Car Insurance — Liability, Comprehensive, and No-Claims Discount

Car Insurance — Mandatory in Germany

In Germany, no car can drive without Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung (liability insurance). Without insurance, you cannot get a license plate or registration. Driving without insurance is a criminal offense (§ 6 PflVG).

Three Types of Insurance

1. Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung (Mandatory!)

Liability insurance pays for damage you cause to others:

• Personal injury — injuries to other people
• Property damage — damaged cars, guardrails, buildings
• Financial loss — lost income of the injured party

Minimum coverage amounts:
- Personal injury: €7.5 million
- Property damage: €1.22 million
- Financial loss: €50,000

Recommendation: Choose coverage of €100 million flat rate — the additional cost is small, but protection is significantly better.

2. Teilkasko (Third-Party Fire & Theft) — Optional

Third-party coverage pays for damage to your own vehicle caused by:

• Theft (vehicle or parts)
• Fire and explosion
• Weather events (hail, storm, flooding)
• Animal collisions (collision with wildlife)
• Glass damage (stone chips, windshield)
• Marten bites (to cables and hoses)
• Lightning strike

3. Vollkasko (Comprehensive) — Optional

Comprehensive coverage includes everything from Teilkasko plus:

• Own-fault accidents — damage to your own car
• Vandalism — intentional damage by third parties
• Hit-and-run — when the other driver is not identified

No-Claims Discount Class (SF-Klasse)

The Schadenfreiheitsklasse determines how much you pay. The longer you drive without accidents, the cheaper it gets:

SF-Class for Foreigners

Problem: If you come from abroad, you typically start in the expensive SF 0 or SF ½ — even if you've been driving claim-free for years.

Solutions:

• Request a no-claims certificate from your foreign insurer (in German or English)
• Some German insurers recognize foreign claim-free years — ask them!
• Transfer SF-Class — spouse or parents can transfer their SF-Class (fully or partially)
• Second car rule — if a family member already has an insured car, the second car often starts at SF ½ instead of SF 0

Typical Costs (As of March 2026)

Costs depend on many factors: vehicle type, location, age, SF-Class, annual mileage.

Novice drivers and newcomers pay particularly high premiums — up to €1,500–2,000/year for liability alone.

eVB-Nummer — Insurance Proof

For registration, you need an eVB-Nummer (electronic proof of insurance):

1. Conclude insurance (online, by phone, or in person)
2. You receive a 7-digit eVB-Nummer via email or SMS
3. Provide this number to the vehicle registration office
4. The office electronically verifies your insurance coverage

Without eVB-Nummer, no registration!

Deductible (SB)

With comprehensive insurance, you can agree on a deductible:

• Teilkasko: typically €150
• Vollkasko: typically €300–500

Advantage: The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. For small claims, you pay yourself, but you save on annual premiums.

Switching Car Insurance

• Deadline: Most contracts can be canceled by November 30th (applies to the following year)
• Special termination right for premium increases or after a claim
• Comparison portals: Check24, Verivox, HUK24 — price comparison takes 5 minutes

Money-Saving Tips

• Annual payment — instead of monthly or quarterly (up to 10% discount)
• Workshop binding — commit to using a partner workshop (10–15% discount)
• Register few drivers — only people who actually drive
• State garage/parking spot — reduces premium
• State realistic mileage — fewer km/year = cheaper
• Telematics tariff — especially for young drivers: an app measures your driving behavior and rewards safe driving with discounts (up to 30%)

Status: March 2026. All information without warranty.