Motor vehicle liability insurance

For a vehicle with a regular location in Germany, the owner must take out motor vehicle liability insurance in accordance with the Compulsory Insurance Act.

If a vehicle is to be used in Germany that does not have a regular location here, the following is required:

• the conclusion of a so-called frontier insurance, i.e. motor vehicle liability insurance in accordance with the law on liability insurance for foreign motor vehicles and trailers, or
• when entering the EU via the EU's external borders, the conclusion of a frontier insurance of another member state or
• a foreign motor vehicle liability insurance, if the claim is settled in Germany via the so-called green card system is guaranteed.

In the case of motor vehicle liability insurance from another country of the European Union and the European Economic Area, claims settlement in Germany is generally guaranteed via the green card system. If you have any questions on this point, please contact your foreign insurer.

Insurance cover

Motor vehicle liability insurance covers damage caused by an insured vehicle:

• People are injured or killed,
• property is damaged or destroyed or
• financial losses are incurred.

In the event of an accident, the insurance protects both the policyholder and the accident victim: The insurance compensates the accident victims for justified claims up to the amount of the agreed insured sums. The policyholder is thereby released from his obligations to pay compensation to the accident victim.

The following minimum sums insured are prescribed by law in Germany:

• EUR 7.5 million for personal injury,
• EUR 1.22 million for property damage and
• EUR 50,000 for pure financial losses.

However, most contracts in Germany provide for significantly higher sums insured.

Motor vehicle liability insurance offers no protection, particularly for damage to your own vehicle. This requires fully or partially comprehensive insurance.

Claims history

The consideration of the previous claims history of an insured person is not regulated regulated by law. If you move to Germany, please submit the claims certificate from your foreign insurer preferably in German or English.

Claim for damages against the insurer of the other party involved in the accident

In the event of an accident, contact the other party's motor vehicle liability insurer of the other party involved in the accident. If you do not know with whom the other party is insured, but you know the license plate number of the other party, call the central call of the car insurers .

Compensation in the event of damage caused by an uninsured or unidentified vehicle, in the event of an intentional act and in the event of insolvency of the insurer

If you have been injured in an uninsured motor vehicle, please contact the Verein Verkehrsopferhilfe e.V. - an organization of the German motor vehicle liability insurers, which performs the statutory tasks of compensating road accident victims.

Verkehrsopferhilfe e.V. also compensates traffic victims in the event of accidents in Germany caused by unidentified or uninsured motor vehicles or in which the car is deliberately and unlawfully used as a "weapon of crime" or the motor vehicle liability insurer is becomes insolvent becomes insolvent.

• Central call of the car insurers