Kfz-Versicherung Wechseln Before Nov 30

Your Kfz-Versicherung renewal letter just arrived, and the number at the bottom is bigger than last year's. That's not a one-off: average car insurance premiums in Germany are rising by around 10% for 2026, driven by a fresh GDV regional-class revision that touches roughly 10 million drivers — reported by cash-online.de. You have a window to do something about it, but it closes faster than most people realize.

The two deadlines that actually matter

Most guides mention "Nov 30" and stop there, but there are really two separate clocks, and mixing them up is the easiest way to miss both.

Situation	Deadline	Key detail
Regular annual cancellation	Nov 30	Cancellation must be received by the insurer that day, so the contract ends Dec 31 and a new one can start Jan 1
Sonderkündigungsrecht (premium increase, no added benefit)	1 month after you receive the increase notice	Runs independent of Nov 30 — can fall any month of the year
After a claim	4 weeks after the claim is settled or denied	A separate, narrower window tied to that specific claim

If your renewal letter came with a premium increase and no extra coverage, you don't have to wait for November at all — the Sonderkündigungsrecht lets you act the moment you receive that letter, on your own one-month clock.

Why premiums are rising again in 2026

This isn't a one-insurer pricing quirk. The GDV's 2026 regional-class revision moves the classification in 48 Zulassungsbezirke covering around 5 million drivers upward, while 51 districts covering roughly 5.3 million people move down — per cash-online.de's coverage of the GDV data. Underneath that reshuffle sits a steadier driver: workshop labor costs have risen roughly 50% since 2017, against a consumer price index that rose only about 24% over the same period, which is the same source's explanation for why claims cost insurers more every year regardless of who's driving.

None of this means your specific premium rose by exactly 10% — regional class, vehicle type, and your own claims history all move the number in different directions. What it does mean is that a renewal letter with a higher number this year is the norm, not a reason to assume your insurer singled you out.

Worked example: what switching can actually save

Take a mid-size car in a mid-size city, SF-Klasse 5 (five claim-free years), fully comprehensive (Vollkasko), paid annually. A renewal letter lands with roughly a 10% increase over last year's premium. Comparing quotes at the same coverage level and deductible — not a stripped-down alternative — is what determines whether that increase is competitive or worth switching away from.

	Current policy (after 2026 increase)	Comparison quote, same coverage
Base premium (illustrative, annual)	100% (this year's renewal number)	Varies by insurer — often 5–20% below the renewal, some markets show more
SF-Klasse 5 discount	Carries over automatically	Must be transferred — see below
Deductible	As set on current policy	Match it exactly before comparing prices
Payment frequency	Annual	Confirm annual vs. monthly pricing gap on the new quote too

The only artifact this table can't fill in for you is the real number on your own renewal letter — every premium is individual to your vehicle, postcode, and history. What it does show is the shape of the comparison: match coverage and deductible first, then compare price, because a cheaper quote at a lower deductible or thinner coverage isn't actually cheaper.

How to transfer your Schadenfreiheitsklasse (SF-Klasse)

The SF-Klasse is what makes switching low-risk instead of a restart. To move it:

1. Request the transfer form from your new insurer once you've chosen a quote — most use a standard form (comparable to the industry TB28) rather than a proprietary one.
2. Provide vehicle and contract data: your current insurance number, the vehicle identification number, and the start date of your current policy.
3. Wait for the new insurer's confirmation — the transfer isn't automatic; Allianz's own guidance notes the receiving insurer has to approve the application before your claim-free years count on the new contract.
4. Note the Zweitwagen exception: if the vehicle you're insuring has a special second-car classification, only the class linked to that vehicle transfers — per Bußgeldkatalog's breakdown of second-car SF-Klasse rules. This comes up often when a family car is handed down to a newly licensed driver.

The switching timeline, day by day

• Early-to-mid November — decide whether you're using the regular Nov 30 deadline or you already have a Sonderkündigungsrecht from an increase letter. Send your cancellation by registered mail now, not later.
• Nov 30 — hard deadline for the cancellation to be received for a standard calendar-year contract.
• Early December — compare quotes at matching coverage and deductible, start the SF-Klasse transfer request with your chosen new insurer.
• Dec 31 — old policy ends.
• Jan 1 — new policy takes effect, ideally with the SF-Klasse already confirmed.

What to check before you sign a new policy

• Deductible (Selbstbeteiligung): a higher deductible lowers the monthly premium — compare like-for-like, not just the sticker price.
• Annual mileage: an inaccurate estimate can either overprice the policy or void part of a claim later.
• Payment frequency: annual payment is often noticeably cheaper than monthly on the same policy.
• Coverage type: Haftpflicht (liability only) is the legal minimum, Teilkasko adds theft/glass/weather, Vollkasko adds your own vehicle's collision damage — the plan type that generally suits a given driver depends on the car's age and value, which a comparison tool will walk through.

If you're newer to Germany and still working out which insurances actually matter in your first weeks — this one included — our overview of the insurances nobody explains when you arrive covers the full starting set, and what Haftpflicht actually covers is worth reading alongside Kfz-Versicherung since the two are often confused by new arrivals. If you bought the car itself recently, registration costs for a used car in Germany picks up right where this leaves off. And if switching before a deadline sounds familiar, the same logic applies every year to switching energy providers in Germany.

Frequently asked questions

Bis wann muss ich meine Kfz-Versicherung kündigen?

For a standard calendar-year contract, your cancellation must be received by your current insurer by Nov 30 so the policy ends Dec 31 and a new one can start Jan 1. Mailing it on the last day is too late if it arrives after the deadline — send it well before, ideally by registered mail in the first half of November.

Was ist das Sonderkündigungsrecht bei der Kfz-Versicherung?

If your insurer raises your premium without adding coverage, you get a special right to cancel within one month of receiving that notice — regardless of the Nov 30 date. A settled or denied claim opens a similar four-week window.

Kann ich meine SF-Klasse bei einem Versichererwechsel mitnehmen?

Usually yes. You request a transfer (comparable to the industry-standard TB28 form) from your new insurer, who confirms your claim-free years based on your current policy's data. The exception is a special second-car (Zweitwagen) classification, where only the class tied to that specific vehicle transfers.

Warum werden Kfz-Versicherungen 2026 teurer?

A combination of a GDV regional-class revision affecting around 10 million drivers and steadily rising workshop repair costs — up roughly 50% since 2017 versus about 24% for general consumer prices — is pushing average premiums up by around 10% for 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or insurance advice. Compare options via licensed intermediaries such as Check24 or Verivox.