
- Notice 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 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Cheapest verified premium
- Highest cover limit here
- Listenhunde without exclusion
Cons
- German only
- No paper correspondence
- Surcharge applies to Kampfhunde
Best for Any dog owner, including owners of listed breeds
Getsafe
Getsafe dog liability
Best in English. EUR 47.88 a year for EUR 30,000,000 of cover, English end to end, with an instant digital certificate for registering the dog.
See Getsafe dog liability- Cover limit
Cover limit
The most the insurer pays for a single claim (Deckungssumme). Everything above it is yours, which is why liability policies carry limits in the millions.
- EUR 30,000,000
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- EUR 150
- Waiting 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.
- None
- English documentsBest
- Yes
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- English end to end
- Instant certificate
- Cancellable daily
Cons
- EUR 150 excess
- Listed breeds only case by case
- Underwriter transition under way
Best for Newcomers who have to register a dog at short notice
Wakam
Lassie dog liability
Best bundled. EUR 39 a year for EUR 30,000,000 of cover, cancellable monthly and combinable with Lassie pet health.
See Lassie dog liability- Cover limit
Cover limit
The most the insurer pays for a single claim (Deckungssumme). Everything above it is yours, which is why liability policies carry limits in the millions.
- EUR 30,000,000
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- EUR 150
- Waiting 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.
- None
- Notice 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 monthly
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Cheapest English-language liability cover
- Cancellable monthly
- One app for both policies
Cons
- EUR 150 excess
- The risk carrier is a partner company
- Listed breeds case by case
Best for Owners who want liability and health cover from one provider
How much does pet insurance cost in Germany?
Dog liability is the cheaper of the two products. Published annual premiums in this catalogue: Haftpflichtkasse EUR 36.89, Lassie EUR 39, Getsafe EUR 47.88, AGILA EUR 48.96, Petolo EUR 66 at 50 million cover, and Uelzener from EUR 98.56 for 20 million up to EUR 119.83 for 50 million.
Pet health cover costs several times as much. For dogs: Figo EUR 139.44, AGILA EUR 233.28, Lassie Midi EUR 257.04, Petolo EUR 418.80 and SantéVet EUR 460.56. For cats: Lassie Midi EUR 204.84, Petolo EUR 274.80 and SantéVet EUR 277.20. That spread is explained by the cover limit and the reimbursement rate, not by brand quality.
Uelzener, HanseMerkur, Allianz and Helvetia publish no price for pet health cover: the premium comes only from a calculator or an agency, because it turns on breed, age and tariff tier. The same is true of Allianz and DEVK on dog liability.
Sources: provider tariff pages, accessed 2026-08-20.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dog liability insurance compulsory in Germany?
Each Bundesland decides for itself, and there is no federal rule. It is mandatory for ALL dogs in Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia, mandatory only for listed or dangerous dogs in eight more, and voluntary only in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Is pet health insurance compulsory?
No. Pet health insurance and surgery-only cover are voluntary everywhere. They pay vet bills, not damage to other people, so they are never a substitute for dog liability cover.
Does pet health insurance cover vaccinations?
Pre-existing conditions are excluded on every policy in this catalogue, and routine care is only reachable through a prevention budget. Lassie includes a EUR 250 Gesundheitspauschale in its Maxi plan that pays for prevention, and neutering is covered only from that budget.
How long is the waiting period?
One month on every pet health policy in this catalogue. Dog liability cover has no waiting period at all: Getsafe issues the digital certificate immediately, which is what some registration offices want when you register the dog.
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