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🚗 Rental car and vehicle abroad

Rental car on holiday: deposit, insurance, handover record. For your own car abroad, this page points elsewhere.

rental car deposit fully comprehensive insurance excess handover record Mallorca policy (Mallorca-Police) credit card vehicle abroad

In brief

With a rental car abroad, thorough preparation saves you trouble.

  • Book from Germany and read the contract before signing.
  • A real credit card is often required for the deposit.
  • Fully comprehensive insurance with no excess is advisable.
  • Photograph the car at handover and return and have defects noted in the record.

For your own car abroad (registration, insurance, driving licence) see the Wegweiser for vehicle owners (Kfz-Halter).

Step by step

  1. Check the contractRead the mileage, deposit, excess and fuel rule.
  2. Choose insuranceCheck the liability cover amount and fully comprehensive insurance with no excess.
  3. Document the conditionPhotos and a handover record listing all damage at pick-up.
  4. Secure the returnGet written confirmation that the car was returned without new damage.

Deadlines

€250 to €3,000
Usual deposit, blocked on the credit cardVerbraucherzentrale, Auslandsurlaub mit dem Mietwagen
€50 to €100 million
Recommended liability cover amount for personal injuryVerbraucherzentrale, Auslandsurlaub mit dem Mietwagen
Watch out – common mistakes
  • Debit cards are often not accepted for the deposit.
  • Without a record, you must expect to pay for existing damage when you return the car.
  • Motor vehicle rental is exempt from the right of withdrawal for distance contracts (§ 312g Abs. 2 Nr. 9 BGB).
  • Tolls, low-emission zones, the Green Card and rules abroad: not checked in full text.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Contract and insurance

According to the Verbraucherzentrale, motor liability insurance is essential; high cover amounts for personal injury (€50 to €100 million) and fully comprehensive insurance with no excess are recommended. The "Mallorca policy" (Europe) and the "Traveller policy" (outside Europe) are also mentioned; they raise liability cover to the German level.

Deposit and credit card

According to the Verbraucherzentrale, the deposit is usually between €250 and €3,000 and is blocked on the credit card; debit cards are often not accepted.

Handover and accident

Document the condition with photos and have defects noted in the rental contract or handover record; in an accident, call the police, fill in an accident report and keep all receipts.

Scope: vehicle owners

Questions on registration, motor insurance, tax, technical inspection (HU), fines and driving licences are covered by the Wegweiser Kfz-Halter (folder kfz-halter). This page does not check: the Green Card, toll and vignette systems, low-emission zones abroad, enforcement of fines from abroad.

Who is responsible
  • Car rental company (complaint)
  • Europäisches Verbraucherzentrum Deutschland (rental companies elsewhere in the EU)
  • Arbitration only if the rental company participates; not checked
Further reading
Travel insurance and illness abroadCredit card, cash and roamingAccommodation and booking platforms

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Rental car and vehicle abroad“?
Rental car on holiday: deposit, insurance, handover record. For your own car abroad, this page points elsewhere.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • €250 to €3,000: Usual deposit, blocked on the credit card (Verbraucherzentrale, Auslandsurlaub mit dem Mietwagen)
  • €50 to €100 million: Recommended liability cover amount for personal injury (Verbraucherzentrale, Auslandsurlaub mit dem Mietwagen)
What should I do first?
  • Check the contract: Read the mileage, deposit, excess and fuel rule.
  • Choose insurance: Check the liability cover amount and fully comprehensive insurance with no excess.
  • Document the condition: Photos and a handover record listing all damage at pick-up.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • Debit cards are often not accepted for the deposit.
  • Without a record, you must expect to pay for existing damage when you return the car.
  • Motor vehicle rental is exempt from the right of withdrawal for distance contracts (§ 312g Abs. 2 Nr. 9 BGB).
Evidence
  • Verbraucherzentrale, Auslandsurlaub mit dem Mietwagen: So vermeiden Sie Ärger und Fallen, retrieved 21 September 2026
  • Bundesministerium der Justiz, Gesetze im Internet, § 312g BGB, retrieved 21 September 2026
  • Verbraucherzentrale, Auslandsreisen: welcher Versicherungsschutz ist notwendig, retrieved 21 September 2026
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.