Du planst mit deinem eigenen Fahrzeug durch Südamerika zu reisen? Dann fragst du dich bestimmt wie wir, ob du eine Autoversicherung für Südamerika abschließen musst und wo und wie du das machst. In folgendem Artikel gehen wir auf Fragen ein wie:
- What happens to my car insurance in Germany?
- Will the car remain registered in Germany during my trip?
- Where do I get car insurance for the countries in South America?
- Do I need separate car insurance for each country?
In the following article, we answer these questions and share our experiences regarding car insurance for campers in South America.
Car Insurance and Registration in Germany
Kann ich die deutsche KFZ Versicherung abmelden?
If you are traveling outside of Europe with your own car for an extended period, you no longer need car insurance in Germany, as it is not valid outside of Europe. So, can you simply cancel it?
Unfortunately, it's not that simple. As long as the car remains registered in Germany, the law requires that at least liability insurance must be in place.
Can I deregister the car from Germany?
Many travelers deregister their car from Germany for this reason. This has the advantage of saving both the cost of car insurance and the annual car tax.
Officially, car insurance policies taken out abroad are only valid if the car is still registered in some country. However, we cannot say how this would be handled in practice in the event of a claim, i.e., whether anyone would check this. Therefore, everyone must weigh this decision for themselves.
Pausing German Car Insurance
Some insurance companies offer the option to pause the insurance while you are abroad. This has the advantage of keeping the car registered while still saving on the insurance premium. It's best to inquire with your own insurance company about this option.
Car Insurance for South America
Where can I get liability insurance for South America?
Car insurance for South America can be obtained both in advance from Germany and locally. However, when releasing the car from the arrival harbor, you will need the documents for valid insurance at the latest. Locally, you can get the insurance at local insurance offices. It is easier to organize the insurance before departure. There are two German agencies in Argentina who offer insurance for the MERCOSUR states as well as neighboring countries. These are abgefahren and Speiser Seguros.
Car Insurance for South America by Abgefahren
The insurance by abgefahren includes the MERCOSUR states as well as Bolivia and Peru. Due to inflation in Argentina, the insurance sums are regularly adjusted.
Vehicles with foreign (non-Argentine) license plates can only be insured for liability. Partial or comprehensive insurance is not possible. Abgefahren works with an agent of the Federacion Patronal Insurance in Argentina. This is one of the largest insurance companies in Argentina. The insurance covers Argentina and all neighboring countries, including Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru.
What is the coverage amount? (As of April 2024)
Argentina is covered with 160 million pesos (as of April 2024). However, due to high inflation, this changes regularly. All neighboring countries, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, have coverage between 600,000 and 1,000,000 USD (as of April 2024).
What does the car insurance cover? (As of April 2024)
The insurance is vehicle-specific, meaning that anyone with a valid driver's license can drive the vehicle.
Liability covers third-party claims. It should be noted that spouses and children are considered close relatives and not third parties. In the event of personal injury in an accident caused by oneself, they are therefore not insured. For this situation, one should take out accident insurance or travel health insurance that covers this scenario.
What are the costs of the insurance? (As of April 2024)
The described costs are as of April 2024. Please note that these may have changed in the meantime.
The cost of insurance depends on the specific vehicle. For our Puch, the insurance for 4 months costs approximately €70. For a truck, it would be between €80 and €100 (depending on the model and year), and for a motorcycle, around €40.
For new policies, Abgefahren charges an additional service fee of €70. For each extension, an additional €17.50 is charged. After one year, the policy must be renewed, for which Abgefahren charges €35.
What is the insurance period?
The liability insurance contracts are issued for a whole year. However, due to ongoing inflation in Argentina, you can only pay for a maximum of 4 months in advance. The minimum insurance period is 1 month, and for motorcycles, it is 2 months. If you only need one month of coverage, you will still get an annual contract but only pay for one month.
After the paid coverage period expires, there is a 3-day grace period. The extension must be paid for by then. After that, you lose insurance coverage, and the policy is automatically canceled.
What do I need to take out the insurance?
- A scan or photo of the vehicle registration document
- A scan or photo of the driver license
- Scan or photo of passport
- Four digital photos of the vehicle with clearly visible mounted license plates (front, rear, and each side view)
How quickly is the insurance available?
The insurance is finalized within a few business days. We received our documents via email after 4 days. These then need to be printed out.
For vehicles that are 30 years or older, the insurance company requires obtaining special authorization from the head office before finalizing the insurance. This can potentially take several days.
Do I need the original documents of the liability insurance?
Copies are sufficient in the event of a claim. It is important to have printed copies available. The original documents are kept by Abgefahren and can be picked up upon request with prior notice, but this is not necessary.
Do I need anything else besides liability insurance?
Peru: Here, it is increasingly common to be required to take out a SOAT insurance. This costs about $10 per month and is supposed to cover potential personal injuries in the event of an accident. Whether this is really mandatory and whether it actually works, we have not yet been able to determine. However, for safety and peace of mind, the recommendation is to take it out.
Chile: Every foreign vehicle in Chile now requires an additional personal insurance called SOAPEX. This can be obtained online through the website of HDI Seguros Chile.
What about the other South American countries?
EcuadorIn Ecuador, no separate insurance is required. For international travelers, the TIP covers the vehicle for up to €5,000 in damages. To the best of our knowledge, there is currently no option to obtain a functioning liability insurance.
Columbia: In Colombia, insurance can be purchased in any major city. Since we have not yet been to Colombia, we cannot share any personal experiences at this time.
Guyana & Surinam: Since we have not planned to travel to these countries, we do not have any insurance information.
