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VVG (EN)

Insurance Contract Act 2008
VVG-EN · official text on Gesetze im Internet — official English translation

🇩🇪 Auf Deutsch lesen (original text)

This is the German Federal Ministry of Justice's own official English translation, by Ute Reusch. Translation regularly updated by Neil Mussett. The German original linked above is the legally authoritative text.

Sections

Part 1 General part

Division 1 General provisions

• Section 1 — Typical obligations
• Section 1a — Distribution activities of the insurer
• Section 2 — Retroactive insurance
• Section 3 — Insurance policy
• Section 4 — Insurance policy issued in the name of the holder
• Section 5 — Deviating insurance policy
• Section 6 — Advising the policyholder
• Section 6a — Details concerning the provision of information
• Section 7 — Information provided to the policyholder; authorisation to issue statutory ordinance
• Section 7a — Cross-selling
• Section 7b — Information to be provided in the case of insurance-based investment products
• Section 7c — Assessment of insurance-based investment products; reporting requirement
• Section 7d
• Section 8 — Policyholder’s right of revocation; authorisation to issue statutory ordinances
• Section 9 — Legal consequences of revocation
• Section 10 — Beginning and expiry of insurance
• Section 11 — Renewal, termination of the contract
• Section 12 — Period of insurance
• Section 13 — Change of address and name
• Section 14 — Due date of cash benefit
• Section 15 — Suspension of limitation period
• Section 16 — Insurer’s insolvency
• Section 17 — Prohibition of assignment of things exempt from seizure
• Section 18 — Deviating agreements

Division 2 Duty of disclosure, aggravation of risk, other incidental obligations

• Section 19 — Duty of disclosure
• Section 20 — Policyholder’s representative
• Section 21 — Exercising the insurer’s rights
• Section 22 — Fraudulent misrepresentation
• Section 23 — Aggravation of risk
• Section 24 — Termination of the contract due to aggravation of the risk insured
• Section 25 — Increase in insurance premium due to aggravation of risk
• Section 26 — Release from liability due to aggravation of risk
• Section 27 — Immaterial aggravation of risk
• Section 28 — Non-observance of an incidental obligation
• Section 29 — Partial withdrawal, partial termination, partial release from liability
• Section 30 — Notification of the occurrence of the insured event
• Section 31 — The policyholder’s duty to disclose information
• Section 32 — Deviating agreements

Division 3 Premium

• Section 33 — Due date
• Section 34 — Payment by a third party
• Section 35 — Offsetting by the insurer
• Section 36 — Place of performance
• Section 37 — Delayed payment of first insurance premium
• Section 38 — Delayed payment of subsequent premium
• Section 39 — Termination of the contract before the agreed date
• Section 40 — Termination on account of increase in premium
• Section 41 — Reduction of the premium
• Section 42 — Deviating agreements

Division 4 Insurance for the account of a third party

• Section 43 — Definitions
• Section 44 — Rights of the insured person
• Section 45 — Rights of the policyholder
• Section 46 — Rights between the policyholder and the insured person
• Section 47 — Knowledge and conduct of the insured person
• Section 48 — Insurance for the account of “whom it may concern”

Division 5 Provisional cover

• Section 49 — Content of the contract
• Section 50 — Non-formation of the main contract
• Section 51 — Payment of the premium
• Section 52 — Termination of the contract

Division 6 Open policy

• Section 53 — Duty to give notice
• Section 54 — Breach of the duty to give notice
• Section 55 — Individual policy
• Section 56 — Breach of the duty of disclosure
• Section 57 — Change in risk insured
• Section 58 — Non-observance of an incidental obligation

Division 7 Insurance intermediaries, insurance advisers

• Section 59 — Definitions
• Section 60 — Basis on which insurance intermediary provides advice
• Section 61 — Insurance intermediary’s duties of advice and documentation
• Section 62 — Time and form of the information
• Section 63 — Obligation to pay damages
• Section 64 — Securing payment to the policyholder’s benefit
• Section 65 — Jumbo risk
• Section 66 — Other exceptions
• Section 67 — Deviating agreements
• Section 68 — Insurance advisers
• Section 69 — Statutory power of attorney
• Section 70 — Knowledge of the insurance agent
• Section 71 — Authorisation to acquire contracts
• Section 72 — Restriction of the power of agency
• Section 73 — Employees and intermediaries not working on a commercial basis

Division 1 General provisions

• Section 74 — Overinsurance
• Section 75 — Underinsurance
• Section 76 — Agreed value
• Section 77 — Several insurers
• Section 78 — Liability in the case of multiple insurance
• Section 79 — Elimination of multiple insurance
• Section 80 — Lack of insured interest
• Section 81 — Causing the insured event
• Section 82 — Loss avoidance and minimisation
• Section 83 — Reimbursement of expenses
• Section 84 — Consulting an expert
• Section 85 — Costs of establishing the loss
• Section 86 — Assignment of claims
• Section 87 — Deviating agreements

Division 2 Property insurance

• Section 88 — Insurable value
• Section 89 — Insurance for an aggregate of items
• Section 90 — Extended reimbursement of expenses
• Section 91 — Interest on compensation
• Section 92 — Termination of the contract after an insured event
• Section 93 — Replacement clause
• Section 94 — Effectiveness of payment vis-à-vis mortgage creditors
• Section 95 — Sale of the insured object
• Section 96 — Termination of the contract subsequent to a sale
• Section 97 — Disclosure of the sale
• Section 98 — Protection afforded to the buyer
• Section 99 — Foreclosure, acquisition of the right of use

Part 2 Individual classes of insurance

Division 1 General provisions

• Section 100 — Insurer’s liability
• Section 101 — Legal protection costs
• Section 102 — Employer’s liability insurance
• Section 103 — Causing the insured event
• Section 104 — Policyholder’s duty of disclosure
• Section 105 — Acknowledgement by the policyholder
• Section 106 — Due date for performance
• Section 107 — Entitlement to a pension
• Section 108 — Right of recourse provision
• Section 109 — Several injured parties
• Section 110 — Policyholder’s insolvency
• Section 111 — Termination of the contract after an insured event
• Section 112 — Deviating agreements

Division 2 Compulsory insurance

• Section 113 — Compulsory insurance
• Section 114 — Scope of the insurance cover
• Section 115 — Direct claim
• Section 116 — Joint and several debtors
• Section 117 — Liability vis-à-vis third parties
• Section 118 — Order of precedence of several claims
• Section 119 — Third party’s incidental obligations
• Section 120 — Non-observance of an incidental obligation by the third party
• Section 121 — Offsetting against third parties
• Section 122 — Sale of the insured object
• Section 123 — Recourse in the case of several insured parties
• Section 124 — Extent of legal force
• Section 125 — Insurer’s liability
• Section 126 — Claims processing company
• Section 127 — Freedom of choice of lawyer
• Section 128 — Procedure for calling in an expert opinion
• Section 129 — Deviating agreements

Chapter 3 Transport insurance

• Section 130 — Extent of risk accepted
• Section 131 — Breach of the duty of disclosure
• Section 132 — Change of risk insured
• Section 133 — Transportation in breach of contract
• Section 134 — Unsuitable means of transport
• Section 135 — Reimbursement of expenses
• Section 136 — Insurable value
• Section 137 — Causing an insured event
• Section 138 — Exclusion of liability for ships
• Section 139 — Sale of the insured object or goods
• Section 140 — Sale of the insured ship
• Section 141 — Release following payment of the sum insured

Chapter 4 Building fire insurance

• Section 142 — Disclosures to mortgage creditors
• Section 143 — Continuation of liability vis-à-vis mortgage creditors
• Section 144 — Termination of the contract by the policyholder
• Section 145 — Assignment of the mortgage
• Section 146 — Duty of the insurer to provide confirmation and disclose information
• Section 147 — Change of mortgage creditor’s address and name
• Section 148 — Other charges on real property
• Section 149 — Owner’s charges on real property

Chapter 5 Life insurance

• Section 150 — Insured person
• Section 151 — Medical examination
• Section 152 — Revocation by the policyholder
• Section 153 — Surplus sharing
• Section 154 — Model calculation
• Section 155 — Balance notification
• Section 156 — Knowledge and conduct of the insured person
• Section 157 — Declaring incorrect age
• Section 158 — Change in risk
• Section 159 — Appointment of beneficiary
• Section 160 — Interpretation of the appointment of beneficiary
• Section 161 — Suicide
• Section 162 — Killing by the beneficiary
• Section 163 — Change in premium and benefits payable
• Section 164 — Adjustment of the terms
• Section 165 — Fully paid-up insurance
• Section 166 — Termination of the contract by the insurer
• Section 167 — Conversion to qualify for exemption from attachment
• Section 168 — Termination of the contract by the policyholder
• Section 169 — Surrender value
• Section 170 — Right of subrogation
• Section 171 — Deviating agreements

Chapter 6 Occupational disability insurance

• Section 172 — Insurer’s liability
• Section 173 — Acknowledgement
• Section 174 — Release from liability
• Section 175 — Deviating agreements
• Section 176 — Applicable provisions
• Section 177 — Similar contracts of insurance

Chapter 7 Accident insurance

• Section 178 — Insurer’s liability
• Section 179 — Insured person
• Section 180 — Invalidity
• Section 181 — Aggravation of risk
• Section 182 — Contributory causes
• Section 183 — Causing the insured event
• Section 184 — Loss avoidance and minimisation
• Section 185 — Appointment of beneficiary
• Section 186 — Insurer’s duty to provide information
• Section 187 — Acknowledgement
• Section 188 — Re-assessment of invalidity
• Section 189 — Consulting an expert, costs of ascertaining the loss
• Section 190 — Compulsory insurance
• Section 191 — Deviating agreements

Chapter 8 Health insurance

• Section 192 — Typical obligations incumbent on the insurer
• Section 193 — Insured person; obligatory insurance
• Section 194 — Applicable provisions
• Section 195 — Period of insurance
• Section 196 — Time limit on daily sickness allowance insurance
• Section 197 — Qualifying periods
• Section 198 — Supplementary insurance for children
• Section 199 — Public servants entitled to sickness allowance
• Section 200 — Prohibition of enrichment
• Section 201 — Causing an insured event
• Section 202 — Insurer’s duty to provide information; costs of ascertaining the loss
• Section 203 — Adjustment of premium and conditions
• Section 204 — Change of tariff
• Section 205 — Termination of the contract by the policyholder
• Section 206 — Termination by the insurer
• Section 207 — Continuation of the insurance agreement
• Section 208 — Deviating agreements

Part 3 Concluding provisions

• Section 209 — Reinsurance, maritime insurance
• Section 210 — Jumbo risks, open policy
• Section 210a — Electronic transport insurance policy document
• Section 211 — Pension funds, small insurance associations, insurance policies with small contributions
• Section 212 — Continuation of life insurance after parental leave
• Section 213 — Acquiring personal health-related data from third parties
• Section 214 — Conciliation board
• Section 215 — Place of jurisdiction
• Section 216 — Derivative right of action with a majority of insurers