Third-party liability
- Damage to other cars and injury
- No cover for your own car
- Compulsory under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)
- Suitable where the market value is low
Third-party liability · own damage · no-claims years
Insuring your car through SV Autos
Every car with a Dutch registration must have at least third-party liability cover. The question is not whether you insure, but how far you extend the cover and where the limits of that cover lie.
- 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: Uw auto verzekeren via SV Autos.
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 third-party liability cover is required by law under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). It pays for the damage you cause to someone else with your car: damage to their car, to a lamp post or to a garden wall, and injury to passengers and other road users. What it does not pay for is damage to your own car. The obligation continues for as long as the registration is in your name and has not been suspended, even if the car stands still on private land.
For damage to your own car there are two extensions. Third-party, fire and theft pays for a fixed list of events named in the policy: theft, fire, storm, hail, glass damage and collision with wild animals. Comprehensive adds the damage you cause yourself or where the other party remains unknown — a single-vehicle collision, parking damage, a missed bend. The older the car, the sooner you reach the point at which the difference in premium no longer measures up to the market value.
The premium depends heavily on your no-claims years. These are held in a central register and transfer to the new insurer when you switch. A claim you made for which you were liable usually costs you several steps. With a small claim it therefore often pays to do the sums first: sometimes paying yourself works out cheaper in the long run than claiming.
Which cover do you choose?
Three forms of cover, with below them the situations that cause the most confusion.
Third-party liability + fire and theft
Alongside third-party liability, a fixed list of events beyond your control.
- Theft and burglary damage
- Fire, storm and hail damage
- Windscreen damage and collisions with wild animals
- Your own fault remains at your own expense
Comprehensive
Also damage to your own car caused by you or without a third party involved.
- Single-vehicle collisions and parking damage
- Damage with no known other party
- Often a replacement-value-as-new arrangement for newer cars
- You can choose your own excess
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Damage you cause to someone else | Yes | Yes |
| Theft of the car or of parts | No | Yes |
| Windscreen damage and windscreen replacement | No | Yes |
| Parking damage with no known culprit | No | Yes |
| Damage to luggage and items in the car | No | Provided that |
| Engine damage through wear or deferred maintenance | 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 you take out cover.
What to look out for beforehand
Four points that most often lead afterwards to a reduced payment or a rejection.
Market value, replacement value as new and depreciation
If the car is a total loss, the insurer in principle pays the market value: the value immediately before the loss, established by an assessor. For newer cars, many policies have a a replacement-value-as-new or purchase-value arrangement which for a stated period works from the original price. Note the exact duration and the condition that you are the first owner. With a car of unusual value, or one that is hard to compare, a valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code can help; the value established then serves as the starting point.
Excess and no-claims years
A higher excess lowers the premium, but you pay the first part yourself on every own-damage claim. Glass repair often carries a lower excess or none at all, glass replacement usually does. If you claim for damage for which you are liable, you lose no-claims years and the premium rises for several years. So ask for an estimate of the consequences before you report the claim, and bear in mind that buying off no-claims years only makes sense if it is also recognised by your next insurer.
What is not covered
The following, among others, are outside the cover: wear, mechanical and electronic defects without a collision, including engine damage caused by deferred maintenance or the wrong fuel; damage while driving under the influence or without a valid licence; and damage during hire, paid passenger transport or other business use where the policy assumes private use. Taking part in speed or handling events and driving on a circuit are also excluded. Damage caused by intent or recklessness is excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Reporting when you take out the policy and when you claim
When you apply, the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code: the correct registration number and version, who the regular driver is, the annual mileage, modifications to the car and any claims or criminal record insofar as you are asked about it. An incorrect declaration can reduce or cancel the payment (Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code). After a claim you report it as soon as is reasonably possible (Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code), complete the European accident statement together with the other party, and do not have the car repaired before the assessor has seen it.
What does your premium depend on?
- List price, weight and power — determine the premium class
- No-claims years — these determine your discount step
- Age of the regular driver — young drivers weigh heavily
- Postcode area — the risk of theft and damage
- Number of kilometres per year — more kilometres, higher premium
- Type of cover and excess — third-party liability, third-party, fire and theft, or comprehensive
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.
When should I switch from comprehensive cover to third-party, fire and theft?
If you can and want to bear the damage to the car yourself. To decide, compare the annual difference in premium with the market value less the excess. With a car that can still fall considerably in value, comprehensive cover remains defensible in the event of a total loss; with an older car of limited market value, third-party, fire and theft, or even third-party liability alone, is often the rational choice. Assess this each year, not once when you buy the car.
What happens if someone else drives my car?
The insurance follows the car, not the driver, so in principle an occasional borrower is covered. Two limitations do apply: if the policy contains an age clause or a restricted circle of drivers, an own-damage claim can be refused, and if the borrower causes damage, that costs you your no-claims years. If someone drives the car regularly, declare that person as the regular driver.
How do I cancel my old insurance?
After the first contract year, motor policies can generally be cancelled at any time subject to one month's notice. In the first year the contract term usually applies. We arrange the cancellation when you switch and make sure the new policy follows on, so that there is no day without cover. Also request a cancellation statement; that is how your no-claims years demonstrably transfer.
Is my baggage or laptop in the car insured?
Usually not from the motor policy. Some policies have limited cover for personal belongings, often with a low maximum amount and the requirement that the items were not visible in the car. For private individuals, theft from a car more often falls under the home contents insurance, again with a limit and with requirements about signs of forced entry. Check both policies before you leave valuables behind.
Do I always have to report a claim?
Reporting and claiming are two different things. Under Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code you are obliged to report an event that may lead to a claim as soon as you reasonably can, even if you do not yet know whether you will claim. That is certainly so where the other party may hold you liable. Whether you actually have your own damage paid for is something you decide afterwards, on the basis of the excess and your no-claims years.
Read more
Work out the premium for your car?
Request a quotation without obligation using your registration number; we compare premium and conditions and arrange the switch.
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.