New rules will come into force from December: from higher health insurance contributions to new rights in online trading – that’s now changing.
Pensions, health insurance, energy prices, online commerce and driverless cars – a variety of innovations will come into play in Germany at the end of this year. We’ll show you what will change in December.
Health insurance companies: additional contributions increased, tax benefits reduced
In December, health insurance companies are required to set their own policies Additional contributions for 2026 strickly. It is expected to increase by an average of 2.9 percent – an increase of 0.4 percentage points. At the same time, company pension benefits increased to 197.75 euros per month, providing some relief for retirees provided they are compulsorily insured (KVdR).
Good to know: If the health insurance company increases additional contributions, the insured can exercise the special right of termination of employment and switch to another insurance company without loss.
Direct integrated pension supplement
Starting December 1, 2025 pension supplements paid to retirees and certain disabled survivors, straight to the usual pension integrated (pension).
The technical implementation is done by placing a supplement in a form additional personal pay points (retirement points) are credited to the retirement account. This will result in additional fees that were previously paid separately permanently Part of the pension decision, included in the monthly payments and automatically increasing all future pension adjustments.
Important: One of the impacts of this innovation is that disabled retirees also receive widow’s or widower’s pensions. Through integration into pensions starting December 2025 The supplement is now counted as part of the overall pension and is therefore considered as income According to §97 SGB VI, income is taken into account when calculating the survivor’s pension. In certain cases this can cause a subtraction widow’s or widower’s pension.
No more cash: pension payments only to the account
Also starting December 1, Deutsche Post will finally stop paying pensions in cash. Anyone who has previously received a cash pension through a money order in the future will simply transfer the money to a bank account. Therefore, account connection will be mandatory from January 2026.
If you don’t have an account yet, you should do so act fast: Without a valid account, pension payments may stop temporarily – but will be transferred later as soon as the account is created.
New consumer rights in online commerce
From 19 December 2025 it will be mandatory cancel button introduced. Consumers can cancel contracts directly and legally safely without having to spend a long time searching for email addresses or forms.
But for online stores, the cancel button is only activated mandatory starting June 19, 2026. From now on, consumers can cancel contracts directly and legally with just one click.
Online stores are required to install the button so that it is clearly visible. Anyone who does not meet obligations from June 2026 is at risk Warning and with that one Extension of the cancellation period.
Train timetable changes: More connections – but higher prices
The new Deutsche Bahn timetable will come into effect on December 14, 2025. The changes mainly affect long-distance transport. When the timetable changes in December 2025, Deutsche Bahn (DB) is expected to rule out price increases for long-distance transport. Flexible and more economical prices and all BahnCards remain unchanged. Observers see this as a reaction to ongoing punctuality problems and numerous operational disruptions in long-distance transportation.
Among other things, caring additional connections for more ICE runners between Berlin and Stuttgart as well as Hamburg and Frankfurt, and the Munich-Berlin route will also be expanded.
However, there are changes in regional transport: German tickets were raised from 49 to 58 euros per month on January 1, 2025. Another increase will follow on January 1, 2026 – then the ticket price may be 63 euros.
Anyone who books tickets before December 14 can benefit from the old prices for onward travel.
New laws for autonomous driving
From 1 December 2025, Germany will legally allow this for the first time Remote control of the vehicle. In a five-year trial phase, vehicles could be controlled from a central control center – for example to automatically take a car-sharing car to the next user or to flexibly use driverless taxis.
Remote control complements autonomous systems and enables remote human intervention when technology reaches its limits. The federal government hopes to gain important insights into future mobility concepts, but is pressing the point Road safety is a top priority own.
