Withdrawing from insurance: 14 days after signing up
§ 8 VVG gives you 14 days to withdraw from an insurance contract, in text form and without needing a reason. When that period begins, and when it runs out.
Withdrawal (Widerruf) is the simplest way out: 14 days, text form, no reason needed. What matters is when the period starts – and the fact that sending your withdrawal in time is enough.
Deadline and form
You can withdraw your contractual declaration within 14 days, or within 30 days for life insurance (§ 152 VVG). The withdrawal must be made to the insurer in text form and does not need to state a reason. To meet the deadline, it is enough to send it in time – it does not have to arrive in time.
- 14 days, text form is sufficient
- No reason required
- Sending in time is enough
- Keep proof that you sent it
Start of the period and exception to the maximum period
The period does not begin before you have received the contract documents and the required information on your right of withdrawal in text form. For contracts concluded since 19 June 2026, the right of withdrawal expires at the latest twelve months and 14 days after the contract was concluded (§ 8 VVG), even if documents are missing. This does not apply if you were not informed about your right of withdrawal at all. The former “perpetual right of withdrawal” therefore no longer exists for new contracts. If the contract was concluded online, the provider must also offer a clearly visible withdrawal function (§ 356a BGB). For older contracts and special types of insurance, the applicable rules need to be checked separately.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to withdraw from an insurance policy?
In principle, 14 days; for life insurance, 30 days (§ 152 VVG). The period only starts once you have received the contract documents and the information on your right of withdrawal in text form. You withdraw in text form by notifying the insurer, and you do not need to give a reason; sending it in time is enough to meet the deadline. For contracts concluded since 19 June 2026, the right of withdrawal expires at the latest twelve months and 14 days after the contract was concluded, even if documents are missing. This does not apply if you were not informed about your right of withdrawal at all.
Do I have to give a reason for withdrawing?
No. Under § 8 VVG, no reason is required. All that matters is text form and proof that you sent it in time.
Selected sources
Note: This article is general information and not legal advice. It does not replace an assessment of your individual case by a lawyer or a consumer advice centre. No guarantee of accuracy; the law and case law may change.
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