Insurance in Germany as a Belgian company
For many Belgian companies, Germany is the first step beyond national borders.
As a neighbouring country, with a strong economy and great sales potential, the choice of an establishment in Germany is obvious. But anyone who sets up a GmbH or already has a subsidiary in Germany sooner or later encounters a complex insurance world that differs greatly from the Belgian one.
Being well insured in Germany is not only a matter of protection — it is also a legal obligation. Anyone who ignores the local rules risks fines, invalid policies and a complete rejection of claims at the most inconvenient moment.
Why is insurance different in Germany?
Germany is part of the European Union, which means that as a Belgian company you can in principle make use of the freedom to provide services (Freedom of Services).
You may therefore take out certain insurance from Belgium for your German subsidiary. But “being allowed to” is not the same as “smart or logical”.
In practice, there are several reasons why a purely Belgian approach falls short for a GmbH in Germany.
Firstly, there are specific mandatory insurances in Germany that must be taken out locally, such as certain liability coverages for specific professions and the Berufsgenossenschaft (occupational accidents). These cannot simply be replaced by a Belgian policy.
Secondly, many German business partners and principals set local certificates and proof of insurance as a condition for cooperation. A Belgian document is then not sufficient.
Thirdly, claims handling is a practical problem.
When something goes wrong in Germany, you want someone on site who speaks the local language, knows the procedures and can act quickly.
The three options — and their pitfalls
When you, as a Belgian company, set up a GmbH in Germany, there are in theory three ways to arrange the insurance:
- The first option is to attach the German subsidiary to the existing Belgian insurance. This sounds simple and cost-saving, but in practice leads to missing coverage for specifically German risks, problems with claims handling and possible tax complications.
- The second option is to have the GmbH insured entirely independently in Germany. This provides local coverage, but causes a lack of alignment with the parent policy, a risk of double coverage and no central control from the head office in Belgium.
- The third option — and by far the most sensible — is an international insurance programme in which the parent policy in Belgium and the local policies in Germany are aligned. This way you have the right coverage everywhere, you comply with local legislation, and as the head office you retain a complete overview.
Our approach for Belgian companies in Germany
Together with our permanent German partner, we guide you from A to Z: from the first analysis of your activities and risks, through aligning the Belgian master policy with the local German policies, to the concrete implementation and follow-up.
You have a single point of contact in Belgium, with an expert on site in Germany.
Want to know more?
Contact us: Info@internationaalverzekeren.be.
Together with our German partner, we guide you to a solution.