Car Insurance Germany

Auto insurance in Germany: The most important facts in brief

Motor vehicle or car liability insurance and comprehensive insurance

Motor vehicle liability insurance is compulsory. Partial and comprehensive insurance are voluntary. For old cars of low value, motor third-party liability insurance is sufficient. For more expensive cars, at least partial comprehensive insurance makes sense, and for new cars and expensive used cars, comprehensive insurance.

Simply change, save a lot

The price of a policy depends heavily on individual characteristics such as age, profession, place of residence, and car. Above all, it depends on the insurer and the tariff. Our car insurance comparison determines low-priced policies that fit your individual needs in Germany.

No-claims classes

For each accident-free year, the customer gets into a better no-claims class. This reduces the premium. On the other hand, if you cause an accident, you move up to a more expensive no-claims class in your car insurance in Germany. Sometimes it is worth paying for a minor accident yourself to keep the favorable class.

Important benefits

Many important benefits of car insurance in Germany are not automatically included. It is important to have the highest possible coverage amount, as well as a clause in comprehensive insurance that the insurance company pays in full even in cases of gross negligence.

Save money

You can save a lot of money on car insurance in Germany – for example, with annual instead of semi-annual payments, with a deductible at a reasonable level, with workshop lock-in, and many other discounts, such as for parking in a garage. Consider all these points in your car insurance comparison Germany!

Motor vehicle liability, partial cover (Teilkasko), fully comprehensive insurance (Vollkasko)

The most important thing is the motor vehicle liability insurance. It is required by law. That’s why insurers must accept every customer – at least under the statutory conditions and minimum sums. They may only refuse customers in exceptional cases, for example, if someone has not paid the premium in the past, if the insurer only insures selected occupational groups such as civil servants, or if it has its business territory only in a certain region and the customer lives elsewhere. If the driver causes an accident, motor liability insurance covers the damage suffered by the other road user – whether that is a pedestrian, a motorist, or a cyclist.

It also pays for property damage to other people’s property, such as a property wall that has been hit. Car liability insurance does not cover the repair of your own car. Around 13 percent of passenger cars in Germany are only covered by motor liability insurance. Most of these are older cars of low value.

Partial cover (Teilkasko) – for glass breakage and storms

A further 29 percent of car owners also take out partial casco insurance. On average, this costs around 90 euros extra in addition to the motor vehicle liability insurance. Partial cover pays out in the event of theft – if the car is stolen or only individual parts of it, as well as in the event of a burglary. It also covers glass breakage, for example, if a crack renders the windshield unusable.

It also covers damage caused by severe weather: storms, hail, flooding, lightning. In the case of storm damage, however, the car insurance in Germany only applies from wind force. Damage caused by fire and explosion is also covered, as is short-circuit damage to the wiring. In addition, game accidents and marten bites are covered, as are the consequences of snow and roof avalanches in some tariffs. In other words, it’s all about the damage that the driver cannot influence through his driving style. For this reason, there are no no-claims classes in partial coverage insurance and thus no price reductions after accident-free years – but there is also no downgrading in the event of damage.

Fully comprehensive insurance (Vollkasko) – useful for expensive cars

Fully comprehensive insurance automatically includes partial casco – supplemented by protection in the event of self-inflicted accidents: If you have an accident, the fully comprehensive car insurance in Germany pays for the repair of your car. It also covers vandalism, for example, if unknown persons scratch the paint or break off the antenna. Comprehensive insurance also covers the customer if he or she has had an accident through no fault of his or her own and the person who caused it is a hit-and-run driver. In addition, it can save nerves in the case of accidents abroad, if there is a dispute with the foreign insurance company.

Those affected can then first claim on their comprehensive car insurance. Then the discount is downgraded, but if the opposing car insurance company in Germany pays later, the domestic insurer reverses this. Comprehensive insurance costs an average of about 325 euros per year. It is advisable for expensive cars. Most fully comprehensive insured cars are worth 15,000 euros or more.

How to change car insurance in Germany easily?

When you buy a car, you can object to taking over the previous car insurance. By doing so, you cancel the entire contract and are allowed to change the car insurance company. The reasons for cancellation are not relevant and therefore do not have to be declared to the insurance company. The purchaser can do this at his own discretion. This is because purchasers often wish to claim their suitable tariff elsewhere.

Notice of cancellation must be received by the insurer within one month of the car purchase. If the buyer does not learn of the existence of insurance until later, the period begins to run from that time. The cancellation can then be made effective immediately or at the end of the insurance year.

It is even easier if you, as the buyer, simply register the vehicle in your name at the registration office. Before doing so, you will need to take out a new car insurance policy. After the conclusion, you will receive the required eVB number.

Summary – Car Insurance Germany

We hope our car insurance germany comparison will help you. Of course there are many car insurance providers on the market, but I hope this article gives you a good overview with our car insurance calculator Germany about the best car insurance you can find in Germany. If you want to compare more policies you can check out this comparison calculator. If you need more information about other insurances in Germany, check out our other articles.

Disclaimer: This article reflects my personal opinion about the above mentioned insurance providers and their offered policies. I am not giving insurance advice nor am I working for the above mentioned companies. However the article contains affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission if you use those links.