Buildings
- Fire, storm and water
- Burglary damage
- Outbuildings and swimming pool
Insuring a holiday home in Portugal
In Portugal the insurer looks above all at what is growing around your house: the compulsory firebreak of cleared vegetation determines whether you are paid after a wildfire.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
This page in another language: Nederlands · Deutsch
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
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
Wildfire is the peril everything revolves around in Portugal, and it is one of the few risks you can influence directly. For buildings in or near woodland there is a statutory duty to clear a strip around the property of flammable vegetation. Insurers ask about it and check it after a fire. If the strip has not been maintained, the payment is reduced or refused.
Earthquake risk in Portugal is real as well, certainly in the Lisbon region and in the Algarve. Unlike in Spain there is no national compensation scheme: sismo is a separate extension to your fire policy, which you have to take out expressly. Without that extension, earthquake damage, including any fire that follows, is not covered.
If you let to holidaymakers, that comes with a registration and its own liability cover for your guests. In an apartment, fire insurance for the building runs through the condomínio. See also Spain and the general holiday home insurance.
Independent, personal, sorted quickly
We compare your holiday home insurance across dozens of insurers, explain where the real differences lie, and arrange the switch from start to finish — without you having to chase it yourself.
Holiday home insurancePhoto coming soon
ComparePhoto coming soon
Get coveredPhoto coming soon
Holiday home in Portugal: what is covered?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Home contents
Furniture and equipment you leave there permanently.
- Separate sum insured
- Theft while the property is unoccupied
- Lower sub-limit
Liability
Your liability for the building and towards tenants.
- A part of the facade coming loose
- Injury at the swimming pool
- Particularly relevant when letting
What is covered
| Situation | Covered |
|---|---|
| Fire or storm damage to the home | Yes |
| Water damage while the property is occupied | Yes |
| Water damage during a long period of vacancy | No |
| Damage caused by a tenant | Sometimes |
| Theft of your home contents while the property is let | Sometimes |
| Deferred maintenance and frost damage | 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.
What does your premium depend on?
- Distance to woodland and scrub. A position on the edge of woodland is the most important factor in fire risk.
- State of maintenance of the compulsory firebreak. Vegetation you can show has been cleared counts in both acceptance and payment.
- Seismic exposure of the region. Determines whether the earthquake extension is offered and at what excess.
- Method of construction and roof covering. A non-combustible roof and closed eaves reduce the chance of flying embers taking hold.
- Apartment in a condomínio or detached property. With a condomínio, fire insurance for the building is already arranged collectively.
- Holiday letting and registration. Letting to guests requires its own liability cover and changes acceptance.
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.
Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The compulsory firebreak around the building
For homes in or near woodland and scrub, the law requires the vegetation within a strip around the building to be removed and kept low. Branches overhanging the roof and pine needles in the gutter come under this as well. The municipality checks and can impose fines. For the insurer it is a condition for payment in full: have it done every year and keep the invoice and dated photographs.
Earthquake is a separate extension
Portugal has no national pool for extraordinary risks. If you want cover for earthquake and its consequences, you buy the sismo extension on top of the fire policy. In the more heavily exposed regions an excess applies that is expressed as a share of the sum insured. Without the extension, not only the earthquake damage but also the fire that follows is excluded.
Holiday letting with registration
If you let to changing guests, registration as local accommodation is required and that comes with liability cover for damage to guests and third parties. Think of a fall on a wet staircase or an accident by the swimming pool. Report the letting to your buildings and contents insurer as well: without notification, damage arising during a letting period falls outside cover.
What is not paid out
Outside the cover are: fire damage where the compulsory clearing of vegetation has been left undone, damage from sunlight, heat and weathering to paint, shutters and plastics, and water damage to a property that stood closed for months without ventilation or checks. Theft without signs of forced entry, where the shutters or the alarm were not used, also drops out. If you conceal letting, that engages Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Letting is commercial use
If you let through a platform, say so. Without notification, damage during the letting period falls outside the cover.
A Dutch policy or a local policy
For most destinations you can choose. A Dutch policy means Dutch conditions, Dutch law and claims handling in Dutch: worth a great deal in the event of a large claim in a country whose language you do not speak. A local policy sometimes fits regional natural hazards better.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
What is the compulsory firebreak around my house?
A strip around the building in which flammable vegetation must be removed or kept low, including branches overhanging the roof. The municipality checks and can take enforcement action. For the insurer it is a condition: if the strip has not been maintained and the house burns down, the payment is reduced. Have it done every year and keep the invoice.
Is earthquake covered as standard in Portugal?
No. Unlike in Spain there is no national compensation pool. Earthquake is a separate extension to the fire policy, which you must take out expressly, usually with an excess expressed as a share of the sum insured. Without that extension, the fire that follows a tremor is not covered either.
What does the condomínio arrange for me?
In an apartment, fire insurance for the building is arranged collectively through the owners' association. It covers the structure and the communal parts. Your own finishes, kitchen, bathroom and contents fall outside it, as does your liability towards neighbours and guests. Ask for the building policy and insure your own part separately.
Do I have to report letting to tourists?
Yes, both to the authorities and to your insurer. Holiday letting requires registration and liability cover for damage to guests. If you do not report the letting to your buildings and contents insurer, damage arising during a letting period falls outside cover and the duty of disclosure comes into play.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Holiday home insuranceThe main page
- Insuring a holiday home in SpainSecond home, Spain, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in FranceSecond home, France, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in BelgiumSecond home, Belgium, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in LuxembourgSecond home, Luxembourg, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in AustriaSecond home, Austria, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in IrelandSecond home, Ireland, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in ItalySecond home, Italy, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in MonacoSecond home, Monaco, vacancy and letting
Read more
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 compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.