Motor vehicle and green card
- Within the EEA your third-party cover applies
- Outside it, only for the countries listed
- Own-damage cover can have a smaller area
- Breakdown assistance is separate cover
Area of cover · green card · length of stay
In which country are you insured?
Every policy has an area of cover: the countries in which the insurance applies. As soon as you cross the border, sometimes the cover changes and sometimes only the handling of a claim. Below you can read what to look out for.
- 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: In welk land bent u verzekerd?.
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 area of cover is set out on your policy schedule and in the conditions. With car insurance it follows from the international motor insurance certificate, still commonly called the green card: it shows the countries for which the third-party liability cover applies. Within the European Economic Area your Dutch third-party cover applies automatically, because the insurance obligation in Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) rests on European rules.
With a travel insurance you choose yourself between European cover and worldwide cover, and there is almost always a maximum length for a single trip. A personal liability insurance normally has a wide area of cover, but with the limitation that you keep your main residence in the Netherlands. With legal expenses the area differs by module: consumer matters often Europe, traffic wider, employment matters usually the Netherlands only.
If you move abroad, most cover stops. Dutch non-life insurance assumes a home address here; without that address there is no valid policy. In that case cancel in good time and insure yourself in your new country of residence. See also what car insurance covers.
Looked at by insurance
Three types of cover where the country you are in makes a difference.
Travel and accommodation
You choose between Europe and worldwide, with a maximum length for each trip.
- European or worldwide cover
- Maximum length of a single trip
- Winter sports often separate
- Negative travel advice can affect cover
Home and liability
These policies assume a main residence in the Netherlands.
- Liability often a wide area
- Contents temporarily elsewhere limited
- A second home insured separately
- Emigration ends the cover
What is covered
| Situation | Within Europe | Outside Europe |
|---|---|---|
| Third-party cover for your car applies | Yes | Provided that |
| Own damage to your own car covered | Yes | Provided that |
| Travel cover for baggage and assistance | Yes | Provided that |
| Liability during a holiday | Yes | Yes |
| Legal expenses cover in an employment dispute | No | No |
| Cover after moving permanently to that country | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before taking out the policy.
Where the area of cover pinches
Two points that often lead to a refusal abroad.
The length of the stay counts
Almost every travel cover has a maximum uninterrupted length of a trip, and buildings and contents policies also set limits on how long a home may stand unoccupied. If you stay away longer, the cover can lapse: with a home that is treated as a vacancy , where insurers often give only fire and storm cover. So report a long stay elsewhere in advance.
What is covered in no country at all
The area of cover does not change the standard exclusions. Outside the policy remain intent and recklessness (Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code), damage while taking part in speed contests, damage in areas subject to negative travel advice or where there is war or civil unrest, and damage caused by wear or deferred maintenance. Report a claim abroad as soon as is reasonably possible, as Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires, and keep local documents.
What does your premium depend on?
- Area of cover chosen — Europe or worldwide
- Length and frequency of trips — single-trip or continuous
- Type of cover chosen — third-party liability, third-party, fire and theft, or comprehensive
- Sums insured — baggage, limits and sums
- Excess — higher excess, lower premium
- Additional modules — winter sports, breakdown assistance, legal expenses
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk 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.
Do I still need a green card within Europe?
Within the European Economic Area your Dutch third-party cover applies automatically and you are not obliged to carry the insurance certificate. Even so it is useful: after a collision it shows all the details the other party needs. For a number of countries outside the EEA the certificate is required, and then only if that country is ticked on the card.
Does my home contents insurance apply in my holiday home as well?
Usually not, or only to a very limited extent. Many contents policies have limited cover for belongings temporarily elsewhere, with a lower maximum and sometimes only for burglary with signs of forced entry. For a second home or holiday home a separate policy is needed, not least because standing empty is the norm there and insurers attach their own conditions to that.
Am I insured in a country subject to negative travel advice?
Often not. Many policies exclude damage arising in areas with red or orange travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or limit the cover to the period you need in order to leave. Check the travel advice before departure and again during your stay, because advice can be changed in the meantime.
What happens to my policies if I emigrate?
Dutch non-life insurance assumes a main residence in the Netherlands. If you move permanently, the basis for the policy falls away and you have to cancel; letting it run on gives no valid cover, but does cost premium. Arrange cover in your new country of residence and ask for a statement of no-claims years before you leave.
Unsure about your area of cover?
Request a quote without obligation; we will check in which countries your policies apply.
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.