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.
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 situation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) ties the Dutch insurance obligation to the motor vehicle registered in the Netherlands. If your car is on a foreign registration, the insurance obligation of that country applies in principle and a Dutch insurer usually cannot issue an ordinary policy on it.
If you live in the Netherlands and use the car here on a lasting basis, the vehicle has to be registered with the RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority) and given a Dutch registration number. Only after that can you take out ordinary car insurance. Until that moment there is a period in which the car is here but cannot be insured in the ordinary way.
There are short-term solutions for that interim period. Arrange them before you make the journey to the Netherlands, not once the car is already on the drive.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Compulsory by law
Third-party liability
Damage you cause to others with the vehicle.
Compulsory from registration onwards
Damage to other vehicles
Injury to third parties
Most chosen
Third-party liability + fire and theft
Also, external damage to your own vehicle.
Theft and burglary
Fire, storm and hail
Windscreen damage
Collision with animals
For a new vehicle
Comprehensive
Including damage to your own vehicle through your own fault.
Own fault
Vandalism
Unknown party at fault
Total loss
What is covered
Situation
Third-party liability
Third-party liability + fire and theft
Comprehensive
Damage to another vehicle
Yes
Yes
Yes
Theft
No
Yes
Yes
Windscreen damage or stone chips
No
Yes
Yes
Storm, hail and fire damage
No
Yes
Yes
Driving into a bollard yourself
No
No
Yes
Wear and deferred maintenance
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.
The registration determines which insurance system applies
A policy follows the registration. As long as the vehicle is registered in another country, the foreign cover is decisive, and that often ends as soon as the vehicle moves its normal base to another country. A Dutch insurer usually cannot fill that gap with an ordinary policy. That is not unwillingness, but a consequence of how Article 2 WAM ties the obligation to the registration.
The route to a Dutch registration number takes time
After import come identification and inspection at the RDW, settlement of the tax where it is due, and only then issue of the registration number. Reckon on several weeks. Build into that planning that during that period you may not move the car without cover, not even for an inspection appointment. So arrange the temporary solution in advance and not afterwards.
Driving uninsured comes back to you in any event
If you drive an uninsured vehicle in the Netherlands and cause injury or damage, the Waarborgfonds Motorverkeer pays the victim and recovers the full amount from you. You also remain liable under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code and risk a penalty for leaving the vehicle uninsured. That recovery claim cannot itself be insured.
Take your foreign claims record with you
If you drove insured abroad, ask your previous insurer for a written statement setting out the number of no-claims years and the claims history. Many Dutch insurers take that over, sometimes with an adjustment. Arrange it before you leave: afterwards, contact with a foreign company is more difficult. You can read what to do without such a statement at insuring without no-claims years.
Green card and territorial scope
Within the EU, carrying a green card is not compulsory, but for a number of countries outside it, it is. On an imported vehicle it is also wise to check whether the temporary cover covers the whole route, including the journey to the Netherlands.
Your no-claims years are held in Roy-data
You build up no-claims years for each year without an at-fault claim, and you usually lose five at once when a claim is paid. They are registered in Roy-data, the central system of Dutch insurers, and therefore transfer automatically to a new insurer. With most insurers, glass damage does not count.
With an at-fault claim you usually lose five no-claims years and your premium rises for years, because you then climb back up step by step. For a small claim, paying yourself can be cheaper. Always ask for a damage assessment before you finalise a claim.
What does your premium depend on?
Country of registration. Determines which insurance system applies and whether a temporary solution is needed.
Length of the interim period. How long the car remains on the foreign registration before the RDW registration is complete.
Demonstrable claims history. A statement from the foreign insurer about years and claims counts heavily.
Area of cover. Which countries the cover has to include, including the journey to the Netherlands.
Value of the vehicle after import. On unusual versions a valuation may be needed for the own-damage cover.
Age and driving experience of the driver. On temporary cover these count more heavily than on an ordinary policy.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your 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.
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.
Can I insure a car on a foreign registration at my Dutch address?
In the ordinary way usually not. The insurance obligation follows the registration, and for lasting use in the Netherlands a Dutch registration number is required. As long as that is not in place, you end up with short-term cover or with a specialist provider. That is an interim solution, not a substitute for the ordinary policy.
What do I arrange for the journey to the Netherlands?
Cover that applies to the foreign registration and covers the whole route, including the border crossing and the drive to your address. Check that the territorial scope covers all the countries you drive through. Arrange this before you leave; cover that only starts on arrival does not help you on the way.
How long does registration with the RDW take?
Reckon on several weeks, depending on the inspection and the tax settlement. So start with the insurance question as soon as the purchase is agreed and not once the car is here. In the meantime you may not use the vehicle on the public road without valid cover.
What happens if I drive uninsured anyway?
The Waarborgfonds Motorverkeer pays the victim's loss and recovers the full amount from you. On top of that comes a penalty for leaving a vehicle uninsured. You cannot place that recovery claim with an insurer afterwards. You bear it yourself.
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.
