Feather Insurance Review: Is It Legit and Worth Buying?
Advertisement (Werbung): This article contains affiliate links to Feather. If you sign up through them, German Online Tests may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Every fact below comes from Feather's own published pages and legal documents, checked when this article was last updated. We have not tested Feather's claims process ourselves, so we do not rate its service. This is general information, not insurance, legal or visa advice, and German Online Tests is not an insurer or insurance adviser.
Feather is a digital insurance broker for expats and international residents. According to its German terms, it is a licensed insurance intermediary under § 34d (1) of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO). Its policies are sold online and in English, and prices start at €2.33 a month for household contents insurance and €4.94 a month for personal liability insurance. Not sure which cover you need? Check your insurance needs with Feather's free recommendation tool, then use the sections below to compare.
At a glance
- What it is: a digital insurance broker, a brand of Popsure Deutschland GmbH, licensed under § 34d (1) GewO according to its German terms.
- Health options: public, private, expat and student insurance, plus dental insurance as an add-on to public health.
- Prices we could verify: household contents from €2.33 a month and personal liability from €4.94 a month. Health and dental prices come from Feather's quote tool.
- Cancelling: expat health, liability and household can be cancelled anytime. Dental has a one-year policy period.
- Fees: Feather says it applies no administration charges to customers for arranging or administering policies.
- Limit of this review: it uses only Feather's own information, so it cannot confirm that Feather is the cheapest option.
Table of Contents
1. What is required, and what is optional?
- Health insurance is legally required in Germany. Feather says the German consulate requires it for a visa, and that in most cases you need it before you arrive. Expat insurance has a standard 31-day waiting period, so do not leave it late.
- Personal liability is not automatically required by law. Feather notes that landlords sometimes require it, that around 85% of Germans have some form of it, and that drone owners must have drone cover.
- Dog liability is required in 7 German states, according to Feather, and highly recommended in the others. Dogs are not covered by personal liability insurance.
- Household and dental insurance: Feather describes household insurance as cover for the belongings in your flat and dental insurance as an add-on to public health insurance. Its household page says most renters in Germany have both household and liability insurance.
2. Pick your cover and get a quote
I am a student under 30 at an accredited German university
Feather says student public insurance is strongly recommended for this group, because it provides very broad coverage at a discounted rate. To start, it says only the acceptance letter from your university is required. See Feather's public health insurance plans.
I just arrived, I am a job seeker or I am applying for my first visa
Feather says expat insurance works for almost all first visas and residence permits, and that your policy documents appear in your account immediately after you sign up. It covers accidents, emergencies and new illnesses, inpatient and outpatient, but not pre-existing conditions or preventive care. Feather also says that if you are not employed in Germany, expat insurance is your best option, because signing up for public or private insurance without employment is almost impossible. Get a quote for Feather's expat health insurance.
I have a job in Germany
Feather says public insurance is mandatory for employees earning between €7,236 and €77,400 a year before taxes. It says private insurance is probably the better option for employees earning above €77,400 and for freelancers earning above €30,000. Check public health insurance or check private health insurance. For an overview of all three tiers, see Feather's health insurance comparison.
I rent a flat and want protection from everyday accidents
Personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) covers accidental damage you cause to other people or their property. According to Feather, it covers up to €50 million with no deductibles and no waiting period, and cover is worldwide. It covers damage to rented property, replacement of lost keys, and damage caused by small pets, but not dogs. It does not cover broken glass in your own home, your own property, locksmith call-outs or fines. Feather also lists limits of €20,000 for a borrowed motor vehicle damaged by misfuelling and €5,000 for an employer's or colleague's property. Get a personal liability quote from €4.94 a month.
I want to protect my belongings
Feather's household contents insurance starts from €2.33 a month. According to Feather, it covers belongings in your home against burglary, vandalism, fire and water damage, with zero deductible and no waiting period. Cover extends to all residents of the home, and Feather says you need one policy for the whole flat, because single rooms cannot be insured. Claims are reimbursed at the price of your items when new. Bicycle theft, broken glass, negligence and moving expenses are optional add-ons. Feather lists building fixtures, damage from a blown fuse (unless caused by lightning), simple theft and large-scale conflict as not covered. Get a household insurance quote from €2.33 a month.
I have a dog
Feather says dog liability insurance is separate from personal liability insurance and is required in 7 German states. Check Feather's dog liability insurance.
I am on public health insurance and want better dental cover
Feather's dental insurance is an add-on to your existing German public health policy. Its page says professional cleanings are covered with €200 per year back to you and that advanced plans cover crowns, bridges and other tooth replacement, with coverage limitations applying. The page also states that Stiftung Warentest rated "Mehr Zahn 90" as "Very good (1.1)". Pre-existing and ongoing treatments are not covered. Get a Feather dental insurance quote.
Feather also lists legal, bike, pet health, car, life and disability insurance. Check each product page for current terms.
3. Is Feather insurance legit?
These are the facts Feather publishes about itself:
- Licence: Feather's German terms state that it is a licensed insurance intermediary under § 34d (1) GewO.
- Registration: Feather's website states that it is registered in the German insurance brokers' register under number D-E6HJ-UVL9S-62. Check this yourself in the official Vermittlerregister, which the German chambers of commerce (DIHK) run for the public.
- Company: "Feather" is a brand of Popsure Deutschland GmbH.
- Partners and independence: Feather says it offers insurance through a number of insurance partners, and that the risk carrier for each product is named in that plan's terms and conditions. It says neither it nor its shareholders hold 10% or more of an insurer's voting rights or capital, and that no insurer holds 10% or more of Feather.
- Fees and commission: Feather says it applies no administration charges to customers for arranging or administering policies, and that you can ask for details of the commission applicable to your specific policy.
- Complaints: Feather says you can complain at hello@feather-insurance.com. It says it will acknowledge a complaint within five business days and aim to give a final response within four weeks.
- Size and ratings: Feather's pages show more than 187,000 customers covered, more than 75,000 processed claims, and ratings of 4.8 on Google and 4.6 on Trustpilot. Feather publishes these figures itself, so read recent reviews on both sites before you buy.
4. How much does Feather insurance cost?
Feather publishes clear prices for two products. Personal liability costs €4.94 per month for one person, €6.58 per month for you and a partner, and €8.94 per month for a family, which covers your partner, children living with you and dependent parents in your home or in a German retirement facility. Household contents insurance starts from €2.33 per month, and the final price depends on your postal code and insured sum.
For health insurance, dental and most other products, the price depends on your age, income, plan and situation, so Feather shows it in its quote tool and we do not list a fixed number. Feather states that expat health pricing stays stable until age 65. A quote is the only way to know your real price, so start a quote with Feather and compare it with at least one other provider for the same cover.
5. Can you cancel Feather insurance anytime?
It depends on the product, so check before you buy.
- Expat health: you can cancel anytime. If the policy starts within 14 days of purchase, you have 14 days to cancel for a full refund, as long as no claims were made.
- Personal liability: Feather says there is no minimum period and you can cancel anytime. Its page says coverage ends at month-end, and its FAQ says you sign in, click cancel, and the policy expires on your next billing date.
- Household: Feather says there is no cancellation period. You can cancel at any time, and the policy stays active until the end of the current month.
- Dental: each policy period is one year. There is a 14-day withdrawal right after purchase. If you have already received a reimbursement in your first year, you must wait until the year ends. After the first year you can cancel with the end date being the last day of the month you request.
6. What to have ready before you sign up
- Student public insurance: your university acceptance letter first. After you arrive, you add your enrolment letter, a German bank account and your German address. Feather's student page says sign-up takes 3 minutes.
- Expat insurance: your arrival date, because the five-year limit is counted from the day you arrive, not the day you sign up. Your policy documents appear in your account immediately after signing up, ready to use as proof of insurance for a visa application.
- Personal liability: Feather says you are eligible if Germany will be your main place of residence, and that you do not need a permanent address to sign up.
- Household: your postal code and the amount you want to insure. Feather's estimator slider runs from €10,000 to €250,000.
- Dental: an existing German public health policy. Feather says applications take 3 to 5 business days to process.
- Any claim: keep every invoice and receipt, because claims are submitted through your Feather account.
7. Questions to ask before you buy
Whichever provider you consider, check the same points before you pay:
- What is the exact price for your age and situation?
- What is excluded, and what are the limits?
- Is there a waiting period? (Feather says expat health has a standard 31-day waiting period, while liability and household have none.)
- What are the cancellation rules for this specific product?
- Does the policy meet your visa requirement?
- Who is the risk carrier named in the terms and conditions?
8. Are there Feather insurance alternatives?
Yes. Feather says it works only with selected insurance companies and that there are many insurers it does not work with, so a quote from Feather does not cover the whole market. For public health insurance, Feather says there are around 100 sickness funds (Krankenkassen), while its partner pages list four of them: BARMER, TK, AOK and DAK. Feather's own blog also publishes a post comparing itself with Getsafe, but it is written by Feather, so treat it as one side of the story.
This review does not compare other providers, because that would need their official information. If Feather matches your needs, compare the three health tiers on Feather's site before you decide.
What this review could not verify: how fast and smooth Feather's claims are for you, whether its prices beat other providers for your situation, and any terms that changed after this article was last updated. Always read the live product page and policy documents.
9. Sources and next steps
Sources (Feather's published pages and documents)
Next steps
Rules, prices and requirements change over time, so always verify current details with the provider and the official authority that applies to your situation.
