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 activities
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Professional indemnity insurance (BAV) covers pure financial loss: financial detriment suffered by your client through a mistake, an omission or incorrect advice. The distinction from the AVB is sharp: the AVB deals with damage to property and people, the BAV with money.
Almost all BAV policies operate on claims made. What matters is not when you made the mistake but when the claim is notified to you. That is why prior acts cover (cover for mistakes made in the past) and run-off cover (cover for claims after the policy ends) are not frills but the heart of the policy.
For some professions a BAV is compulsory under the rules of the professional body, including for lawyers, accountants, civil-law notaries and architects. For other professions the client requires it by contract, with a minimum sum insured set out in the contract or the specification.
What does professional indemnity insurance (BAV) cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The essentials
Professional errors
Financial loss through a mistake, an omission or incorrect advice.
Calculation or design error
Incorrect or late advice
Deadline or time limit missed
Often the bulk of it
Defence costs
The cost of defending a claim, even if it turns out to be unfounded.
Costs of defence
Expert investigation
Claims handling on your behalf
When starting or stopping
Retroactive and run-off cover
Claims made means that the date of notification counts, not the date of the mistake.
Prior-acts cover when switching
Run-off cover on termination
Joining up with the previous policy
What is covered
Situation
BAV
AVB
A calculation error that makes the project more expensive
Yes
No
Incorrect advice causing financial detriment
Yes
No
A missed deadline or limitation period
Yes
No
Injury to a visitor at the office
No
Yes
Coffee spilt over the client's laptop
No
Yes
Intent, fines and guarantees going beyond the law
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.
Claims made: the date of notification determines everything
If you make a mistake in 2023, switch insurer in 2025 and are held liable in 2026, your current insurer is on the hook — but only if you have prior-acts cover for the period before the start date. Without that cover you are left empty-handed after paying premiums for all those years. When switching, always ask how far back the prior-acts cover runs and whether an exclusion applies for known circumstances.
Run-off is the point people overlook
If you close your business or retire, your policy ends but your liability does not. Claims about old work can still arrive years later. Without run-off cover you pay them yourself. Buy run-off cover before the policy ends; afterwards it is usually no longer possible to arrange.
When the limitation clock starts to run
Article 7:942 of the Dutch Civil Code gives you three years to enforce your claim against the insurer, counting from the day after you became aware that it was due. Under a liability policy that is the moment you receive the notice of liability — not the moment of the mistake, and not the moment of the accident either. With liability insurance, any negotiation with the insurer or the injured party interrupts that period.
The policy covers the activities stated on it. If you take on project management, inspections or interim work as well, have that added. When a claim comes in, the first question is whether the work fell within the description; if it falls outside, you never even reach the rest of the discussion.
What does your premium depend on?
Profession and risk class — legal practice and structural engineering weigh more heavily than copywriting
Annual turnover — the main basis for calculation
Sum insured per claim and per year — often € 500.000 to € 2.500.000
Excess chosen — per claim
Retroactive period — the further back, the higher the premium
Area of operation and applicable law — the US and Canada are almost always excluded
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
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.
Cover is determined by the moment the claim is notified, not by the moment of the mistake. A mistake from 2023 that is claimed in 2026 falls under the policy running in 2026, provided that policy has prior-acts cover going back to 2023.
What is prior-acts cover and do I need it?
Prior-acts cover applies to mistakes you made before the start date of the policy but which are only claimed afterwards. When switching insurer it is essential; without it a gap opens between your old and new policy, and that is exactly where the claims you did not see coming fall.
What happens if I close my business?
Then you need run-off cover. Your liability continues while your policy stops, and claims about old work can still arrive for years. Arrange run-off cover before the policy ends.
How long do I have to bring a claim against my insurer?
Three years, under Article 7:942 of the Dutch Civil Code, counting from the day after you became aware that your claim was due. Under a liability policy that is the moment of the notice of liability. So notify at once, even if you dispute the claim.
Do I need an AVB as well as a BAV?
Usually yes. The BAV covers neither property damage nor injury. Anyone who visits sites or employs staff also needs an AVB.
Are defence costs included?
Yes, even if the claim turns out to be unfounded. Do check whether those costs fall within or on top of the sum insured; in long-running proceedings that makes a considerable difference.
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.
