Doing business abroad: insurance through OOM
Dutch policies usually stop at the border or at a short stay. Anyone working structurally outside the Netherlands or setting up a branch needs cover matched to the country of work.
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- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
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Work out for yourself what it would cost.
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- 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
OOM Verzekeringen focuses on living, working and doing business outside the Netherlands. Finass acts as an intermediary for that range and compares it with what other insurers offer. The choice follows from where you work, for how long and with which people. The starting point is always the same: a Dutch policy covers what is stated on the policy schedule as the area of cover, and that is often the Netherlands or Europe with a maximum length of stay. Everything beyond that is uninsured, even though the premium simply continues.
Three matters run into each other here. Your people: medical expenses, repatriation and accidents during a posting, where the question is whether someone remains covered by Dutch social insurance or falls under the system of the country of work. Your liability: a claim is assessed under the law of the country where the loss falls and before the courts there, which means a different assessment of damages and different limitation periods from those under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. Your property: a building, warehouse or contents on the spot; see insuring a building, site or object.
Also note the duty of care as an employer. Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code also applies to employees you send abroad: safety, information and facilities on the spot remain your responsibility. For the personnel side, working abroad is the starting point, with medical expenses cover as its core.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering).
The same independent view, whatever insurer
We work with dozens of insurers and choose whichever fits your situation best — not whichever pays us the most. That means advice built around you, not around one brand.
Insurers
Independent
AdviceWhy 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.
What to look out for
Four points that determine whether your cover holds up across the border.
Area of cover and length of stay
Almost every policy names an area and a maximum uninterrupted length of stay. If a project is extended or the work moves to a neighbouring country, you fall outside the cover without anyone noticing. Record for each policy where and for how long it applies and adjust that with every change to the project.
Insurance required locally
Many countries require certain cover to be placed with a locally admitted insurer, such as motor vehicles, accidents to staff or the liability of a branch. A Dutch policy does not replace that. Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) governs only the compulsory cover for the Netherlands, for example; beyond that the system of the country itself applies.
Exclusions that apply specifically abroad
Generally outside the cover are countries subject to a sanctions or embargo regime, areas with negative travel advice because of war or conflict, acts of war and terrorism, and work that does not fall within the description of activities declared. Fines and penalty payments imposed by a foreign regulator are not paid for either.
Property left behind in the Netherlands
If you leave yourself, the status of your home here changes. A home standing empty or being let no longer falls under an ordinary home policy and calls for adjusted cover; see insurance for a home left behind. Not reporting it affects the cover through the Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
- Country and region of work: the security situation and local cost levels
- Length of stay: short missions or a permanent branch
- Number of employees posted abroad: and whether they take their family with them
- Nature of the work: office work weighs differently from construction or engineering
- Local property: a building, contents, stock or rolling stock
- Excess chosen: to be established separately for each part of the policy
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Dutch policy | Local policy |
|---|---|---|
| A visitor is injured at your branch in Poland | Provided that | Yes |
| Hospital costs for an employee working in Vietnam for three months | Provided that | No |
| A fire in the warehouse you rent in Spain | No | Yes |
| A collision with a company car on German plates | No | Yes |
| A claim your customer brings before a court in the United States | No | No |
| A fine from the labour inspectorate of the country of work after an inspection | No | No |
Set out on paper for each project which column carries what. The gaps always fall at the transition between the two.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Does my Dutch public and employers' liability insurance apply abroad as well?
Only within the area of cover on the policy schedule, and often with an exception for claims brought in certain jurisdictions. Even where the area is right, a local customer can require a branch on the spot to hold its own policy with an admitted insurer. Have that checked country by country before you sign a contract.
Does my employee remain covered by Dutch social insurance?
That depends on the length of the posting and the country. Within the EU it is recorded in a statement on the applicable legislation; beyond that a treaty or the local system often applies. Arrange that determination in advance, because it decides whether additional medical and accident cover is needed and who bears the cost of repatriation.
What if an employee falls ill or has an accident?
The cost of treatment on the spot, transport to a suitable hospital and any repatriation run through the medical expenses and assistance cover. You also remain the employer: Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to provide a safe working environment, on a foreign site as well. Record instructions, safety provisions and the local medical route in writing in advance.
Is Finass tied to this insurer?
No. We compare several insurers objectively and act as an intermediary for this range where it suits your situation. With cross-border business that is often the case, because by no means every Dutch insurer accepts long-term residence and work outside Europe. Which policy it becomes follows from the country, the duration and the nature of the work.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.