Third-party liability
- Compulsory under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)
- Also personal injury to the other party
- The statutory minimum amounts are high
- Your own car remains uninsured
Registration requirement · liability · reporting a claim
What you need to know about car insurance in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands the insurance requirement attaches to the registration number. If a vehicle is registered in your name and the registration is not suspended, third-party liability cover has to be in place: even if you do not drive it for months.
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The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
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- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
The Dutch system starts with Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM): the owner or keeper of a motor vehicle must be insured against liability in law. The link runs through the registration number. The RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority) compares the vehicle register with the insurance register. If there is no cover, a fine follows and the vehicle can eventually be taken out of use. If you are not using the car for a while, you can suspend the registrationat the RDW. During that period the insurance requirement and the vehicle tax fall away, but the car may not be parked or driven on the public road.
On top of that compulsory third-party cover you choose for yourself. Third-party liability only pays for damage you cause to someone else, Third-party liability + fire and theft adds a fixed list of events such as theft, glass damage, fire and storm, and comprehensive cover also covers damage to your own car that you cause yourself. What you pay follows from your no-claims step. That is based on your no-claims years, which are held centrally in Roy-data and are requested automatically when you switch. On the premium, 21% insurance premium tax.
After a loss, who is liable is what counts. That runs through Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code, the tort provision. For collisions with cyclists and pedestrians there is also Article 185 of the Dutch Road Traffic Act (WVW): as the driver of a motor vehicle you bear a greater part of the loss, even where the cyclist is partly at fault, and for children under fourteen that protection goes further still. That is precisely why third-party cover is not a formality.
The three types of cover
Every Dutch motor policy is a variant on these three forms.
Third-party liability + fire and theft
A fixed list of events named in the policy that are not your fault.
- Theft, burglary and joyriding
- Glass, fire, storm and animal damage
- Often favourable glass repair without an excess
- Damage you cause yourself falls outside this
Comprehensive
Also your own damage caused by your own actions or with no known other party.
- Single-vehicle collisions and parking damage
- A driver who leaves the scene with no known registration number
- Often a replacement value as new or purchase price arrangement
- You can choose your own excess
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Injury and damage to the other party | Yes | Yes |
| Theft of or attempted theft of the car | No | Yes |
| Your own damage with no known other party | No | Yes |
| Damage to the load or personal belongings in the car | No | Provided that |
| Legal expenses cover for recovering your loss | Provided that | Provided that |
| Damage while you hire the car out or give driving lessons | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
Four things that often go wrong in the Netherlands
These points lead to the most discussion with insurers after a loss.
The requirement attaches to the registration, not to driving
A car standing idle in the garage has to remain insured for as long as it is registered in your name. If you do not want that, have the registration suspend the registration at the RDW, or transferred on sale. A vehicle with a suspended registration may not be on the public road, not even parked. If you sell the car, check that the transfer certificate has been issued; without a transfer you remain liable for fines, tax and the insurance requirement.
If you drive an uninsured car, you pay twice
If an uninsured vehicle causes damage, the Waarborgfonds Motorverkeer pays the victim's loss subject to conditions and then recovers that amount from the driver or keeper. That same fund is the place to go after a hit-and-run driver who cannot be traced, provided you have reported it to the police. The fine for driving uninsured is separate from that.
What is not covered
Almost every Dutch motor policy carries the same exclusions: driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, in which case the insurer recovers the amount paid to third parties from the driver; driving without a valid driving licence or while disqualified; and use that differs from what was declared, such as hiring out, carrying passengers for hire or reward, driving lessons or taking part in speed events and track days. Wear and mechanical failures without a collision are also excluded, and for intent and recklessness Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Disclosure: when taking out cover and after a loss
When you apply, the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code: declare your claims history, any criminal record within the period asked about, the regular driver and the use truthfully. A breach can reduce the payout or cause it to lapse (Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code). If something happens, report it as quickly as you reasonably can (Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code) and complete the European accident statement together with the other party. That document is often decisive in a dispute about recovery.
What does your premium depend on?
- No-claims years: registered in Roy-data
- Age of the regular driver: young drivers pay more
- Registration number, weight and power: determine the premium class
- Postcode area: regional theft and claims risk
- Kilometres per year: to be declared in the application
- Type of cover and excess: third-party liability, third-party, fire and theft, or comprehensive
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Do I have to insure the car if it only stands still?
Yes, for as long as it is registered in your name and the registration is not suspended. That follows from Article 2 WAM. If you do not want to use the car for a longer period, suspend the registration at the RDW. The insurance requirement and the vehicle tax then fall away. A vehicle with a suspended registration must be kept on private land, not on the public road.
What is the difference between third-party, fire and theft and comprehensive cover?
Third-party, fire and theft covers a fixed list of events that you do not cause yourself: theft, glass damage, fire, storm, hail and collisions with animals. Comprehensive cover also covers damage to your own car that you cause yourself or where the other party is unknown, such as car park damage and single-vehicle collisions. The difference therefore lies in your own fault, not in the size of the payment.
Who pays if the other party is liable?
Then the other party's third-party insurer pays your loss. You report the loss to your own insurer or directly to the other party's insurer, with a completed accident statement. If you have comprehensive cover, you can have your own insurer pay. It then recovers from the other party and restores your no-claims years once the recovery succeeds.
Am I covered abroad?
The third-party cover applies in the countries ticked on your certificate of insurance, the green card. Within most European countries the cover applies automatically. For own-damage cover and for assistance, different conditions may apply, certainly for longer stays. Check this before you leave and take the certificate of insurance with you; in some countries you have to be able to produce it.
What does the Waarborgfonds Motorverkeer do?
It pays, subject to conditions, for damage caused by a vehicle that has remained unidentified, was uninsured or was stolen. You have to make it plausible that a motor vehicle caused the damage and that you have done everything reasonable to trace the person responsible, usually with a report to the police. An excess applies to damage to property.
Read more
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Want to know whether your cover is right?
Request a quote without obligation. We compare premium and conditions using your registration number.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.