Short answer

• NIVEA’s parent company (Beiersdorf) says it does not carry out animal testing “unless this is mandatory by law,” and that it works on alternative test methods and to persuade regulators (e.g., in China) to accept non‑animal methods. (niveausa.com)
• Major cruelty‑free certifiers and animal‑welfare NGOs (for example PETA and several cruelty‑free directories) list NIVEA / Beiersdorf as NOT cruelty‑free because the company sells in markets where animal tests can be required and the brand is not Leaping Bunny / PETA‑certified. (crueltyfree.PETA.org)

What that means in practice

• NIVEA claims a company policy to avoid animal testing wherever legally possible and to invest in alternative methods. (niveausa.com)
• However, because NIVEA sells products in jurisdictions where regulators may require animal testing for product registration (historically China and some other markets), third‑party certifiers and NGOs regard the brand as not cruelty‑free: the company cannot guarantee no animal testing occurred at any stage for all markets and product categories. (crueltyfree.PETA.org)

How to verify for a product you care about

• Look for independent certification (Leaping Bunny / Cruelty Free International, PETA Cruelty‑Free). Brands that carry these seals have been audited or have committed to stricter, verifiable policies. (NIVEA does not carry those seals.) (NIVEA.co.uk)
• If you want, I can check a specific NIVEA product (or competitor brands) and whether it’s sold/registered in markets that require animal tests or whether a cruelty‑free certification exists for that SKU.

Sources

• NIVEA / Beiersdorf sustainability / animal‑testing pages (company policy and FAQ). (niveausa.com)
• PETA Cruelty‑Free list entry for NIVEA / Beiersdorf. (crueltyfree.PETA.org)
• Cruelty‑free monitoring sites summarizing NIVEA’s status and issues around China/market requirements. (Crueltyfreekitty.com)

If you’d like, I can look up the current certification status of NIVEA today for a particular country or product and show the exact registration/market information.