How car Insurance in Germany works: Complete guide

3 types of German car insurance

Haftphlicht Insurance: 3rd party liability Insurance. This is the most basic insurance coverage and it is required in order to register a car in Germany. This Insurance, covers any damage that you or your car inflict on other people, property, other cars…. It will not cover damage that was done to your own car. Every Car on German roads is required to have this liability insurance.
Teilkasko Insurance: Partial insurance coverage also includes Haftphlicht insurance(3rd party liability), but expands the coverage to cover handful of things as your car as well! You car will be insured against theft, and accidental damage done by other drivers.
Vollkasko Insurance: Full coverage insurance will naturally include Hafpplicht(liability insurance) but extend your coverage is to cover damage that even YOU cause to your own car. Full coverage insurance will also insure against Hit & Run damage and vandalism.

Every insurance provider will offer their own version of each of these insurance categories. This list is intended to give you a basic overview as to how these car insurance categories differ form one another. If your ready, start comparing different Car insurance providers here.

Key terms to know about German car insurance

Farhzeugschein(HSN/TSN)

Every car that is registered in Germany has two registration papers that prove vehicle ownership. When insuring a car, you need to know the exact ‚Make & Model‘ (Schlüssel Nummer). This information is can be found in the vehicles ‚Fahrzeugschein‘ in sections 2.1 and 2.2.

*You can still get a Car insurance quote on a vehicle without a specific ‚Make & Model number from the ‚Fahrezeugschein‘ HERE

Selbstbeteiligung: Insurance deductible

You will generally have various options as to how high of a deductible you want to set for your insurance premium to be:

€0,
€150
€300
€500

Naturally, the higher you set your deductible… the cheaper your insurance plan will cost.

Schadensfreiheitsrabatt (SFR): No claims bonus

Every year that you do not make a car insurance claim, your SFR number increases by 1. The SFR number is how insurance companies rate how safe of a driver you are. The higher the SFR number… the better! You will most likely start with an SFR 0, each year this number will grow as you drive accident free. The higher an SFR number you have, the cheaper you car insurance premiums become!

Elektronische Versicherungsbestätigung(eVB nummer): Digital insurance confirmation number

This is a number you receive from the insurance provider after you sign up for their insurance plan. ***This number is required when registering a car in Germany.

Schutzbriefversicherung: Roadside assistance

Road side assistance is an added insurance option you can add to an insurance premium or purchase from a 3rd party road side assistance company(ADAC). This insurance covers costs associated with your car breaking down.

How to get the cheapest car insurance in Germany

6 tips & tricks to get the cheapest car insurance in Gremany

Use a comparison site like TarrifCheck.de to get the best deals
pay your premium yearly instead of Monthly.
Park your car in a secure location and not on the street.
Drive fewer kilometers every year, the more you drive… the more you pay.
Limit the number of people who can drive your car.
Limit the age of the youngest person you allow to drive your car.