War risks cover through Chubb
War and civil commotion are excluded under virtually every Dutch policy. Anyone with goods or people in conflict areas has to buy that cover separately and area by area.
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In brief
Dutch general insurance policies exclude war risks in accordance with a fixed, market-wide filed definition with six forms: armed conflict, civil war, insurrection, internal civil commotion, riot and mutiny. That definition is deliberately wide. As soon as an event falls under one of those six, there is no cover under your ordinary fire, transport or liability policy, however the loss arose. Cover for those situations does exist, but separately and with its own rules.
In reality this mainly concerns goods in transit and with people and resources abroad. A ship entering an area that has only just been designated as high risk, cargo seized by a government, or goods left stuck for months in a port that has been closed. For transport, war cover is usually added per shipment or per area; how that ties in with the cargo cover is set out under project cargo and the goods in transit insurance.
Two provisions determine the character of this cover. The first is the short notice period: the insurer can cancel or reprice war cover at very short notice as soon as the situation in an area changes. The second is automatic termination on the use of nuclear weapons or on armed conflict between major powers. On top of that, every policy carries a sanctions clause: destinations, parties and goods subject to international sanctions are never insured.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare personal liability insurance (AVP).
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What to look out for
Four provisions that work differently for war risks than under an ordinary business policy.
Area lists and the duty to notify in advance
War cover works with lists of areas for which permission and an additional premium are required. If you sail, fly or drive into such an area without notifying it beforehand, there is no cover. This ties in with the duty of disclosure of Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and with the consequences that Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code attaches to an incorrect statement.
Being stuck is not the same as loss
Goods left standing in a port or airport because the area has been closed off are not damaged. Payment for that requires a separate provision for blockage and entrapment, usually with a period after which the cargo may be treated as lost. Without that provision you bear the costs of storage, rerouting and delay yourself.
Seizure by a government
Confiscation, nationalisation and seizure by a lawful authority, including customs, are excluded as standard, including under war clauses. The same applies to the consequences of import and export bans and of currency measures. Only specialist political risk cover addresses part of this, with its own waiting periods and evidence requirements.
What is excluded in any event
Excluded are nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, damage caused by cyber operations, delay and loss of profit as an independent head of loss, and everything falling under a sanctions regime. Deliberately seeking out risk also engages Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. For civil disturbance and attacks on fixed locations, a different product applies: terrorism and political violence.
What does your premium depend on?
- Area and route: each area has its own loadings and conditions
- Nature and value of the interest: goods, means of transport or personnel
- Length of stay: passing through is weighted differently from lying idle for weeks
- Current situation on the ground: rates are revised continuously
- Security and escorts: convoys, escorts and security protocols
- Blockage cover included: being stuck and entrapment are separate provisions
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Ordinary policy | War cover |
|---|---|---|
| Fire from a short circuit in your warehouse, unconnected with the unrest in the city | Yes | No |
| Cargo lost in an attack on the vessel carrying it | No | Yes |
| Containers stuck for weeks because the port has been closed | No | Provided that |
| Personnel who have to be evacuated from the area urgently | No | Provided that |
| A vessel that entered the area without your having notified it in advance | No | No |
| Seizure of your goods by local customs | No | No |
You buy war cover area by area and period by period, and the insurer can cancel it again at short notice during the term.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
What exactly counts as war and civil commotion?
The definition used in the Dutch market names six forms: armed conflict, civil war, insurrection, internal civil commotion, riot and mutiny. If an event falls under one of them, the loss is excluded under your ordinary policies, whether or not you were involved. The definition is deliberately broad and also covers situations without a formal declaration of war.
Can war cover be cancelled during the policy period?
Yes. That is an essential feature of this kind of cover. Insurers can cancel the war clause at very short notice or revise the conditions and premium for an area as soon as the situation changes. On the use of nuclear weapons or a conflict between major powers, cover even ends automatically. So do not count on cover once taken out remaining in place all year.
Are my staff insured in a conflict area?
Under an ordinary business travel policy usually not: war and civil commotion and travel to areas with a negative travel advisory are generally excluded. For staff in such areas there are separate covers, often combined with evacuation and security services. Notify in advance which destinations are involved; notifying afterwards leads to argument about the duty of disclosure and to loss of cover.
What does the sanctions clause do?
It provides that the insurer gives no cover and makes no payment where doing so would conflict with sanctions legislation of, for example, the United Nations, the European Union or the United States. It makes no difference whether you were aware of the sanction yourself. So check the destination, the counterparty and the nature of the goods in advance; this clause appears on virtually every business policy.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.