Liability
- Damage to third parties
- Employers' liability
- Care, custody and control as an extension
Collection · visitors · events
Insurance for cultural institutions
At a museum, theatre or heritage institution you insure two things at once that contradict each other: objects that cannot be replaced and a public that has to be able to get as close to them as possible.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Verzekeringen voor culturele instellingen.
Calculate your premium or request a quote
Without obligation; a reply within one working day.
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 your own premium with the calculator.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- 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 collection is the heart of it, and it cannot be insured at replacement value. For art, archive material and musical instruments a agreed valueis used: a valuation by a recognised expert that is recorded on the policy, so that there is no argument after a loss about what the object was worth. Such a valuation has a limited period of validity and has to be renewed periodically; if it lapses, you fall back on valuation after the event, at exactly the moment the object is no longer there.
The second layer is other people's work. Incoming loans are in your care and are therefore property in your custody. Lenders normally require cover from nail to nail: from the moment of collection, throughout transport, stay and exhibition, until the return to the original place. That cover is a separate section with its own limit and with requirements on packing, climate and condition reporting on arrival and departure.
You also have the public on the premises, often in a listed building. Besides the ordinary duty of care in Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code the possessor of the building is subject to the strict liability in Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. If you work with volunteers, Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code applies to damage they cause.
What does insurance for cultural institutions cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Assets and continuity
Business contents, goods and lost turnover during downtime.
- Business contents at replacement value as new
- Goods at cost price
- Business interruption or additional costs
Staff
Sickness absence, accidents and the traffic risk.
- Continued pay for 104 weeks
- Group personal accident
- WEGAS for traffic risks
What is covered
| Situation | AVB | BAV | Cyber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injury to a visitor or customer | Yes | No | No |
| Damage to a client's property | Sometimes | No | No |
| Financial loss caused by an advisory or calculation error | No | Yes | No |
| Downtime after a ransomware attack | No | No | Yes |
| Data breach involving personal data | No | Sometimes | Yes |
| Damage to property in your care | No | No | No |
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
An agreed value avoids an argument you will never win
Without a valuation the value of a damaged or lost object has to be established after the event, with the insurer on the other side of the table. For unique heritage that is an impossible exercise. Have the collection valued by an expert the insurer accepts, record the valuation on the policy and keep an eye on the period of validity. Register new acquisitions straight away; an object that has not yet been recorded falls outside the sum insured.
A loan obliges you to do more than insure
The loan agreement normally sets requirements on climate, light, handling, method of transport and courier accompaniment. If you do not meet them, the insurer can limit the payment and you remain liable to the lender. Make condition reports with photographs on arrival and on departure, and have both parties sign them. That report determines whether a crack noticed during the exhibition belongs with you or with the lender.
Volunteers are not employees but they are your risk
Cultural institutions run on volunteers for tours, the ticket desk, the store and installation work. The institution can be held liable for damage they cause to third parties under Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code, and the duty of care in Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code extends to people who carry out work for you without a contract of employment. Include volunteers expressly in the liability cover and arrange group personal accident cover; put instructions on lifting and climbing in writing.
What a collection policy does not cover
Normally excluded are: inherent defect and inherent ageing such as craquelure, discolouration, woodworm and paper acidification, gradual damage from light or climate, damage during restoration carried out by you or on your instructions, theft without signs of forced entry during opening hours without supervision, and situations of war. Loss that only comes to light at a stocktake, with no identifiable event, also falls outside the cover.
What does your premium depend on?
- Valued amount of the collection — The sum insured and how it is spread across store, galleries and loans.
- Highest value in one space — Insurers look at the maximum loss from a single event, not at the total.
- Security and climate control — Alarm response, CCTV, fire detection, climate recording and the layout of the store all carry weight.
- Loan traffic — The number, value and travel distance of incoming and outgoing loans determine the transport component.
- Visitor numbers and public activities — Events, children's programmes and guided tours increase the risk of injury and of objects being touched.
- Nature and condition of the building — A listed building brings higher repair costs and stricter requirements for alterations.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your activities, turnover 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
The questions we are asked most often about this.
What does nail-to-nail cover mean?
That the object is insured without interruption from the moment it is taken off the wall at the lender's premises, throughout packing, transport, stay and exhibition, until it hangs back in its original place. Lenders almost always require this form. Check that your policy also covers storage in between and the return journey; that is where the gap falls in practice.
Is a fall in value after a successful restoration covered?
That differs by policy and is a point to settle in advance. A restored work is often worth less afterwards than before, even where the restoration is technically successful. Some collection policies pay that loss of value on top of the repair costs, others do not. For loans the lender usually requires this cover; have the provision in place before transport.
Are our volunteers insured if they injure someone or damage something?
Only if they are expressly named as insured persons on the liability policy. Many policies refer to subordinates and employees, which does not automatically include volunteers. Declare the number of volunteers and have it recorded that they count as insured persons for work carried out on the institution's instructions. Also arrange group personal accident cover for injuries they suffer themselves while working.
What do we insure if a performance or exhibition does not go ahead?
That falls outside the liability and collection cover. Lost income after an insured event, for instance closure after fire or water damage, belongs with business interruption cover, with an indemnity period that matches the repair time of a listed building. Cancellation for other reasons, such as a performer dropping out, calls for separate event or cancellation cover per production.
Ready to compare?
Request a quote without obligation. We will look at which insurer best matches your activities and your risk.
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.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
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.