The invention provides an overvoltage protection element, with a housing, an overvoltage-limiting component, two connecting elements as well as an elastic separation tongue, the separation tongue in a standard state of overvoltage protection element is connected with the first connecting element in a conductive contact by the first end and is connected with the overvoltage-limiting component in a conductive contact by the second end, and the second end of the separation tongue is connected with the overvoltage-limiting component by the welding point, and the welding connection is separated when the temperature of the overvoltage-limiting component exceeds the pregiven operating value, thereby the formed separation point separates the electric aspect when the overvoltage-limiting component is thermal overload. In order to guarantee that the defective overvoltage-limiting component, high-insulating intensity and creepage intensity are reliably separated, and the separation tongue overcomes elastic force itself when connected with the overvoltage-limiting component by the welding point on the second end, and is extends and deflects relative to a loose state thereof, thereby the second end of the separation tongue not only executes the linear motion F1, but also executes the gyroscopic motion F2, when the welding connection is separated.