Drone insurance
As a UAS operator (Unmanned Aircraft Systems operator) in Germany, you are required to have special insurance for your own drone. It is important to note that conventional private liability insurance does not usually cover any damage to the drone.
The first question is whether the drone to be insured is to be used privately or (also) commercially. In the case of commercial use, for example by our UAS consultant Markus Rossol, we recommend a combined insurance policy that covers both commercial and private use of the drones.
Compulsory insurance applies to all drones, multicopters and model aircraft. Drone insurance policies are available from around €15 per year, but in addition to the price, you should also consider the following factors.
The contract term
The contract terms of the various insurance models vary greatly. Most insurance policies are very flexible and the minimum contract term is often only 12 months. There are also offers with no minimum term at all, with monthly or even daily termination options.
The sum insured
Insurance policies with cover sums from 1.5 million euros are common. Larger sums of 20 to 50 million euros are also often offered. These models are usually linked to private liability insurance so that larger claims, such as personal injury, are also covered.
Amount of the deductible
The deductible refers to the personal contribution to be made to the claim amount in the event that the insurance has to be claimed. When choosing insurance, it should be noted that the amount of the excess is partly predetermined and partly freely selectable. There are also insurance policies with no excess at all. The principle usually applies here: the higher the excess, the lower the premium.
The geographical scope
Especially if you want to travel with your drone - whether privately or, like us, to trade fairs such as the AERO 2023 last week - you should definitely pay attention to the geographical scope of the drone insurance. Here, the offers differ in insurances with the scope of application Germany, Europe-wide or worldwide (sometimes with exceptions such as "worldwide without US territories"). An insurance policy with a worldwide geographical scope does not necessarily have to be more expensive than a policy that is only valid in Germany.
The area of application
As previously mentioned, it is important to consider whether the drone is only to be used privately or also commercially. If the drone insurance is linked to the private liability insurance, this usually excludes commercial use of the UAS. One way to cover commercial and private use in one insurance policy is to take out combined cover. Here, both usage scenarios are insured and it is also possible to book certain additional services.
The number of copters
Regardless of the area of application, it is important to decide how many copters are to be insured. If only your own drone is to be insured, this is usually noted with the serial number in the insurance policy. It is also possible to cover the flying of third-party drones in addition to your own drone. Please also note that a drone driver's license is required for flying common UAS with a take-off weight of 250 g or more. Since January 2021, you have been able to obtain the small drone license online from the German Federal Aviation Office (LBA). Here you will take part in an online training course followed by an exam to ensure that you have the basic knowledge required to fly a drone safely.
Number of insured taxpayers
The number of insured pilots determines whether and, if so, who other than you may pilot the insured drone. The various insurance models differentiate here between your own person, your own person and family members or your own person, family members, friends and strangers. In addition to insuring your own drone, labeling it is also mandatory in Germany. Self-adhesive aluminum stickers engraved with the eID and the EU drone registration number are best suited for this purpose. In the event of damage, for example, the EU drone registration number can be used to determine who owns the drone and how it is insured. Registration is required to obtain the eID (or UAS operator number). In Germany, you can register online to obtain your eID. Among other things, you will need to provide your drone insurance number.
Summary
Drone insurance is offered by numerous insurance companies. Some of these include Allianz, HUK Coburg, R+V Versicherung, Generali, ADAC and AXA. Regardless of whether you want to fly your own or someone else's UAS privately or commercially in Germany, you need appropriate drone liability insurance. The numerous insurance companies also offer numerous insurance models that cover a wide variety of usage scenarios. So decide in advance exactly where you want to fly your drone, who is allowed to control your drone and how high the sum insured including your excess should be in the event of a claim.
