Just like many other countries, you will need car insurance to keep your car on the road in Germany as provided by the law. The minimum you will need is third-party liability insurance to get registered and get a German license plate and must be displayed in the car all the time. Click here to see an overview of different car insurance providers in Germany. 

The German insurance market is regulated by The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). All the private German Insurance Companies are under one federation referred to as the German Insurance Association (GDV).

Use the car insurance calculator below (unfortunately only available in German) to see the rates that are available for you car. This can be an existing car or a new car.

Car Insurances

Car insurance cushions you against financial loss as a result of an accident or damages stated within the terms and Conditions. Your policy covers third-party liabilities; meaning your cover will extend to compensate any other party should you be the one that caused the accident or injury.

There are three types of car insurance that vary in coverage that a person chooses depending on their needs and characteristics, these three are:

1. Comprehensive insurance. It is the most expensive type of car policy and it covers the full cost of accidents and injuries caused by yourself, both damages to your own and other vehicles in case of an accident. This type of policy combines Third-party liability and partial insurance. Depending on the insurance company, some comprehensive insurance covers additional costs such as physical disability and death resulting from the accident
2. Third-party (Liability) insurance. It is a form of liability coverage that protects against claims of personal injury or damage suffered by a third party as a result of an accident caused by the policyholder. It is considered the basic type of car insurance. It only covers the other party’s medical costs and damages to their vehicles in the event of an accident that you are responsible for. Read more about a personal liability insurance here
3. Partial Insurance.  It covers everything mentioned in the Third-party cover and additional coverage such as damages caused by natural disasters, including theft and fire. Note that this policy doesn’t cover vandalism.

There are additional types of car insurance other than the three main types. These include:

• Breakdown Insurance. It covers the cost of towing your vehicle incase of a breakdown or accident. This cover may also include a rental car for the duration that your car is being fixed.
• Legal Insurance.This is a type that covers legal expenses in the event of an incident that goes to court.
• Additional equipment coverage. It covers the cost of damage or theft if you carry expensive items in your vehicle.

How much will it cost you to insure your car in Germany?

Car insurance in Germany is calculated based on a number of factors related to the driver and the vehicle itself. The cost also depends on the type of Insurance you are taking and car condition (brand new or second-hand) from around 150 Euros to over 1,000Euros annually.

The factors that determine the cost of car insurance in Germany include:

• Age of the driver. The cost of insurance declines with each birthday considering young drivers are likely to be in a car accident. The cost also increases from age 60 as age and slower reflex begin to impact driving

• The number of drivers insured. The higher the number of drivers for one vehicle the higher the cost of  insurance

• Record of the driver. Whenever the driver’s record is good, the amount of premium is lower. Every with no claim reduces the cost of car insurance by a certain percentage. Chances are that you may as well pay more if you are a new driver with no insurance track record.

• Model of the vehicle. You are likely to pay more for vehicles that cause more damage and more repair costs. Also, a new vehicle will cost more to insure than an older one. Newer cars are also expensive to insure due to having new parts.

• Mileage. The more the mileage, the more it will cost you to insure.

• Purpose of use of vehicle
• Location. If you are located in a bigger city, you will pay more for car insurance compared to a person located in a small city. Weather conditions also factor in when it comes to the cost of car insurance, severe weather areas are likely to face higher costs due to related causes of loss.

Requirements to get Car Insurance in Germany.

For one to purchase car insurance in Germany, He/She will be asked to provide the following documents:

• Personal ID.
• Driving history.
• German driving license number.
• Vehicle purchase documentation.
• German bank account details.

Insurance will provide you with an eVB number (elektronische Versicherungsbestätigung) via email along with your TUV certificate and vehicle tax form once you get your policy. The eVB number is a certification that your car is insured.

Car Insurance companies in Germany.

There are over 90 car insurance companies in Germany. Among them are:

• DA Direkt
• AXA
• RV24
• GetSafe
• BavariaDirekt
• CosmosDirekt

Making a car insurance claim in Germany

It is advisable to file your claims within 2 weeks of the accident. Asa policyholder, you will have to send the relevant information to your insurer and if there is more information that they need, they will let you know. Most cases provide that the claims should be resolved within 3 months. The cost of the claims is arranged directly with companies involved by your insurer, in this case the companies involved are auto garage repairs.

Accident incidents requires that you do the following:

• Take the details of the other parties involved in the accident and give them yours too.
• Take pictures of all the damages as a result of the accident.
• Fill in the accident report form to be submitted to your insurer.
• Get the contacts of any witnesses of the accident.
• Contact the  police if the accident resulted in injuries or if you knocked a parked car.
• Contact paramedics in case of serious injuries.

Instances where the other party doesn’t provide you with insurance details, you can provide the license plate number to the central Office of car insurers and they will provide you with required details of insurance claims.

Factors to consider when choosing a car insurance in Germany

Shop around for offers that completely cover your needs and comply with your finances before deciding on which car insurance policy you need. Below is the list of factors to put into consideration:

• Insure your cars with the same car insurance company if you have a number of vehicles.
• Check on customers feedback for the company’s reputation.
• Ask about discounts offered and No-claims bonus.
• To what extent does the policy cover and at what cost.
• How fast and honest is the claim process.
• Does the company offer a breakdown assistance policy?

Car Insurance Quotes Comparison

Every car in Germany must – by law – have a car insurance (“Kfz-Versicherung”).

Use our convenient calculator by Tarifcheck.de to compare virtually all car insurance providers in Germany!

We recommend to use the Google Chrome browser on this web page, because it will translate the calculator automatically.

You can manage all your different types of insurances in an app, for example by CLARK, so you can see all your contracts at a glance. They currently offer a 30€ Amazon gift card if you add at least two contracts to their free app.

You will start by selecting if you want to sign your first insurance (“Neues Auto versichern”) or if you want to switch insurances (“Versicherung wechseln”).

You will then need to provide the first letters on your license plate to indicate the city where you registered your car. Then you have to provide your car model.