Car Insurance in Germany
for Expats 2026
Same car, but as a newcomer you often pay more and have to fight your way through German paperwork? Here you will learn how to transfer your no-claims years from abroad, what the eVB number is and which deadlines apply to your driving licence.
The key points at a glance
As an expat you need third-party liability car insurance in Germany, otherwise you cannot register your car. Three things decide your premium and your start: your no-claims class (ideally carried over from abroad), the eVB number for registration and a valid driving licence. If you come from the EU or EEA, it is considerably easier than coming from a non-EU country.
Last updated: 31 May 2026 | Reading time: approx. 8 minutes
What to expect
Why expats often pay more
When you ask for a car insurance quote as a newcomer, the premium is often higher than you expect. The reason is usually not your car, but your no-claims class (Schadenfreiheitsklasse, or SF class). It is the single biggest lever on your premium.
Insurers calculate your premium as a percentage of a base amount. If you start without recognised claim-free years, you land in a low class such as SF 0 and pay a high rate, around 100 percent of the base premium or more with many insurers. Drivers with many claim-free years pay only a fraction of that. The exact scale differs by insurer, but the principle is the same everywhere: recognised claim-free years are worth real money.
The good news: you do not necessarily start from zero. If you already insured a car abroad, you can often carry over your claim-free years, and that lowers your premium the most. The next section explains how.
Transferring your no-claims class from abroad
This is the most important point for your wallet. Whether and how your claim-free years are recognised depends on which country you come from.
If you come from the EU or EEA
You are in a strong position. Under Section 5c PflVG, a German insurer must treat your foreign claims record like a German one and may not put you at a disadvantage because of where you come from. So your proof that you drove without accidents has to be accepted.
Watch one detail: how many claim-free years are credited to you as an SF class is not fixed and can vary slightly by insurer. That is exactly why you should compare several offers, the difference in premium can be noticeable.
If you come from a non-EU country
There is no legal entitlement to recognition here. Many insurers still credit you something as a goodwill gesture, for example a mid-level class instead of SF 0, or they take into account how long you have held a licence. This is entirely voluntary and varies a lot, so comparing is even more worthwhile.
How to do it:
Ask your previous insurer abroad for a confirmation of your claims history (a “no-claims confirmation”). It must be issued within 15 days. Submit it to your German insurer, ideally already with your quote request. Without this proof you will almost always be classed as a beginner.
The eVB number: your key to registration
Without this small detail you cannot register your car in Germany. The eVB number(electronic insurance confirmation) is a seven-character code confirming that your vehicle has valid third-party liability cover.
What for?
You need it at the registration office. Without an eVB the authority will not accept your application.
What does it cost?
Nothing. You get it free of charge from your insurer, often within minutes by email or SMS.
Already insured?
No. The eVB is only the proof for registration; the actual contract is concluded separately.
In practice: once you have chosen a tariff, you have the eVB issued and take it to the registration office. You can find more detail in our guide to the eVB number.
Find a car insurance tariff that fits
Enter your details once and compare free of charge and without obligation. If you have claim-free years from abroad, add them straight away, it directly affects the premium.
Foreign driving licence: deadlines and exchange
This matters more for your insurance than many people think: without a valid licence you have no cover in the event of a claim. So you should know the deadlines.
EU and EEA licences
Your category B licence is valid in Germany until its printed expiry date. You do not need to exchange it and can keep driving straight away. EEA means the EU plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
Licence from a non-EU country
A deadline applies here: your licence is valid for six months from when you register your residence. In individual cases it can be extended to up to twelve months if you can show your stay is temporary. After that you must exchange the licence.
Whether you have to take a theory and practical test depends on your country of origin (set out in Annex 11 FeV). Countries such as the United Kingdom and Gibraltar have been listed without a test since 2022. For many other countries both tests are required. When in doubt, ask your local driving licence office which rule applies to your country.
Important for your insurance: do not let the deadline pass. If you drive after it expires without a valid licence, you risk not only a fine but also your insurance cover.
Re-registering a car with foreign plates
Did you bring your car from abroad? Then you may only drive it on the foreign plates temporarily. As soon as your residence, and therefore the regular location of the vehicle, is in Germany, you must register it in Germany without undue delay. Do not rely on a blanket one-year period, that only applies to genuinely temporary use, not to people with a permanent residence.
What you need to register
You only need border insurance (Grenzversicherung) if your vehicle comes from a country that is not part of the Green Card system. Within the EU and EEA this is usually not necessary.
Do you need a German bank account?
In short: not legally. Insurers may not restrict SEPA direct debit to German accounts. Any valid IBAN from the SEPA area has to be accepted, which includes the whole EU as well as countries such as Switzerland.
In practice, though, a German or SEPA account makes the start much easier: the vehicle tax is collected by customs via a SEPA mandate, and many online forms from insurers and authorities expect a German IBAN. So an account is not mandatory, but it saves you friction during registration and signing up.
At a glance: EU/EEA vs non-EU
| Topic | EU / EEA | Non-EU country |
|---|---|---|
| Claim-free years | Must be recognised without discrimination (class set by insurer) | No entitlement, often credited as a goodwill gesture |
| Driving licence | Valid until expiry date, no exchange needed | Valid 6 months, then exchange (test depends on country) |
| Bank account | SEPA IBAN is enough, a German account eases registration | SEPA IBAN is enough, a German account eases registration |
Frequently asked questions
Further reading
Compare car insurance 2026
Compare providers directly and find a tariff that fits.
The eVB number explained
The electronic insurance confirmation you need to register your car.
Cheap car insurance in Germany
Practical ways to lower your premium.
No-claims and insurance classes
How SF classes shape what you pay.
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