Which Car Insurance Do You Need in Germany? (2026)
The verdict
Kfz-Haftpflicht, third-party motor liability, is compulsory in Germany, and no car is registered without an eVB number. Every motor tariff compared here carries EUR 100,000,000 of cover. The cheapest published premium is HUK24 at EUR 250 a year, then CosmosDirekt at EUR 285.46 a year. If you do not speak German, Feather is the only one here with English documents. Your own premium is fixed only at quotation, because it depends on the vehicle, your address, the driver and your no-claims class.
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What are the top car insurance providers in Germany?
Of the sixteen German motor records in this catalogue, only two publish an actual annual premium, and those two lead here: HUK24 at EUR 250 and CosmosDirekt at EUR 285.46. Feather is third because it is the only record with English policy documents. All three carry EUR 100,000,000 of cover. Everyone else, including HUK-Coburg, Allianz, AXA, ERGO, R+V, Gothaer, VHV, DEVK, Signal Iduna, Württembergische, Verti, DA Direkt and LVM, prices only at quotation.
HUK24
HUK24 Kfz Classic
Cheapest premium. Repeatedly the cheapest quality tariff in Finanztip tests: EUR 250 a year for Teilkasko, with the eVB issued instantly on online conclusion.
Get a HUK24 quote- Cover limit
Cover limit
The most the insurer pays for a single claim (Deckungssumme). Everything above it is yours, which is why liability policies carry limits in the millions.
- EUR 100,000,000
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- EUR 500
- Notice period
Notice period
How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term.
- 1 month
- English documents
- No
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Cheapest published premium
- Claims handled through the HUK-Coburg network
Cons
- German only
- Not listed on CHECK24 or Verivox
- Workshop-binding clauses in the cheap variants
Best for German-speaking drivers who want the cheapest quality tariff
CosmosDirekt Lebensversicherungs-AG / Generali
CosmosDirekt Autoversicherung Basis
EUR 285.46 a year for an SF20 Vollkasko profile, the cheapest of four quoted premiums.
Get a CosmosDirekt quote- Cover limit
Cover limit
The most the insurer pays for a single claim (Deckungssumme). Everything above it is yours, which is why liability policies carry limits in the millions.
- EUR 100,000,000
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- EUR 500
- Notice period
Notice period
How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term.
- 1 month
- English documents
- No
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Very cheap for experienced drivers
- DISQ most popular motor insurer twelve years running
Cons
- No transfer of a foreign no-claims record
- German only
- The price advantage shrinks for young drivers
Best for Experienced drivers with a high no-claims class
Feather Insurance GmbH, broker
Feather car insurance
In English. The only provider giving eligible non-EU newcomers an SF3 start without proof, and the only one handling claims in English.
Get a Feather quote in English- Cover limit
Cover limit
The most the insurer pays for a single claim (Deckungssumme). Everything above it is yours, which is why liability policies carry limits in the millions.
- EUR 100,000,000
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- EUR 500
- Notice period
Notice period
How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term.
- 1 month
- English documentsBest
- Yes
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- English documents and English claims handling
- Built for foreign driving histories
Cons
- A broker, not the risk carrier
- Mid price level once the history is transferred
- The underwriter varies by policy
Best for Newcomers without German and with a foreign driving history
What types of car insurance exist in Germany?
German insurers sell three levels, usually laddered inside one tariff: HUK24 even names all three in the product itself, as Haftpflicht, Teilkasko and Vollkasko.
Kfz-Haftpflicht, third-party liability
Compulsory. It pays for injury, property damage and financial loss you cause to other people, up to EUR 100,000,000. Your own car is not covered.
Teilkasko
Voluntary. It covers damage to your own vehicle that does not come from a collision you caused. The HUK24 premium of EUR 250 a year is a Teilkasko premium.
Vollkasko
Voluntary and the most complete level: it additionally pays for a collision you caused and for vandalism. The CosmosDirekt premium of EUR 285.46 a year is for a Vollkasko profile with a EUR 500 excess.
Is car insurance mandatory in Germany?
The liability part yes, Teilkasko and Vollkasko no. All sixteen motor records in this catalogue are marked as required by law, and every one of them carries a cover limit of EUR 100,000,000. The own-damage layers are your choice.
The duty attaches to the vehicle rather than the journey: the Zulassungsstelle will not register a car at all without a valid confirmation of cover.
How much does car insurance cost in Germany?
A premium without its profile is not a number. The EUR 250 from HUK24 is for a 38-year-old woman with a Golf in Göttingen on Teilkasko, the cheapest tariff in the Finanztip test. The EUR 285.46 from CosmosDirekt is a different profile: Vollkasko with a EUR 500 excess at no-claims class SF20.
In that same SF20 Vollkasko comparison, HUK24 came in at EUR 504.23, Gothaer at EUR 565.38 and LVM at EUR 583.18 a year. Compare a single number across insurers and you are really comparing four different drivers.
The remaining providers in the catalogue carry no premium because they do not publish one: Allianz, AXA, ERGO, VHV and DEVK quote through agents, brokers or a calculator, and HUK-Coburg through its field sales force.
Is a foreign no-claims record recognised in Germany?
The Schadenfreiheitsklasse, or SF class, is the German no-claims ladder. It rises with every claim-free year and is the single biggest price lever in a tariff. Whether your years abroad count is each insurer's own decision, and the rules sit a long way apart.
- HUK24 and Verti credit EEA certificates issued on the EU template. Verti keeps a dedicated page explaining it.
- Allianz additionally credits named non-EU countries including the USA, Canada, Japan and Switzerland, provided the certificate is no more than six months old.
- Feather gives eligible non-EU drivers aged 23 and over an SF3 start without proof, and transfers histories from the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Ukraine and Bosnia.
- CosmosDirekt transfers no foreign history and rates you at SF one-half if you have held an EU or EEA licence for at least three years.
- AXA, VHV and DEVK decide case by case and publish no rule. Ask in writing before you sign.
How do you register a car in Germany?
The order matters: insurance first, registration second. The insurer issues an eVB number, the electronic confirmation of cover, and only with it will the Zulassungsstelle register the vehicle.
Two providers in this catalogue name the instant eVB explicitly: HUK24 issues it on online conclusion, and Feather issues it instantly in English. If your Zulassungsstelle appointment is already booked, that is the difference between today and next week.
Plan the exit too. Every motor contract in the catalogue carries a one-month notice period, and HUK24 names the window as running to 30 November for calendar-year contracts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is car insurance mandatory in Germany?
Third-party liability cover (Kfz-Haftpflicht) is compulsory. Every motor tariff in this catalogue is recorded as required by law and carries a cover limit of EUR 100,000,000. Teilkasko and Vollkasko are voluntary.
What is an eVB number?
The eVB is the electronic confirmation of cover that the Zulassungsstelle needs before it will register the car. HUK24 issues one instantly on online conclusion, and Feather issues one instantly in English.
Is a foreign no-claims record accepted?
The insurer decides. HUK24 credits EEA certificates issued on the EU template, and Verti does the same with a dedicated page for it. Allianz credits the EU plus named non-EU countries including the USA, Canada, Japan and Switzerland, with a certificate no more than six months old. CosmosDirekt transfers nothing and starts EU or EEA licence holders of three years or more at SF one-half. AXA, VHV and DEVK decide case by case and publish no rule.
Can you get a German car policy in English?
In this catalogue, only from Feather: it is the single motor record with English policy documents. HUK24, HUK-Coburg, Allianz, AXA, CosmosDirekt, ERGO, R+V, Gothaer, VHV, DEVK, Signal Iduna, Württembergische, Verti, DA Direkt and LVM are all recorded as German-only.
When can you cancel a German car policy?
Every motor record in the catalogue carries a one-month notice period. HUK24 names the window as running to 30 November for contracts that follow the calendar year.
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