How do I find out which insurer I am with in Germany?
In short
Look at the policy schedule (Versicherungsschein) first: it must name the legal insurer. If it is lost, check your bank statements: each direct debit shows the creditor, a creditor ID and a mandate reference, often your policy number. For a car, the vehicle register stores the insurer; after an accident the Zentralruf der Autoversicherer names the other side's insurer. Occupational pensions: ask your employer.
What it costs to find out who your insurer is, as of October 2026.
Example
Typical range
Query at the Zentralruf der Autoversicherer
0 euros
First copy of your data under Article 15 GDPR
0 euros
BaFin consumer phone line, from within Germany
0 euros
Bank statements for the last 12 months
usually 0 euros in online banking
Costs for statements depend on your bank.
Further copies under Article 15 GDPR may cost a reasonable fee.
Worked example
Water damage, but no idea who the contents insurer is
After a move the folder with the documents is gone. The kitchen is flooded and the policy must be found quickly.
Search online banking for annual debits
debit found from last March
Creditor name and mandate reference
company and policy number
Call to the company
legal insurer confirmed
Request a new policy schedule
section 3 (3) VVG
Within an hour the insurer is known and the claim can be reported.
Start with the policy schedule
Every insurer must send you a policy schedule (Versicherungsschein) in text form (section 3 VVG). Before you sign, it must also tell you its identity, the commercial register and the registration number (section 1 VVG-InfoV). Look for the company name with its legal form, such as AG or VVaG, and the policy number.
If the schedule is lost, you can ask the insurer for a new one (section 3 (3) VVG). That only helps once you know who it is, which is what the next steps are for.
Follow the money: bank statements
Many premiums in Germany are paid by direct debit (Lastschrift). Each debit on your statement shows the creditor's name, a creditor ID (Gläubiger-Identifikationsnummer) and a mandate reference (Mandatsreferenz). The Bundesbank issues the creditor ID, and it identifies the collecting company. The mandate reference often contains your policy number.
Search a full year of statements, because many policies are paid once a year. Sometimes a group company, a service company or an agency collects on the insurer's behalf. Then call that company and ask which insurer carries the risk (Risikoträger).
Brand name or legal insurer?
The name on the advert or the app is not always the company that carries the risk. Direct insurance brands and bank cooperations often sell under a brand name while the contract is with a different legal entity of the group. What counts for claims, cancellations and complaints is the company named in the policy schedule.
To check a company, use our directory of German insurers at /en/german-insurers.php. It lists every insurer supervised by BaFin, so you can see whether a name is an insurer or only a brand or intermediary.
Car insurance: your own and the other driver's
The vehicle register stores data about your car's liability insurance (section 33 StVG). As the registered keeper you can ask your registration office (Zulassungsstelle) for the data it holds about you and your vehicle.
After an accident with another vehicle, the Zentralruf der Autoversicherer tells you the other side's liability insurer from the number plate, free of charge. Call +49 800 250 260 0 from within Germany, around the clock, or +49 40 300 330 300 from abroad, Monday to Friday 8:00 to 20:00. There is also an online form.
Other places to ask
These sources cover the cases people most often lose track of.
Policy
Where to ask
What you get
Occupational pension (bAV)
employer, former employer or pension provider
information on your entitlement, section 4a BetrAVG
Building insurance of a flat or rented home
building manager (Hausverwaltung) or landlord
insurer and policy number
Cover through a bank card or account
your bank or card issuer
card conditions with the insurer's name
Group cover through an association or employer
the association or HR department
group contract details
Any insurer you already know
the insurer, request under Article 15 GDPR
a copy of your personal data, including contracts
Keep the overview from now on
Once you have found your insurers, keep one list with company, policy number, renewal date and premium. A broker can keep that list for you and look after policies with several insurers. At NAMMERT, contracts are arranged by the insurance broker Norman Nammert.
Step by step
Look for the policy schedule, renewal letters and emails from insurers.
Search 12 months of bank statements for debits with a creditor ID.
For a car, ask the registration office or, after an accident, the Zentralruf.
For an occupational pension, ask your employer or former employer.
Check the company name in our directory of BaFin supervised insurers.
Ask the insurer for a new policy schedule and keep one list of all policies.
Checklist
Policy schedules collected
Bank statements of a full year searched
Number plate of the other car noted after an accident
Employer asked about pension contracts
Legal insurer confirmed, not just the brand
One overview list of all policies kept
Common mistakes
Searching only the last few months, when the premium is paid once a year
Treating the brand on the app as the legal insurer
Forgetting pension contracts from former employers
Not noting the other car's number plate at the scene of an accident
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Is there a central register of all my insurance policies?
No.
In Germany there is no register that lists all policies of one person.
Bank statements and documents are the main sources.
How do I find the other driver's insurer after an accident?
Ask the Zentralruf der Autoversicherer with the number plate.
It is free.
Can I ask an insurer whether I have a contract with it?
Yes.
Under Article 15 GDPR it must tell you whether it holds data about you and give you a copy.
What if the debit shows a company I do not recognise?
Call it with the mandate reference.
It may collect for an insurer and can name the company that carries the risk.
How do I know whether a company is a real insurer?
Look it up in our directory of insurers supervised by BaFin.