You cannot register a car in Germany without insurance. The registration office requires an eVB number — a 7-digit electronic confirmation your insurer issues free of charge.
The three levels of cover
| Type | What it covers | Annual cost (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Haftpflicht (mandatory) | Damage you cause to others. Not your own car. | €200 – 400 |
| Teilkasko (partial) | Theft, glass, hail, storm, fire, animal collisions | + €100 – 300 |
| Vollkasko (full) | Everything above plus your own at-fault accidents and vandalism | €400 – 900 |
Rule of thumb: Vollkasko makes sense for cars under about 4 years old or bought on finance. For vehicles over 8–10 years old, Teilkasko is usually enough.
SF classes — the single biggest factor in your premium
German premiums are built on Schadenfreiheitsklasse (SF) — how many years you have driven without a claim. Classes run from SF 0 to SF 35, and the gap between them is hundreds of euros a year.
A detail most people miss: SF classes apply to Haftpflicht and Vollkasko only. Teilkasko has no SF class — claiming on it does not raise your premium. That matters when deciding which policy to claim against for minor damage.
You can bring your no-claims record from your home country
This is the most valuable and least known point in this article. Most new arrivals are placed at SF 0 and overpay for years, not realising their foreign driving record can be recognised.
- Ask your previous insurer for written confirmation of your claim-free years — a Schadenverlaufsbescheinigung (claims history certificate).
- Have it translated into German. Some insurers accept English; a German translation is safest.
- Your previous policy generally must have ended within the last 6 months. Deal with this as soon as you arrive — do not wait.
- Not every insurer accepts foreign records, and recognition varies. Get quotes from several — one refusal does not mean the next will refuse.
For someone arriving with ten claim-free years, this can be worth several hundred euros annually.
What else moves your premium
- Regionalklasse: your postcode. Big cities cost more.
- Typklasse: the make and model.
- Annual mileage: declaring less lowers the premium — but be realistic, exceeding it causes problems.
- Garage parking reduces cost.
- Named drivers: adding a young driver raises it sharply.
- Selbstbeteiligung (excess): €150 on Teilkasko and €300 on Vollkasko cuts premiums noticeably.
Switching insurer: the 30 November deadline
Most German car policies run on the calendar year, and 30 November is the cancellation deadline. Miss it and your policy renews for another year. November is comparison season in Germany — make it an annual habit.
Exception: if your insurer raises your premium, or you change vehicle, you gain a special right of cancellation (Sonderkündigungsrecht) mid-year.
Figures are 2026 market averages; your actual premium depends on the vehicle, your postcode and your SF class.