Motor third-party liability — Austria

What is MTPL (Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung) in Austria and who is required to have it?

Motor Third-Party Liability (MTPL) insurance, known in Austria as Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung, is mandatory under the Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherungsgesetz 1994 (KHVG) and § 59 of the Kraftfahrgesetz 1967 (KFG). Every keeper (Halter) of a motor vehicle registered in Austria must hold a valid MTPL policy before the vehicle is admitted to public roads — the registration authority will not issue a Kennzeichen without an electronic confirmation of insurance. The policy covers damages caused to third parties — not your own vehicle or your own injuries as the at-fault driver.

What are the mandatory minimum coverage limits for Kfz-Haftpflicht in Austria?

Under § 9 KHVG, the statutory minimum cover for passenger cars is €6,450,000 per accident for bodily injury or death — regardless of the number of injured persons — and €1,300,000 per accident for property damage. These limits were raised from €5,860,000 / €1,220,000 with effect from 23 December 2023 to align with EU Directive 2021/2118. In practice, every major Austrian insurer voluntarily offers a higher Pauschalversicherungssumme of €15 million, €20 million, €30 million or €50 million per accident covering bodily injury and property damage combined.

What does Kfz-Haftpflicht insurance actually cover?

Kfz-Haftpflicht covers damages caused to third parties by the insured vehicle. This includes: bodily injury, disability or death of pedestrians, occupants of other vehicles, cyclists or other road users; property damage to other vehicles, buildings or any third-party property; pure financial loss (Vermögensschaden) flowing from a covered event; legal defence costs against unfounded or excessive third-party claims (Regulierungsvollmacht); and lost earnings of injured parties. It does not cover damage to your own vehicle or your own injuries as the at-fault driver — for that you need Kasko (Vollkasko or Teilkasko) and/or a separate Insassenunfallversicherung or Fahrerschutz cover.

Are the at-fault driver's own damages covered?

No. Under § 5 KHVG and standard policy conditions, damages suffered by the at-fault driver are excluded from MTPL coverage. If you cause an accident, you are not entitled to compensation for your own injuries or vehicle damage under the Haftpflicht policy. To protect yourself you need separate cover: a Kaskoversicherung (Voll- or Teilkasko) for own vehicle damage, plus a Fahrerschutz or Insassenunfallversicherung for personal injury to the driver. Many Austrian insurers include a Fahrerschutz module as standard in their premium MTPL tiers.

Are passengers in the at-fault vehicle covered?

Yes. Passengers in the insured vehicle who are injured in an accident caused by that vehicle's driver are treated as third parties under § 5 KHVG and the Eisenbahn- und Kraftfahrzeughaftpflichtgesetz (EKHG). Their personal injury claims are covered within the bodily injury limit of the Kfz-Haftpflicht policy. The only exception is the at-fault driver themself (see previous question). For broader passenger protection — including statutory benefits irrespective of fault — most Austrian insurers offer a voluntary Insassenunfallversicherung as an add-on.

Is legal defence included in Austrian Kfz-Haftpflicht policies?

Defence against unfounded or excessive third-party claims (Anspruchsabwehr / Regulierungsvollmacht) is included as part of every Austrian Kfz-Haftpflicht policy at the insurer's expense — the insurer may settle, defend or contest the claim in court on the policyholder's behalf. This is distinct from a standalone Kfz-Rechtsschutz or Verkehrsrechtsschutz (traffic legal expenses insurance), which actively pursues the policyholder's own claims (e.g. for own injuries or damages caused by an uninsured third party) and is offered as a separate add-on or independent policy by most insurers.

What is the Green Card and is it included with Austrian MTPL?

The Internationale Versicherungskarte für Kraftverkehr (Grüne Karte) is an international certificate of motor insurance issued under a multilateral agreement between national insurers' bureaus. For travel within the European Economic Area and additional treaty states, the Austrian registration plate alone is sufficient proof of cover and a paper Green Card is not required. For travel to other Green Card member countries — such as Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania, Morocco, Tunisia or Iran — the Austrian insurer issues a Green Card on request, free of charge. Payment in those countries is limited to the local statutory minimum amounts, deviating from the contractually agreed sums.

Which countries does Austrian MTPL insurance cover?

Austrian Kfz-Haftpflicht cover extends automatically to: the Republic of Austria; all EU Member States; EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein); and Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, the Vatican, San Marino, Serbia and other Green Card system members. Within the EEA, the contractually agreed Austrian cover sums apply; outside the EEA the insurer's liability is reduced to the legally required minimum cover applicable in the country of visit unless the Green Card has been issued. Cover for trips outside Austria is typically granted for journeys of less than one year.

What must I do immediately after a road accident?

After an accident you must: stop immediately and secure the scene (warning triangle, hazard lights, high-visibility vest); render first aid and call emergency services (144 Rettung, 122 Feuerwehr, or 112 European emergency number) where there are injuries; call the police (133) where required by § 4 of the StVO (personal injury, significant property damage, or where the parties cannot exchange identity directly); not leave the scene before identifying yourself and exchanging insurance details with the other party; complete a European Accident Statement (Europäischer Unfallbericht) where there are no personal injuries; photograph the scene and damage; and notify your insurer without undue delay (ohne unnötigen Aufschub, § 33 VersVG) — most policies specify a one-week reporting window. Court proceedings or formal third-party claims must be reported immediately.

Can I buy Austrian Kfz-Haftpflicht online and pay in installments?

Yes. All major Austrian MTPL insurers — including Allianz, Wiener Städtische, Generali, UNIQA, GRAWE, Helvetia, Donau, Merkur and Zurich — offer online conclusion through their own portals as well as through independent brokers and comparison sites (durchblicker.at, tarifcheck.at). The insurer issues an electronic Versicherungsbestätigung (Polizzennummer + Deckungsbestätigung) immediately upon application, which is required for vehicle registration at the Zulassungsstelle. Payment is typically annual, half-yearly, quarterly or monthly; sub-annual instalments may carry a surcharge of a few percent. Austria operates a Bonus-Malus system (MFR — Malus-Frei-Rabatt / KFZ-Bonus-Malus): the premium adjusts annually based on claims experience, ranging from stufe 00 (lowest) to stufe 17 (highest), with one-step downgrade per claim-free year and four-step upgrade per at-fault claim under standard insurer rules.