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
A van with a Dutch registration falls under the insurance obligation in Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). That obligation continues for as long as the registration is in your company's name, including during a period when the van is standing idle on the company site. Third-party liability cover pays for the damage you cause to others; own-damage cover concerns the vehicle itself. Everything you carry falls outside both.
The difference from a car lies in the use. Own-account carriage for your own business, daily delivery of parcels or meals, hire to third parties and haulage for others are different risks for an insurer, with different rates. What you declare must match what actually happens; that duty of disclosure is set out in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and the consequences of an incorrect disclosure in Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
If your staff drive the van, employer's liability is added. Damage a member of staff causes to someone else during work ends up with you under Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code. If you also tow a trailer with the van, look at business trailer insurance; for a van with a historic registration there is a separate arrangement.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Compulsory
Third-party liability
Damage you cause to others.
Required by law
As long as the registration is in your name
Suspend the registration when not in use
Third-party liability plus
Third-party, fire and theft
Causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft
Windscreen damage
Comprehensive cover
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Own fault
Vandalism
Replacement-as-new period
What is covered
Situation
Third-party liability
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Damage to the other party
Yes
Yes
Yes
Theft
No
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm
No
Yes
Yes
Damage you cause yourself
No
No
Yes
Wear and mechanical defects
No
No
No
Driving without a valid licence
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.
What is in the load space is not part of the vehicle
Own-damage cover pays for the vehicle: bodywork, glass, engine and the permanently fitted parts. Tools, stock, samples and customers' goods fall entirely outside it, even with comprehensive cover. That calls for a tools or own-account carriage cover, with its own sum insured and usually a requirement of demonstrable forced entry. If your van is broken into, the motor policy pays for the lock and the door, and nothing towards the contents. State in your application what is normally kept in the van.
Permanently fitted equipment, bodywork and signwriting
A racking system, a tool cabinet, a refrigeration unit, a tail lift, a roof rack or advertising lettering increase the value of the vehicle, but only count when they have been declared at the start of the insurance. If you fail to do so, a total loss is settled on the bare van and not on your fitted-out workshop on wheels. Ask for written confirmation of the fitted equipment insured and keep the invoices for it with your policy.
Staff behind the wheel
Who may drive the van is set out in the drivers clause. If you let someone drive who does not fall within it, the insurer may limit the claim or recover its outlay. For your staff, the duty of care under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code also applies, together with the principle that under Article 7:611 of the Dutch Civil Code an employer makes proper arrangements for employees who take part in traffic on his instructions. Occupants' cover is the instrument for that.
What is not covered
Falling outside the cover are: the load and the tools in the load space; damage to goods during loading and unloading; haulage for others, courier runs or hire that have not been declared; damage caused by overloading or an improperly secured load; theft where the key was left in or near the vehicle; fines and criminal penalties; and damage caused intentionally or recklessly, for which Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code applies.
What does your premium depend on?
Maximum permitted mass and payload. A heavy van with a large payload falls into a different risk class from a compact city van.
Type of use declared. Own-account carriage, daily delivery, hire and haulage for others are rated separately.
Circle of drivers and age. Whether only the owner drives, or several members of staff take turns, and how young the youngest driver is.
Area of operation and annual mileage. Urban journeys with a lot of manoeuvring produce different claims figures from long motorway runs.
Storage and security. An enclosed company site or shed weighs differently from parking overnight on the public road.
Type of cover, excess and fitted equipment insured. Third-party, third-party fire and theft or comprehensive, the excess chosen and the value of the business fitting-out declared.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
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.
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.
No. A motor policy covers the vehicle, not what you carry in it. For tools, machines and stock you need a separate tools or own-account carriage cover. That has its own sum insured, its own excess and usually the condition that there are signs of forced entry. Emptying the van overnight is an additional requirement with many insurers.
May a member of staff take the van home?
They can, but it should be stated on the policy. Commuting and private use by staff is a different form of use from purely business journeys, and the place where the van is parked changes with it. Also declare who drives it on a regular basis. If reality differs from what you declared, the insurer can rely on Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code in the event of a claim.
I deliver parcels now and then. Do I have to report that?
Yes. Delivery is a risk class of its own because of the number of stops, the time pressure and the constant getting in and out. Occasional delivery runs belong in your declaration too. If it emerges after a claim that you deliver on a regular basis while the policy states own-account carriage, that is a ground for refusing payment, even if the journey itself was not a delivery run.
Does a claim caused by an employee count against my no-claims years?
The claim goes on the policy the vehicle is on, regardless of who was driving. With business registration, the build-up therefore runs through your company and not through the member of staff. With a small at-fault claim it is worth working out in advance whether paying it yourself is cheaper than the loss of a step and the higher premium in the years that follow.
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.
