Source: BUS Sachsen-Anhalt (Linie6PLus)

Apply for exemption from the obligation to obtain a license as an insurance intermediary

Description

In principle, as a self-employed insurance broker you need a permit. Your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) is responsible for this. However, as a so-called product-accessory insurance intermediary, you can be exempted from the obligation to obtain a permit. To do this, you must submit an application to your local IHK.

You are a product-accessory insurance intermediary if you broker supplementary insurance policies in addition to your main activity. This means that the risk for which you broker insurance must arise directly from the goods or services.

Example of such product-supplementary insurance brokerage:

Brokering motor insurance in connection with a car purchase.
Procuring life insurance as collateral in connection with the conclusion of a loan agreement.
The mediation of a transport insurance in connection with delivery services.

You must also be entered in the insurance intermediary register. When applying for a permit exemption, you can simultaneously submit an application for entry in the register of intermediaries.

Special features for foreign nationals:

If you are a foreign national with a branch in another member state of the European Union (EU), you must register in that country. You do not need a permit exemption in Germany, nor can you register in the German insurance intermediary register.

For foreign nationals from non-EU countries, the same regulations apply as for German nationals. These also apply to EU nationals who register a corresponding trade exclusively in Germany.

Prerequisites

You broker the insurance policies only as a supplement to other products or services (accessoriness)
- Example: A car dealer, when selling cars, also brokers motor vehicle insurance policies
You exercise your activity
- on behalf of one or more licensed insurance intermediaries, or
- on behalf of one or more insurance companies
Your principal makes a declaration about:
- Your personal reliability,
- your qualifications and
- your financial circumstances
You have taken out professional indemnity insurance. Currently a minimum cover sum of:
- EUR 1,276,000 for each insured event and
- EUR 1,919,000 for all insured events in one year in total.

Required documents

Copy of your valid identity card or passport
for proof of the legal form of the company:
- if the company has its registered office in Germany:
  - Extract from the commercial register or the partnership register, in the case of companies entered in a register, otherwise
  - a copy of the articles of association
- If the company is domiciled abroad: relevant documents from the country of domicile proving the legal form of the company
Declaration of the principal, i.e. the insurance company or the head broker, about your personal reliability, your qualifications and about your orderly financial circumstances.

In the case of legal entities, you only need to complete the application form for the legal entity itself. You must submit all personal documents for all persons authorised to manage the company. For the legal entity, you also need an extract from the central business register.

Partnerships are not eligible for a permit as such. Therefore, each managing partner requires the permit. For each of these persons, you must submit a completed application form and all personal documents.

Attention: Your IHK may request further documents to verify your personal reliability. Some of the documents submitted may not exceed an expiry date at the time of the decision (not just at the time of submission). Please enquire about this with your IHK.

Fees (costs)

The fees for the permit exemption for product-accessory insurance intermediaries and for registration in the insurance intermediary register vary depending on the IHK.

Written form required: yes

Personal appearance required: no

Procedure

You can apply for the permit exemption in writing:

Download the application form from the website of your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Fill it out completely.
Then send it with the required documents to your competent IHK.
As soon as you have provided all the information and the documents are complete, the IHK will decide on your application.
After a positive examination, you will receive the permit exemption and, if applicable, will be entered in the insurance intermediary register.
The granted permission exemption is valid for an unlimited period. It ends only if you renounce it. Under certain conditions, the IHK can revoke or withdraw the permit exemption and have you deleted from the register of insurance brokers.

Note: As a rule, your local IHK also offers an online procedure.