Liability
- Property damage and injury to third parties
- Family, children and house guests
- Usually worldwide cover
- Professional and business activities excluded
Temporary stay · rented home · territorial scope
Why liability insurance is essential for expats in the Netherlands
Anyone moving to the Netherlands from abroad comes under Dutch liability law. A policy from your home country rarely covers that.
- 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: Waarom een aansprakelijkheidsverzekering voor expats in Nederland essentieel is.
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
In the Netherlands Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Codeapplies: anyone who acts unlawfully and causes damage as a result must make it good. There are also strict liabilities where no fault is needed, for example for the possessor of a building (Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code) or of an animal (Article 6:179 of the Dutch Civil Code). How long you are here or what nationality you hold makes no difference: the law of the place where the damage arises is decisive.
Liability insurance from your country of origin usually does not cover that. Many foreign policies are tied to an address in that country, or to a temporary stay of a few months. If you move here with a residence permit and register with the municipality, that is no longer temporary. A Dutch AVP matches the law you fall under here and the requirements landlords and schools set.
For expats the rented home is the main point to watch. You insure your own contents and your tenant's improvements: the items you have installed yourself. What the landlord left in the property is their owner's interest and falls under their policy. If you keep a home abroad that you let, also look at liability around that property.
What you need as an expat
Three covers that come into play during a temporary stay in the Netherlands.
Home contents and tenant's improvements
Your belongings and the improvements you make yourself.
- Your own contents at the rented address
- Fixtures you install yourself
- Not the landlord's property
- The tenancy agreement sets the boundary
A home in your home country
A home kept or let outside the Netherlands.
- Falls outside the Dutch AVP
- Insure letting separately
- Local policy and local law
- Report empty periods
What is covered
| Situation | Dutch AVP | A different policy is needed |
|---|---|---|
| You damage a colleague's laptop | Yes | No |
| Your child causes damage at school | Yes | No |
| Water damage to the rented home you live in | Provided that | Yes |
| Liability around a let home abroad | No | Yes |
| Damage during your work or work placement | No | Yes |
| Damage caused with a car or scooter | No | Yes |
The sums insured, exclusions and excess that apply to you are set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) you receive before you take out cover.
Four points for expats
Where a temporary stay in the Netherlands leads to gaps in cover.
Your foreign policy stops sooner than you think
Liability policies are tied to a country of residence. If you register with a Dutch municipality, your stay here is no longer temporary and the cover on a foreign policy often lapses by operation of law. Report your move to the original insurer and take out a policy here. Being insured twice costs premium without extra protection; not being insured at all costs far more in an injury claim.
Tenant's interest and owner's interest get mixed up
In a furnished rented home a great deal is not yours. The kitchen, the bathroom, the floor and often the furniture are the landlord's owner's interest and fall under their policy. What you install or bring yourself is your tenant's improvements and contents. Draw up an inventory with photographs at the start. Without that separation, an argument arises after a loss about who submits which claim, while the repair period runs on.
Letting and work fall outside the AVP
The AVP insures family life. Liability arising from a profession, business or work placement falls outside it, as does liability arising from the ownership or letting of property that you do not occupy yourself. If you keep a home in your home country that you let, you insure that locally. Report letting and work to your insurer; Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code requires it and non-disclosure can cost you the payment under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What the policy never covers
The standard exclusions are damage to your own property, damage caused by a motor vehicle, vessel or aircraft (for motor vehicles, the compulsory insurance under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)), fines and traffic offences and pure financial loss without property damage or injury. Damage caused deliberately or recklessly remains excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Notify a claim as soon as reasonably possible, as Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires.
What does your premium depend on?
- Household composition — alone or with family
- Sum insured — per event
- Area of cover — Europe or worldwide
- Length of stay — registration and length of contract
- Excess — per claim
- Combining with home contents — a package discount is possible
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.
Is liability insurance compulsory for expats?
No. In the Netherlands only liability insurance for motor vehicles is compulsory by law, under Article 2 of the WAM. Many landlords, international schools and sports clubs do require liability cover as a condition of the contract or membership. Without a policy you carry the loss yourself, and where there is injury the amounts can rarely be paid from your own resources.
Does the policy also apply when I go on holiday or visit family?
Usually yes. The Dutch AVP normally has worldwide cover for holidays and temporary stays, often limited to a continuous period of a few months. If you work in another country temporarily or stay there longer, check the territorial scope. For a long posting, a policy with a wider territorial scope may be needed.
What if I cause damage to my rented home?
That is not liability for damage to third parties in the ordinary sense, but a matter between you and your landlord. Some AVP policies have limited tenant's liability cover for fire and water damage to the rented home. Read the conditions and check what the tenancy agreement requires of you; if necessary, combine the policy with home contents insurance that includes the tenant's interest.
I let my home in my home country. Is that covered?
No. The Dutch AVP excludes liability connected with the ownership or letting of property you do not occupy yourself. Local law and local policy conditions also apply to the home abroad. Arrange the cover there, report the letting and report empty periods too, because virtually every insurer treats those as a change of risk.
Can I take out the policy in English?
The policy conditions are usually drawn up in Dutch and that version is legally decisive. Some insurers provide an English explanation or insurance card (verzekeringskaart). Have the cover and the exclusions gone through in advance, certainly the provisions on work, letting and territorial scope, so that you know where the policy stops before you need it.
Read more
Within Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering
- Aansprakelijkheidsverzekeringthe main page
- Waarom een aansprakelijkheidsverzekering nederland essentieel is voor jou
- Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering aansprakelijkheid en overige varia
- How liability insurance protects you against risks
- Why you need liability insurance in the Netherlands
- Verhuur en aansprakelijkheid waarom een aansprakelijkheidsverzekering onmisbaar is voor vastgoedeigenaren
- Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering aansprakelijkheid zzp
Similar pages
- Why liability insurance is essential in the Netherlands
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- Liability as a self-employed professional: which cover do you need?
- Personal liability insurance (AVP) through Turien & Co — compare & calculate your premium
- Personal liability insurance (AVP) through OOM Verzekeringen
Also relevant
New to the Netherlands?
Request a quotation without obligation; we assess your residence situation, rented home and territorial scope.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
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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.
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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.