Taking out mandatory motor vehicle insurance

German insurance law and compulsory insurance law do not contain any provisions that terminate or limit the insurance contract of a citizen from another EU Member State who moves to Germany.

Minimum insurance required

The insurance compensates the victims of the accident and any passengers in the vehicle with the individual who caused the accident in the case of justified claims up to at least the legally defined level of cover (EUR 7.5 million for bodily injury, EUR 1.22 million for damage to property and EUR 50 000 for purely pecuniary detriment). This insurance covers all cases in which individuals are injured or killed by an insured vehicle, property is damaged or destroyed or pecuniary detriment is suffered. The relevant sums are governed by the German Regulation on Compulsory Motor Vehicle Insurance (KfzPflVV). Most insurance policies that are bought in Germany have much higher sums insured.

Claim history

The consideration of an insured person's claim history is not required by law in Germany. When you move to Germany, you submit the claims certificate from your foreign insurer preferably in German or English.

Claiming compensation when the other driver is insured

In the event of an accident, contact the other driver's liability insurer. If you do not know who the other driver involved in the accident is insured with, but you have their registration number, call the Zentralruf (C entral Service Centre) for Motor Vehicle Insurers. You can contact the Zentralruf 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, free of charge. Telephone (from Germany): 0800 - 250 260 0; telephone (from outside of Germany; Mon. to Fri. 8:00 to 20:00): 0049 (40) 300 330 300; fax: 0049 (40) 339 65 - 401; Also visit the website to submit an online enquiry and access further information.

Claiming compensation if the other driver's vehicle is not insured

Germany has an insurance density of over 99% for compulsorily insured motor vehicles. However, if you do encounter an uninsured German motor vehicle that causes you damage, contact Verein Verkehrsopferhilfe e.V. (VOH), an institution of German motor liability insurers. VOH helps road accident victims in its function as a guarantee fund in the case of accidents in Germany that are caused by unidentified or uninsured motor vehicles or in which the car is used intentionally and unlawfully as a weapon or where the motor liability insurer becomes insolvent.

Dispute resolution

If you do not agree with the amount paid out or with any other decision made by the insurer, you can involve the German Insurance Ombudsman Association: Versicherungsombudsmann e. V., Postfach 080632, 10006 Berlin, Germany. However, if an insurer is not a member of the Insurance Ombudsman Association, the association will not be able to assist.

Zentralruf (C entral Service Centre) for Motor Vehicle Insurers

Claiming compensation if the other driver's vehicle is not insured

Verkehrsopferhilfe e.V.

Wilhelmstr. 43 / 43 G, 10117 Berlin, Telefon 0049 (30) 20 20 5858, Telefax 0049 (30) 20 20 5722,

Dispute resolution

Versicherungsombudsmann e. V., Postfach 080632, 10006 Berlin