What you should do after a car accident abroad: secure the scene, call 112 if anyone is hurt, take photos and fill in the European accident report. Do not sign anything you do not understand. Report the claim to your German insurer within a week at the latest. If it was not your fault, the central call centre on 0800 250 260 0 names your contact in Germany.
What help after an accident abroad costs for German insured cars, as of 2026.
Example
Typical range
Calling the central call centre from Germany
EUR 0, around the clock
European accident report from your insurer or as a download
EUR 0
Foreign claims cover as an add-on
about EUR 10 to 50 a year, often included in better policies
Breakdown cover with towing and vehicle return from abroad
about EUR 10 to 30 a year
As of October 2026, from information by the Zentralruf, the Verkehrsopferhilfe,
the German insurance association (GDV) and publicly quoted guide prices.
We can see in your documents whether foreign claims cover and breakdown cover are part of your
policy; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Rear end collision in Italy, the other driver is at fault
An Italian driver runs into the back of your car at traffic lights. Nobody is hurt, your car has about EUR 4,000 of damage.
At the scene
photos, European accident report, both sign
Back home
call the Zentralruf, give plate, country and date
Settlement
through the claims representative in Germany, in German
Standard without foreign claims cover
Italian law
Report to your own insurer
within a week
You get the damage paid through a contact in Germany. With foreign claims cover your own insurer settles the claim by German standards.
At the scene
Safety first: hazard lights on, high visibility vest on, warning triangle out and help anyone injured. You can reach 112 in every EU country. Call the police if anyone is hurt, if you disagree about what happened or if the other driver shows no papers.
Photograph both cars, their position on the road, the damage, signs and the other car's plate. Write down the other driver's name, address, insurer and policy number, and any witnesses. The other driver's Green Card shows the insurance details, so photograph it if they have one.
The European accident report
The European accident report has the same layout in every language. If the other driver fills in the version in their language, the fields are still in the same place. Both drivers sign and each gets a copy. If there is only one, take a photo with your phone.
Only enter facts: place, time, people involved, the tick boxes on what happened and a sketch. Do not sign a document in a foreign language that you do not understand. Put the report in the car before you travel, you can get it from your insurer or download it.
After the accident: who pays
If you caused the accident, your German motor liability pays the other side's damage, at least to the extent of your German policy. Only your comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) pays for your own car. Both can affect your no claims class (Schadenfreiheitsklasse) just as in Germany.
If it was not your fault, the other driver's insurer pays. Within the EU and the EEA every motor liability insurer has a claims representative in Germany (Schadenregulierungsbeauftragter). You find them through the central call centre, which needs the other car's plate and country, the date and the country of the accident. You then deal with them in German, but compensation usually follows the law of the country where the accident happened.
Situation
Who pays
Your contact
Your fault, damage to the other car
your motor liability
your own insurer
Your fault, damage to your own car
only your comprehensive cover
your own insurer
Other driver's fault, accident in the EU
the other driver's insurer
claims representative in Germany
Other driver's fault, you have foreign claims cover
your own insurer, by German standards
your own insurer
No answer after three months
compensation body
Verkehrsopferhilfe in Hamburg
If the other side does not respond
If the foreign insurer or its representative in Germany has not settled the claim after three months, or has only given an inadequate answer, you can turn to the Verkehrsopferhilfe as compensation body (Entschädigungsstelle). It also helps if the insurer has not appointed a representative in Germany, or if neither the insurer nor the vehicle can be identified within two months of the accident.
There too, compensation follows the law of the country where the accident happened. Pain and suffering, loss of use or loss in value are paid less generously in some countries than in Germany. Only foreign claims cover (Auslandsschadenschutz) in your own policy closes that gap.
When the route is different
The claims representative and the compensation body exist for accidents in the European Economic Area. If the accident happens in Turkey or Morocco, for example, you usually deal with the insurer in that country. That is when foreign claims cover is especially valuable, as far as its territorial scope includes the country.
A rental car follows a different route: report the damage to the rental company first, because its insurance is responsible. Your own German motor policy and your foreign claims cover only apply to your own car.
Step by step
Secure the scene and call 112 if anyone is hurt.
Take photos and note the details of the other driver and witnesses.
Fill in the European accident report together and keep a copy or photo.
Do not sign anything in a foreign language that you do not understand.
Report the claim to your own insurer within a week at the latest.
If it was not your fault, ask the Zentralruf for the representative in Germany.
After three months without settlement, contact the Verkehrsopferhilfe.
Checklist
European accident report in the glovebox
High visibility vests for everyone and a warning triangle
Green Card printed
Zentralruf and breakdown cover numbers saved on your phone
Photos of cars, plates and the scene
Copy or photo of the signed accident report
Common mistakes
Signing a document in a foreign language without understanding it
Driving off without a photo of the other plate and insurance details
Reporting the accident to your own insurer weeks later
Expecting compensation by German standards without foreign claims cover
Calling your own motor insurer instead of the rental company for a rental car
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do I always have to call the police abroad?
Always call the emergency number if anyone is hurt.
Whether the police must attend for damage only is up to each country; if in doubt, call them.
Is the European accident report an admission of fault?
It records what happened.
Only enter facts and do not sign any additional statements about fault.
Who tells me the contact for the other driver's insurer?
The Zentralruf der Autoversicherer, free on 0800 250 260 0 from Germany, around the clock.
Which law applies to my compensation?
Usually the law of the country where the accident happened.
With foreign claims cover your own insurer settles by German standards.
How quickly do I have to report the accident?
Straight away, within a week at the latest, even if you think the other driver was at fault.
What if the other driver drove off?
If neither the insurer nor the vehicle can be identified within two months,
the Verkehrsopferhilfe as compensation body can help.
