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Author: Agnieszka Valenta · 23 October 2026
Most insurance is taken out voluntarily. Some, however, are required by law in Austria. Here are the most important compulsory insurances for private individuals and businesses.
Liability insurance is compulsory by law for every registered vehicle. It covers damage you cause to others with your vehicle. The statutory minimum sums insured for cars are 6.45 million euros for personal injury and 1.34 million euros for property damage (§ 9 KHVG). Motor liability does not cover damage to your own car – that is what comprehensive cover (Kasko) is for.
In Vienna and Lower Austria a dog needs liability insurance with a sum insured of at least 725,000 euros. In Lower Austria, proof is presented when registering the dog with the municipality, and the insurance must be maintained. Other federal states have their own rules – we will gladly check them for your place of residence.
Operating a drone requires separate aviation liability insurance with a minimum sum of 750,000 SDR (special drawing rights); drones from 250 grams or with a camera must also be registered. Ordinary personal liability or home contents insurance is generally not sufficient here.
In some professions professional liability insurance is required by law, e.g. for insurance intermediaries (§ 137c Gewerbeordnung). We will gladly check together with you whether such an obligation exists in your profession and which sums are required.
Comprehensive car cover, home contents, buildings, accident or legal expenses insurance are voluntary – but often worth having. Statutory accident insurance, for example, only covers accidents at work and on the way to work, not in your free time. We will discuss which cover suits you in person in Breitenwaida, by phone or by video – in English.
Sources (in German): oesterreich.gv.at (Leistungen der Haftpflichtversicherung, as of 28.04.2026; Registrierung der Drohnenbetreiber, as of 09.04.2026; Arbeitsunfall, as of 27.01.2026), Stadt Wien – Hundehaltung (05/2026), NÖ Hundehaltegesetz (LGBl. 56/2022), § 137c GewO. As of October 2026.
We will check your policies free of charge – in English.
Free initial consultation: 0660 954 57 01 · office@agentur-valenta.at
