Vela LogoVela Logo
VELA - Your German Insurance

Blog for foreign students

Do you need liability- /accident insurance for your studies?

Liability Insurance

| Organizational matters

Lost the key to your apartment? Missed a car or pedestrian while riding your bike?  Forgot to turn off the stove top or dropped your friend's new iPhone? Already a high damage can occur. To be at least financially covered for such problems, you can take out personal liability insurance.

Private liability insurance is not legally required for international students, but in Germany anyone can be held legally liable for damages he or she causes to third parties. It is therefore common to take out such insurance to insure against claims arising from damage caused unintentionally. The person causing the damage is liable with his or her salary, savings or even property. It is one of the most important and at the same time cheapest voluntary insurance options in Germany, which protects you against claims for damages directed against you. Approximately 85% of all Germans have private liability insurance.

Liability Insurance

Examination of the liability issue

HanseMerkur Insurance will check for you whether you have to pay for the damage in a case in which claims for damages are asserted against you. If so, the insurer will settle the claims for you, i.e. pay them. If not, the insurer will reject the claims on your behalf. So you also have a so-called passive legal protection function integrated into the liability insurance.

Costs of a legal dispute

If there is a legal dispute between you and the injured party regarding the claim, the HanseMerkur insurance will reimburse you for the legal costs incurred.

Liability risks in daily life

In daily life you do many things where you can unintentionally harm other people due to carelessness. The insurance coverage therefore extends to activities such as cycling, sports, horseback riding or the use of model airplanes and boats (without motor).

Rental property damage

For your time in Germany you will certainly rent an apartment or a room. Therefore, the insurance coverage also includes damages that you unintentionally cause to your landlord. Attention! Excluded are damages to objects like pictures, furniture, TV sets and damages due to wear and tear and excessive use.

Loss of keys

Insurance coverage exists in the event that you lose keys that were regularly with you. This can be, for example, the key to your rented apartment. The costs for the necessary replacement of locks and locking systems are reimbursed. Attention. This insurance coverage is only available in the "Komfort" tariff.

Do you already have liability insurance in your home country? Ask your provider if the insurance is also valid in Germany.

 

Accident Insurance

A German proverb says: "Most accidents happen at home". This can be a fall from a ladder when you are fixing a light bulb, but also a serious traffic accident when you are driving your car. Accident insurance provides an insurance benefit to you or your survivors in case of an incurred disability or even in case of death.

As a student, you are legally exempt from paying accident insurance premiums. The prerequisite is that you are enrolled at a state-recognized university, college or university of applied sciences. If you are currently working on your doctorate, doctoral students are also legally insured against accidents during their work at the university.

Activities that take place within the university's area of responsibility in terms of content and organization are insured. This includes, for example:

- Participation in lectures and seminars
- other activities for which the university is responsible, such as excursions, even if these lead abroad,
   or revision courses
- visits to the university and state libraries
- activities in the student self-government
- Travel to and from these activities is also insured. By the way: The way to enrollment is already insured.
- Semester break
- internship
- study work at home
- private study trips


The costs for the insurance coverage are borne by the federal states.
The accident insurance carrier is very closely connected to the university and its direct sphere of influence as well as the outward and return journey. Therefore, some Studentenwerke have taken out additional private accident insurance for their students. You can get information about this from your responsible Studentenwerk.

If you are participating in a scholarship or grant program, please observe the agreed rules and modalities.

For all other areas of private life there is no insurance coverage and for this you have to take out an additional private accident insurance, e.g. via VELA.
 

What can you insure through VELA?

Disability benefit:

After an accident, you may be permanently physically or even mentally impaired. If this impairment is expected to last longer than three years, it is called a disability. Depending on which part of your body is affected, you will receive a certain percentage of the agreed sum insured.

In the event of death

In the worst case, an accident can lead to death. In this case, the insurer will pay your heirs the death benefit of € 10,000.00 (Kompakt tariff) or € 20,000.00 (Komfort tariff).

Salvage costs

Salvage costs include e.g. the costs for search, rescue or recovery operations. The transport of the injured person to the nearest hospital is also insured.

Cosmetic surgery

After an accident, it can happen that the external appearance of your body is permanently impaired. In this case, HanseMerkur will pay the costs of surgery and clinical treatment once.

Strain and torn ligaments

In some accidents, there is no external event acting on your body. Therefore, insurance coverage also exists if a joint is dislocated or muscles, tendons, ligaments or capsules are pulled or torn due to increased force exerted on the limbs or spine.

Drowning or suffocation

Also considered an "accident" is drowning or suffocation underwater while diving.

 

So do I need liability or accident insurance?

We say yes, unless you have a bulging bank account....
 

 

Back