1. What is the eVB number?
The eVB number (electronic insurance confirmation) is a 7-character alphanumeric code. It proves to the registration office that your vehicle has third-party liability insurance (Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung). You need this number before you can register, re-register or renew the registration of a vehicle.
Unlike a permanent insurance policy, the eVB serves a single purpose: the registration process. Once registration is complete, it is spent. According to the ADAC, most owners now receive the eVB digitally, which noticeably speeds up the visit to the registration office. If you are still looking for a policy, our guide on buying car insurance online shows how to get covered the same day.
Legal basis
The eVB was introduced in 2008 as part of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance and replaced the paper insurance card that policyholders previously had to bring to the registration office in person. Since 1 September 2023 the revised FZV applies; proof of insurance is now governed by Section 49 FZV.
Why does the eVB exist?
The electronic insurance confirmation was meant to simplify and speed up the registration procedure. Its benefits can be summed up in four points:
- ✓Digital instead of paper: no card to carry around
- ✓Fast verification: the registration office queries the data electronically
- ✓Tamper-resistant: the data is held centrally and securely
- ✓Quick delivery: by email or SMS, often within minutes
2. Structure and format of the eVB number
The eVB number consists of exactly 7 alphanumeric characters. The structure is standardised:
| Position | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Characters 1-2 | Insurer identifier | XY |
| Characters 3-7 | Randomly generated character string | A1B2C |
Example of an eVB number
XY-A1B2C
“XY” stands for your insurer's identifier, “A1B2C” is the randomly generated part; the exact two characters depend on your provider. The letters “I” and “O” are not used, to avoid confusion with the digits “1” and “0”.
3. When do you need an eVB number?
You need an eVB number for every process that requires registration or re-registration at the vehicle registration office:
First registration (Neuzulassung)
Registering a brand-new or re-imported vehicle for the first time
Example: You buy a new car from a dealer
Change of owner (Halterwechsel)
Transferring the vehicle to a new keeper
Example: You buy a used car from a private seller
Moving house (Umzug)
Re-registering after a move to another registration district
Example: You move from Munich to Hamburg and re-register your car
Renewed registration (Wiederzulassung)
Re-registering a vehicle that was temporarily taken off the road
Example: You re-register your seasonal vehicle after winter
Short-term plate (Kurzzeitkennzeichen)
Transfer or test drive with a not-yet-registered vehicle
Example: You want to drive a purchased car home without registration
Important
Short-term and seasonal plates each need their own eVB number, issued specifically for that plate type. The number is always vehicle-specific and single-use. Export plates (Ausfuhrkennzeichen) are the exception: their proof of insurance does not run through the electronic eVB procedure (Section 49 (2) FZV) — see the special cases section below.
4. How do you get your eVB number?
You receive your eVB number from your car insurer. There are two typical situations:
When you take out a new policy
When you take out a new car insurance policy, you receive the eVB number after the contract is concluded. With an online policy it usually arrives immediately by email and often additionally by SMS.
With an existing policy
If you are already insured, you can request an eVB at any time via the online portal, by phone or by email. This is also free of charge.
Delivery methods
By email
Usually immediately with an online policy, otherwise after a short processing time
By SMS
Straight to your mobile phone, available with many providers
In the online portal
Accessible any time in your insurance account
5. Validity and special cases
How long your eVB number stays valid is set by the insurer. Three to six months are common, with a maximum of 730 days (two years) according to the ADAC. The key point: an eVB number requested by a private individual can only be used once. Car dealers, by contrast, sometimes work with permanent eVBs that cover several registrations.
Validity period
- • Set by the insurer: usually three to six months, at most 730 days
- • After expiry: a new eVB can be requested free of charge
- • Policy continues: only the eVB as proof expires
Single use
- • Each private eVB is usable only once
- • After registration the number becomes invalid
- • A separate eVB is needed for each vehicle
How verification works
When you present your eVB number at the registration office, it queries the stored insurance data through a secure process. The central vehicle register is maintained by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA). The procedure is standardised nationwide, so your eVB works at any registration office in Germany.
6. From the eVB number to vehicle registration
The eVB number is only the first step. Here is how the whole registration process works:
Take out car insurance
Choose a third-party liability policy and receive your eVB number
Gather your documents
eVB number, ID card, registration certificate Part II (Fahrzeugbrief), and for used cars the inspection report (HU) if applicable
Visit the registration office
Book an appointment (often possible online) and present your documents
Get and fit the plates
Have the plates embossed, attach the stickers; only now may you drive
Caution
The eVB number alone does not allow you to drive. You may take part in road traffic only after registration is complete with valid plates. Driving without registration is an administrative offence.
7. Registering online with i-Kfz: enter your eVB, done
The trip to the registration office is optional these days. Through the internet-based vehicle registration system i-Kfz, private individuals and small businesses have been able to register, re-register and deregister vehicles from home since 1 September 2023. Your local registration authority provides the portal; the system was developed by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) on behalf of the federal transport ministry.
The eVB number plays the same role as at the counter: you enter the 7-character code in the i-Kfz portal and the authority retrieves the stored insurance data electronically. No appointment, no queue, no paper stack. For dealerships and fleet operators with more than 500 registrations per year, the KBA runs a separate bulk interface, introduced on the same date.
Practical tip
Request the eVB only once your registration is actually coming up, so the number does not expire before you enter it in the portal. And check in advance whether your city or district runs its own i-Kfz portal; responsibility follows your place of residence.
8. Special cases and troubleshooting
Export plates: the exception to the eVB procedure
If you sell or move a vehicle abroad, you apply for an export plate (Ausfuhrkennzeichen). Insurance is still mandatory, but the proof does not run through the electronic eVB procedure: Section 49 (2) FZV explicitly exempts export plates. You need a special export insurance policy instead, and you present its confirmation at the registration office. Ask your chosen insurer directly in what form they issue this proof.
Mopeds and e-scooters: insurance plate instead of eVB
Small motorcycles up to 50cc and e-scooters are not registered at the registration office at all. They carry an insurance plate (Versicherungskennzeichen), the small sign you buy directly from an insurer and mount yourself; no eVB number is involved. The insurance year always starts on 1 March, and the plate colour rotates each year between black, blue and green (Section 27 FZV) so that expired plates are easy to spot. For the insurance year starting 1 March 2026 the plates are black.
When the eVB does not arrive or is not accepted
eVB not in your inbox?
Check your spam folder and your insurer's customer portal. The number can usually be viewed there directly or sent again.
Registration office cannot find the number?
Typos are the most common cause, for example a digit 1 instead of a similar-looking letter. Right after taking out the policy it can also take a moment until the data is retrievable. If neither helps, have your insurer issue a new eVB.
Vehicle keeper differs from policyholder?
If the vehicle is to be registered to someone other than the policyholder, the eVB must be issued for that purpose. State the different keeper when you request the number.
eVB expired?
No problem and no cost risk: simply request a new number. The insurance contract itself is unaffected.
9. Frequently asked questions about the eVB number
What is an eVB number and why do I need it?▼
How quickly do I get my eVB number?▼
How long is an eVB number valid?▼
Does an eVB number cost anything?▼
How do I receive my eVB number?▼
Can I request my eVB number again if I lost it?▼
How does the registration office know my eVB number is valid?▼
Can I drive immediately with the eVB number?▼
Do I need a separate eVB number for each vehicle?▼
As a newcomer or expat in Germany, can I get an eVB number?▼
Can I get an eVB number without insurance?▼
Do I need an eVB number for a moped or e-scooter?▼
Can I register my vehicle online with the eVB number?▼
What happens if my eVB number has expired?▼
Sources and References
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- •Section 49 Vehicle Registration Ordinance (FZV): proof of insurance- gesetze-im-internet.de (Federal Office of Justice)Law
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- •Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt: internet-based vehicle registration (i-Kfz)- Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA)Authority
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