Zurich Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft (trading as Zurich Connect, the direct online insurance brand)
Zurich Connect
Zurich Connect is a motor third-party liability insurance for the Austria market with online purchase and 24/7 assistance.
Direct payment
No source-confirmed direct settlement (direct payment) scheme was found; claims under this MTPL policy are handled according to the standard AKHB claims process (Art. 9) and Austrian KHVG rules, i.e. the injured third party's claim is generally settled through the at-fault driver's own liability insurer rather than a formal direct-claim scheme.
Geographic scope
Austria (nationwide)
Cover applies throughout geographical Europe, in particular in all states party to the Green Card multilateral agreement of 30 May 2002 (EU/EEA states, Switzerland, Andorra, Serbia, etc.), and is additionally extended to Morocco, Turkey (in full) and Tunisia. The AKHB annex further lists Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the European part of Russia, San Marino, Ukraine, the Vatican and Belarus as covered territories.
Unique selling points
- Selectable liability sum insured up to EUR 25 million - more than three times the Austrian statutory minimum of EUR 7.79 million.
- Unlimited 'Freischaden' option for bonus stages 0-6: your bonus-malus level is preserved no matter how many claims occur.
- 5% discount for completing the purchase online, stackable with further discounts for low-emission and alternatively powered vehicles.
- Complimentary supplementary liability protection for rental cars driven abroad, in case the local mandatory cover proves insufficient after an accident.
- Rated 'sehr gut' (very good) by the Versicherungs Award Austria and awarded 1st place by ÖGVS for 'Transparenz & Komfort' in motor insurance.
Coverage limits
Bodily injury liability
€8,000,000 – €25,000,000
Austrian MTPL uses a single combined (Pauschal) sum insured for personal injury and property damage per claim rather than separate limits. The statutory minimum is EUR 7.79 million, within which personal injury claims must be covered up to EUR 6.45 million (KHVG 1994 §9). Zurich Connect lets customers voluntarily increase the combined sum insured to EUR 8, 12, 15, 20 or 25 million.
Property damage liability
€8,000,000 – €25,000,000
Property damage shares the same combined Pauschal sum insured as personal injury (see bodily_injury_liability). Within the statutory minimum of EUR 7.79 million, at least EUR 1.34 million must be earmarked for property damage claims (KHVG 1994 §9); Zurich Connect customers can raise the overall combined sum to EUR 8, 12, 15, 20 or 25 million.
Legal defence / legal protection
Not established from the insurer's documents
The base MTPL policy inherently covers the cost of defending the policyholder against unfounded third-party claims within the agreed sum insured (Art. 1 AKHB; §150 VersVG). For broader legal protection (e.g. asserting the policyholder's own claims, criminal defence, licence retention), Zurich Connect separately sells a Rechtsschutzversicherung product line (encompassing a Kfz-Rechtsschutz module and a general Privatrechtsschutz module) with selectable sums insured of EUR 125,000, 150,000, 175,000 or 200,000, which can be bought together with or independently of the MTPL policy.
Green Card (International Motor Insurance Card)
Not established from the insurer's documents
An International Insurance Certificate (Green Card) is issued as part of the policy at no extra cost. In countries where it is required or accepted, cover extends at least to the locally mandated minimum for foreign-registered vehicles, or to the agreed higher sum insured. Cover under the card always ends when the underlying policy ends, even if the card itself shows a later expiry date (Art. 5 AKHB).
Roadside assistance
€875
Roadside assistance is not part of the base MTPL policy; it is sold as a separate optional 'Kfz-Assistance' product providing 24/7 breakdown and accident help, towing/recovery to the nearest brand garage up to EUR 300 for domestic incidents and EUR 875 for incidents abroad, plus additional costs (e.g. up to EUR 75 per occupant) if repair is not possible within 2 hours or the vehicle is stolen. The Assistance cover automatically lapses if the associated MTPL policy for the same vehicle ends.
Driver accident benefit
€45
The driver's own accident risk is not covered by the MTPL liability policy itself (liability insurance compensates third parties, not the at-fault driver). Zurich Connect offers a separate optional 'Insassenunfallversicherung' (occupant accident insurance) that also covers the driver for permanent disability or death following a car accident, with a selectable sum insured; exact amounts are not published on the overview page.
Passenger accident benefit
€45
Passengers injured through the fault of the insured driver can claim as third parties under the bodily injury liability cover, but a dedicated no-fault accident benefit for passengers is not part of the base MTPL policy. It is available via the same separate optional 'Insassenunfallversicherung', which covers the driver and all passengers/occupants for permanent disability or death, with a selectable sum insured.
Key conditions
Territorial scope
Cover applies throughout geographical Europe, in particular in all states party to the Green Card multilateral agreement of 30 May 2002, and is additionally extended to Morocco, Turkey (in full) and Tunisia; the AKHB annex further lists Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the European part of Russia, San Marino, Ukraine, the Vatican and Belarus (Art. 4 AKHB).
Green card rules
In countries where an International Insurance Certificate (Green Card) is required or accepted, cover extends at least to the level mandated for foreign-registered vehicles in that country, or to the agreed higher sum insured. The card is issued free of charge, but cover always ends when the underlying policy ends, even if the card shows a later expiry date (Art. 5 AKHB).
Driver restrictions
The driver must be legally authorised to drive the vehicle and must not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while driving; breach can release the insurer from payment obligations up to statutory limits (EUR 11,000 per breach / max. EUR 22,000 per claim, Art. 9.2 and Art. 11 AKHB). Separately, if the vehicle is driven by a person under 23 at the time of a claim, Zurich Connect charges an additional contribution of EUR 500 (incl. insurance tax), reduced proportionally for smaller claims.
Claim notification deadline
In the event of personal injury, the nearest police station must be notified immediately; for property damage, immediate notification is required unless the parties have already exchanged name and address. The insurer must be notified in writing of the claim, any claim raised by the injured third party, and related administrative or court proceedings, within one week of the policyholder becoming aware of them (Art. 9.3 AKHB).
Bonus-malus rules
Premiums follow a bonus-malus scale under Art. 15 AKHB: a new contract without a transferable claims history starts at entry stage 9, charged at 100% of the tariff premium. After each claim-free observation period (1 October-30 September, requiring at least 9 months in force, or 6 months if starting at stage 9) the stage drops by one; each claim charged to the insurer raises the premium by three stages at the next main due date following that period. Zurich Connect additionally offers an optional 'Freischaden' feature for stages 0-6, under which the bonus stage is preserved regardless of the number of claims.
Where to buy
Policy specifics
Liability coverage limits
Zurich Connect Austria offers motor liability insurance with coverage limits of EUR 8, 12, 15, 20, or 25 million
SourceBonus-Malus System
19-level bonus-malus system affecting premium rates based on claims history; entry level is stage 9 at 100% premium
SourceYoung driver surcharge
EUR 500 surcharge (including insurance tax) applied when vehicle is driven by person under 23 years in a claim event
SourceGeographic coverage scope
Full coverage in EU member states, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland; additional countries listed in policy terms
SourceInsured persons
Coverage extends to vehicle owner/holder, driver, passengers, and persons being instructed in driving
SourceSmart & Easy Repair programme
For collision damages handled through approved repair network: deductible reduced by EUR 100 when repairs organized via Zurich
SourceSources
- https://durchblicker.at/anbieter/rechtsschutzversicherung/zurichconnect
- https://www.zurich-connect.at/versicherungen/kfz
- https://www.zurich-connect.at/versicherungen/kfz/auto
- https://www.zurich-connect.at/versicherungen/kfz/auto/assistance
- https://www.zurich-connect.at/versicherungen/kfz/auto/haftpflicht
- https://www.zurich-connect.at/versicherungen/kfz/auto/insassenunfall