What do I need to change in my insurance after moving house in Germany?
In short
What do you need to change in your insurance after moving house in Germany? Above all the contents insurance (Hausrat): report the move no later than the day it starts, with the new floor space, or you risk underinsurance. If the premium rises at the new address, you may cancel within one month. Your car, liability and health insurers need the new address, and you have two weeks to register.
Published premiums and limits that can change when you move house.
Example
Typical range
Contents, 80 square metres in Dresden
about EUR 23 to 25 a year
Contents, 80 square metres in Düsseldorf
about EUR 51 to 54 a year
Contents, 75 square metres, middle tariff zone
about EUR 90 to 120 a year
Personal liability, single, EUR 10 to 50 million cover
about EUR 40 to 120 a year
Liability of a removal firm under the Commercial Code
EUR 620 per cubic metre of loading space
Figures from published tariff examples and German law, as of October 2026.
Your premium depends on age, location and cover; we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Moving with 80 square metres from Dresden to Düsseldorf
How contents insurance changes when the flat stays the same size but the tariff zone changes.
Contents so far in Dresden
about EUR 23 to 25
Contents now in Düsseldorf
about EUR 51 to 54
Extra premium a year
about EUR 26 to 31
Right to cancel
yes, within one month of notice
The premium roughly doubles. Because it rises due to the new tariff zone, you may cancel and compare.
Contents insurance: the key policy when moving house
Your contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) moves with you. Under the German model terms VHB 2022, cover passes to the new home, and during the move both homes are insured. The old home stays covered only for a period your policy sets; after that, cover there ends.
Report moving house no later than when the move starts, in text form such as email or letter, and give the new floor space. If the new flat is larger and you do not adjust the sum insured, you risk underinsurance after the move: the insurer then pays only a share of a claim.
Policy
What to do after moving house
Contents (Hausrat)
report the move, give floor space and security features
Personal liability
send the new address, cover continues
Car
new address to registration office and insurer, check regional class
Buildings
when you sell, the policy passes to the buyer
Health, life, disability
send the new address
When moving house lets you cancel
Moving house is not a general reason to cancel. For contents insurance, the tariff at the new address applies. If the premium rises because of that, for example when you move to a city with more burglaries, you may cancel within one month of being told; the cancellation takes effect one month later.
For all other policies the normal notice applies after moving: contracts usually run for a year and renew, and you cancel with up to three months' notice before renewal. Contracts longer than three years can be cancelled at the end of the third year (Section 11 of the Insurance Contract Act, VVG).
Your car: address, registration and regional class
After moving house you must tell the vehicle registration office (Zulassungsbehörde) your new address without delay (Section 15 FZV). Where the local registration office offers it, this can happen when you register your new home. Your car insurer needs the new address too.
Your premium may change after moving, because the regional class (Regionalklasse) depends on the registration district you live in. The gaps are wide: in Offenbach claims are almost 40 percent above the national average, in the district of Elbe-Elster about 33 percent below. A higher regional class does not automatically mean a higher premium.
Selling, empty homes and removal firms
If you sell your house when moving, the buildings insurance passes to the buyer; only the buyer may cancel, after being entered in the land register. If you move into a house you bought, check the policy you took over.
If your old home stands empty for a long time after moving, without anyone living there or checking on it, the model terms treat that as an increase in risk you must report. A removal firm is liable for damage to your goods only up to 620 euros per cubic metre of loading space under the Commercial Code (Section 451e HGB).
When little changes after moving house
If you move to a similar flat in the same city, sending your new address to every insurer is usually enough after moving. Still register with the local registration office (Meldebehörde) within two weeks (Section 17 BMG), because car registration and post rely on it.
Norman Nammert works as an insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler) and reviews your policies with you after moving house: floor space, tariff zone, regional class and cancellation rights. The insurer pays the commission, so the review is free for you.
Step by step
Report the move to your contents insurer no later than the day it starts, with the new floor space.
Register at the local registration office within two weeks.
Tell the vehicle registration office and your car insurer the new address.
Check premium notices and decide within one month if the premium rises.
Send the new address to all other insurers.
Checklist
Contents insurance updated with new floor space
Security features of the new home reported, if agreed
Registered at the registration office
Vehicle owner details changed
New regional class and tariff zone checked
Old home not left empty and unchecked for long
Common mistakes
Reporting the move to the contents insurer only after a claim
Keeping quiet about larger floor space and risking underinsurance
Assuming that moving house always allows cancellation
Missing the one month deadline after a premium rise
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Can I cancel my contents insurance because I moved?
Only if the premium rises at the new address.
Then you have one month after being told.
Are my belongings insured during the move?
Under the model terms both homes are covered during the move.
Damage caused by a removal firm is not automatically covered by that.
Do I have to tell my car insurer that I moved?
Yes.
The address is part of the contract, and the regional class depends on the registration district.
What happens to contents cover if I move abroad?
Under the model terms cover does not pass to a home outside Germany.
You need a new policy there.
Do I need to tell my liability insurer about the move?
