Germany

Is Germany safe to visit?

Yes. Germany had 0.91 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, lower than the UK, and about 34 road deaths per million in 2025, well under the EU average. Health care is excellent and natural hazards are modest. We score it 88. The weak point is terrorism. Several attacks on crowds since 2024 have kept the threat high, and both the UK and the US flag it.

Terrorism and attacks on crowds

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Germany, the same wording it uses for France. The US State Department keeps Germany at Level 2, "exercise increased caution", and names knives, small arms, crude explosives and vehicles as the methods.

The recent record shows why. On 25 July 2026 a driver hit a crowd at Berlin's Christopher Street Day, the city's Pride celebration, in the Tiergarten near the Brandenburg Gate; one person was killed and 29 injured, according to the FCDO, and the event was called off. In May 2026 a driver killed two people in a pedestrian street in central Leipzig; investigators found no political motive and the suspect was sent to a psychiatric hospital. In December 2024 a car attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market killed six. The FCDO also lists a knife attack in Solingen in 2024 that killed three.

The Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary dropped Germany five places to 28th in 2026, citing violent demonstrations and a record rise in politically motivated crime. Still, the odds of any visitor being caught up in an attack are very small. What has changed is the setting: concrete barriers at markets and festivals, armed police at big stations, and bag checks at stadiums. Follow police instructions at large events.

Pickpockets in stations and on trains

Day to day, theft is the risk you are most likely to meet. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says crime levels are similar to the UK and warns about pickpocketing at airports, railway stations and crowded places. Berlin police recorded 13,621 pickpocketings in 2025, down 14.6%, and 6,192 thefts from people on buses and trains. The hot spots there are Alexanderplatz, the U2 and U8 lines and the S-Bahn; our Berlin page has the full list.

The same pattern holds at the main stations in Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg and Munich, and in the crowds at Oktoberfest and the Christmas markets. Frankfurt's station district (Bahnhofsviertel) has open drug use and is unpleasant at night, though tourists pass through it every day.

The FCDO also warns about counterfeit euro notes. Change money only at banks or official exchanges and check your change.

Roads: the Autobahn is not the main danger

Destatis counted 2,814 road deaths in 2025 (preliminary), 44 more than in 2024 and about 3.4 per 100,000 people. Rural states fare worst: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (60 per million) and Brandenburg (50) had the highest rates, while Berlin and Hamburg were around 10.

The Autobahn has no general speed limit on many stretches, only a recommended 130 km/h. That is safer than it sounds because of strict lane discipline, but visitors used to slower roads get caught out by cars closing at over 200 km/h. Check your mirror twice before pulling out, and never pass on the right.

In cities, watch for bikes. Cycle lanes are often on the pavement, marked by red paving or a white line, and riders expect you to stay out of them. Deaths among cyclists and car occupants rose in the first eleven months of 2025.

Health and natural hazards

Hospitals are excellent, and tap water is safe. There are no tropical diseases. Hikers in southern Germany should know about tick-borne encephalitis, a virus spread by ticks in the forests of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Check for ticks after walks in long grass, and consider the vaccine if you plan a lot of forest hiking.

Floods are the serious natural hazard. In July 2021 flash floods in the Ahr valley and other parts of western Germany killed well over a hundred people. Heat waves, winter storms and avalanches in the Bavarian Alps are the other risks. Avalanche warnings for the Alps are published daily in winter.

How to stay safe in Germany

• At Christmas markets, festivals and Pride events, know your exits and follow police instructions.
• Keep phones and wallets zipped away on the U-Bahn and S-Bahn and at main stations.
• Stay off red-paved cycle lanes, and look for bikes before crossing.
• On the Autobahn, keep right and let fast cars pass.
• Check for ticks after hiking in the south.
• Call 112 for fire and ambulance, 110 for police.

How we scored it

Violent crime (95), health (92) and road safety (91) are strong. Conflict (78) is the weakest factor, close to France and below the UK, because of repeated attacks on crowds. Petty crime (76) loses points for pickpocketing at stations and on public transport in the big cities.