There is a crash in a hairpin somewhere in Croatia, the other rider speaks not a word of your language, and your phone has 14 percent battery left. That is exactly when you do not want to read a brochure, you want to know what to do next. If you calmly do the right things in the first hour after an accident abroad, you often save yourself weeks of trouble with the claim. This checklist is in time order and also tells you what runs afterwards through the German claims helpline, the claims representative and the insurers. Note: it is written from the German perspective, for riders insured in Germany. Information as of November 2026. Save this page offline before your trip.
In short: the first 60 minutes
- Secure the scene and help the injured. That comes before everything else.
- Call 112 if anyone is injured or you are unsure.
- Get the police if injuries, a hit and run or communication problems are involved.
- Secure evidence: photos, witnesses, plates.
- Fill in the European Accident Statement and only sign if the content is correct.
- Note the other party's details and clarify their insurance.
- Inform your own insurer and contact your breakdown cover or travel health insurer.
Minutes 0 to 10: secure, emergency call, first aid
Securing the scene
First secure the accident scene so nothing else happens. Switch on your hazard lights and get yourself and others out of the danger zone as far as the situation allows. A motorcycle often lies in the middle of the road or in a blind bend, so the first priority is that following traffic can see the scene in time. What else belongs in your luggage is in our motorcycle trip packing list.
Emergency number 112
In the EU you reach police, ambulance and fire brigade free of charge on 112, from a mobile as well as a landline. Some countries also have their own numbers, but according to the EU portal Your Europe, 112 works in all EU states and some other countries. Say where you are (road, kilometre marker, place name) and how many people are injured. Outside the EU the number can differ, so find out before you go.
First aid
Help the injured as far as you can without endangering yourself. Medical details do not belong in this article; an up-to-date first aid course is better preparation than any checklist. Even if you feel fine after the fall, get checked if doubts remain, and keep treatment records and invoices.
Minutes 10 to 30: police, evidence, the other party's details
When the police are needed
Using France as an example, the European Consumer Centre gives as a rule of thumb that the police usually come for serious injuries, hit and run or communication problems. Country rules differ, so if in doubt, call them. According to the ZEV, a police report often only reaches the insurer after weeks, so it does not replace your own documentation.
Securing evidence
- Photos of the overall scene, the vehicles, the damage, plates and skid marks.
- Names and contact details of witnesses.
- Place and time, ideally with the location from your phone.
- Photograph any foreign reports or slips from the police, even if you cannot read them.
The other party's details
According to the ZEV, note the name, address and phone number of the other party and, where possible, vehicle documents and driving licence. That matters because accidents with uninsured vehicles do happen. You also need the plate, the vehicle's country of origin and the name of the insurer, if the other party can give it.
Minutes 30 to 45: the European Accident Statement
According to the ZEV, the European Accident Statement is not mandatory but makes the claim easier. The ZEV advises filling it in even for small damage if another motor vehicle is involved. The form comes from the German insurance association (GDV), and insurers and motoring clubs hand it out as well. You should have the form on your packing list before the trip, or at least digitally on your phone.
- Everyone fills in their own language. According to the GDV, the form is available in German and 21 other languages, with the same content in every version. A translation aid is included.
- Compare the entries. Place, time, vehicle data, insurance, witnesses, course of events and visible damage should match for both parties.
- Only sign if it is correct. The ZEV recommends not signing if you disagree and noting differences in the remarks field. We could not verify from the sources what legal effect a signature has in individual countries, so do not take it lightly.
- Everyone gets a copy. If there is only one copy, photograph it. With different language versions, also photograph the other party's version.
- Send it to your insurer promptly. According to the ZEV, it uses the report to decide who is at fault.
Minutes 45 to 60: insurance and the claims helpline
Finding the other party's insurer
If you do not know who insures the other party, the Zentralruf der Autoversicherer (the German motor insurers' claims helpline) can help. According to zentralruf.de, you need the other vehicle's plate, the date of the damage, the country of the accident and the vehicle's country of origin. Within Germany you reach it on 0800 250 260 0 around the clock, from abroad on +49 40 300 330 300 (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm, as of November 2026). The service is free to call.
Claims representative in Germany
If the other party is insured in another EU state, you do not necessarily have to negotiate abroad. Injured parties can assert their claim in their own country of residence with a representative named there by the foreign insurer. That is how the EU Motor Insurance Directive (2009/103/EC) describes it. Using France as an example, the European Consumer Centre explains: you get the contact details of the representative in Germany through the Zentralruf, and it can be reached in German. For property damage, according to the ZEV, the foreign insurer is to make a settlement proposal within three months. For personal injury, separate notification deadlines sometimes apply: for France the ZEV gives five working days. So check quickly what deadlines apply in the country of the accident.
Important: the law of the country of the accident generally applies, unless both parties are insured in Germany. If there is no representative or nothing happens, a compensation body steps in, as the directive provides.
Informing your own insurer
Report the accident to your motor insurer, even if you are not at fault. If you are at fault, your insurer arranges contact with the foreign insurer. Which mistakes are common with motorcycle insurance is in our article Motorcycle insurance: the biggest mistakes.
International insurance card (formerly the Green Card)
The international motor insurance card (IVK in German) proves your motor liability insurance. According to HUK (as of 29 August 2026), in most EU and European countries the German plate is enough as proof, and the card is only required in a few countries. Since 2025 the PDF version on your smartphone is enough, a printout is a sensible backup. For Italy the plate generally counts, but in individual cases a card can still be demanded after damage. The card covers liability only, not comprehensive cover. A crossed-out country on the card means there is no liability cover there. All of this applies to motorcycles too. So request the card from your insurer before a trip outside the EU.
Injured abroad: travel health insurance and repatriation
According to the ADAC (as of 20 May 2026), medical repatriation to Germany is generally not covered by statutory health insurance. For treatment in a private clinic in Europe, at most the costs the health fund of the holiday country would cover are reimbursed, and you often pay the rest yourself. As an order of magnitude, the ADAC gives 2,450 euros for a ground ambulance transport with a doctor from St. Moritz to Munich (as of 2025). The club therefore recommends travel health insurance. Make sure the policy includes medically sensible repatriation. Whether a given provider's policy does is in its terms, not in this article.
Breakdown cover (Schutzbrief): what it can do after an accident
A Schutzbrief (breakdown and assistance cover) adds help on the spot to your insurance. As an example, the provider DA Direkt lists for its motorcycle cover: recovery and towing, return transport of the motorcycle, bringing the rider home, hotel costs until the return journey, help with a doctor abroad. Which benefits and limits apply differs by provider and tariff; only your contract terms are binding. So put the Schutzbrief hotline in your phone and on a slip of paper in your luggage. For a plain breakdown without an accident, our article on breakdowns on tour helps, and tips for route planning are in planning motorcycle trips.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always have to call the police after an accident abroad?
Not in every case. The European Consumer Centre gives serious injuries, hit and run or communication problems as a rule of thumb. If in doubt, call them.
Is the European Accident Statement mandatory?
No, according to the ZEV it is not mandatory but makes settling the claim easier.
How do I find out the other party's insurer?
Through the Zentralruf der Autoversicherer. You need the plate, the date of the damage, the country of the accident and the vehicle's country of origin.
Do I have to carry the international insurance card?
In most EU and European countries the German plate is enough, according to HUK. The PDF version on your smartphone is sufficient. In individual countries the card may be demanded, so check before the trip.
Does statutory health insurance pay for repatriation?
According to the ADAC, generally not. For that you need travel health insurance that expressly includes repatriation.
Sources
- Zentralruf der Autoversicherer
- Europäischer Unfallbericht (GDV, Stand 14.07.2026)
- Unfall in Frankreich: Rechte und Tipps für Autofahrende (Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz)
- Richtlinie 2009/103/EG über die Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung (EUR-Lex)
- 112 in der EU (Your Europe, Europäische Union)
- Internationale Versicherungskarte (HUK-COBURG)
- Was kostet ein Krankenrücktransport nach Deutschland? (ADAC)
- Motorrad-Schutzbrief (DA Direkt, Leistungsbeispiel)
As of: November 2026. Deadlines, numbers and benefits may change; this is not legal advice.
