Summary · ticks · conditions
Reading and comparing insurance cards (verzekeringskaart)
The insurance card (verzekeringskaart) summarises a policy on two pages. It is useful for putting products side by side, but it is not a contract: when you claim, only what is in the conditions counts.
- 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: Verzekeringskaarten lezen en vergelijken.
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 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 insurance card is a standardised summary of an insurance policy, drawn up in a format set by the Dutch Association of Insurers. Every card has the same structure: what is insured, what is not insured, are there any restrictions on cover, where am I covered, what are my obligations, when and how do I pay, and when does the cover start and end. Because all insurers use the same order and the same symbols, you can put two products from different companies side by side on the same points .
The card is deliberately short and therefore incomplete. A green tick next to theft says nothing about the requirement that the lock must be approved, or about the sub-limit for jewellery and cash. A tick next to damage to others says nothing about the care, custody and control exclusion for items you had borrowed from someone. And almost no card lists all the standard exclusions: intent and recklessness (Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code), war risks and nuclear reactions, and damage caused by earthquake and flood are in the conditions, and not always on the card.
So use the card to select, and the conditions to decide. You receive both before you sign; you will find the full documents at policy conditions, and the order of precedence between the policy schedule, the clauses and the conditions is described at general terms and conditions. If you are looking for the card for a particular product, start with the relevant hub page, for example the liability insurance.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare personal liability insurance (AVP).
What to look for on the card
Four places where the card leaves out something that the conditions do deal with.
The cross matters more than the tick
Visitors look at what is insured; the difference between two policies usually lies in the not covered block and in the restrictions on cover below it. Read those two blocks first. If there is an exclamation mark next to a subject, there is a restriction with an amount, a time limit or a loss prevention requirement attached to it in the conditions.
Sub-limits are rarely shown
Many policies have a maximum per category: jewellery, audiovisual equipment, cash, items in a shed or in the car. The card often says only that home contents are insured. Anyone who owns valuables therefore has to check in the conditions whether the sub-limit is sufficient and whether separate valuables cover is needed.
Obligations are not a footnote
The block setting out your obligations refers to firm statutory provisions. On the application the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Codeapplies, with reduction or refusal of payment under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Codeas the sanction. When you claim, Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to report as soon as you can reasonably be expected to know about the loss, and to cooperate with the investigation.
The card gives no rights
If the card differs from the conditions, in a dispute the policy conditions and the policy schedule take precedence; the card is expressly a summary and not part of the contract. You may, however, expect the card to state the main points correctly. If you see a difference you cannot explain, raise it before you sign.
What does your premium depend on?
- Form of cover on the card — third-party, fire and theft, extended or comprehensive makes a considerable difference
- Sum insured — the maximum payout per event or per year
- Excess — a higher excess lowers the premium
- Area of cover — the Netherlands, Europe or worldwide
- Prevention requirements — approved locks or an alarm often lead to a discount
- Chosen additions — modules such as glass, valuables or legal expenses
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
What is covered
| Situation | A tick on the card | In the conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Theft of your e-bike, which was outside the door with a non-approved lock | Yes | No |
| A friend's borrowed laptop that you drop | Yes | No |
| Cracks in the walls after an earthquake | No | No |
| Water damage from a burst pipe behind the bathroom wall | Yes | Yes |
| Theft of your suitcase from the car during a stop in France | Yes | Provided that |
| A phone you throw against the wall during an argument | No | No |
What the card deals with in a single tick often comes with a requirement, a time limit or a maximum in the conditions.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Is an insurance card compulsory?
For general insurance you must receive a standardised information document about the product in advance. The insurance card used in the Dutch market fulfils that obligation and therefore has the same layout at all participating insurers. You receive the card together with the conditions before the contract is concluded, so that you can still compare.
Two cards look identical. Where is the difference then?
Usually in the details behind the ticks: the sub-limit for valuables, the requirement that a bicycle be locked in an enclosed space, whether replacement value as new or market value is paid and how long the new-for-old arrangement applies. Claims handling also differs: repair in kind through a network or a free choice of repairer. Those points are only in the conditions.
May I rely on the card if the conditions say something else?
Where there is a difference, the policy governs: the policy schedule with the clauses, then the specific conditions, then the general conditions. The card is a summary and not a contract document. A demonstrably misleading card can, however, play a part in the discussion with the insurer. If you cannot resolve it, the complaints route through our office and then Kifid (the financial services complaints institute) is open to you.
Where can I find the card for my own policy?
With the documents you received when taking out the policy, and with the insurer itself under the product name that appears on your policy schedule. Note the version date: if the insurer changes the conditions at renewal, a new card goes with that. If you do not know which version applies to you, give us your policy number and we will look it up.
