Third-party liability
- Damage to other vehicles and injury
- No cover for your own car
- Compulsory as long as the registration is in your name
- Valid in the countries on the green card
BSN · no-claims years · driving licence
Car insurance for expats in the Netherlands
You can insure a car as soon as the registration can be put in your name. For that you need to be registered in the BRP (the Dutch population register) with a BSN. Your foreign no-claims years and your driving licence then determine the premium and acceptance.
- 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: Autoverzekering voor expats in Nederland.
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 for yourself what it would cost.
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 short route looks like this: you register with the municipality and receive a BSN (citizen service number), after which the registration can be put in your name at the RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority), and at that moment the car must be insured. The insurance requirement attaches to the registration and not to driving: as long as a registration is in your name and has not been suspended, third-party liability cover must be in place (Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)). Without a BSN and a Dutch address, most insurers will not accept an application.
The second point expats run into is no-claims years. Dutch insurers work with a bonus-malus system and consult Roy-data for it, the central register that contains Dutch policies only. The years you built up in Germany, the United Kingdom or India are not in it. Many insurers do accept a written no-claims statement from your previous insurer, provided it states the period, the number of claims and the name of the policyholder. How much is taken over differs from company to company: some take over all the years, others only years within the EU.
The third point is your driving licence. A licence from the EU or the EEA remains valid for the period stated on it. A licence from outside the EU/EEA remains valid for a limited period after you register in the BRP, usually 185 days. After that you must exchange it or take the Dutch driving test. If you carry on driving after that, your own damage is not covered and the insurer recovers from you what it pays to third parties.
Which cover do you choose?
The Netherlands has three forms of cover. The choice depends on the value of the car and on what you can bear yourself.
Third-party liability + fire and theft
Alongside third-party liability, a fixed list of events such as theft, glass damage, fire and storm.
- Theft and burglary damage
- Windscreen damage and windscreen replacement
- Fire, storm and hail damage
- Your own fault remains at your own expense
Comprehensive
Also damage to your own car caused by you or with no other 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 in the Netherlands | Yes | Yes |
| Theft of the car | No | Yes |
| Your own damage in a collision you cause yourself | No | Yes |
| Driving in a country listed on the green card | Yes | Provided that |
| A driver without a licence valid in the Netherlands | No | No |
| A car with a foreign registration in your name | 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.
Four points that are different for expats
When it comes to it these subjects cause the most delay and the most argument when you claim.
Registration first, premium after that
A Dutch motor policy is taken out on a registration number and in the name of the registered keeper. Registration with the RDW requires you to be entered in the population register with a BSN. Do not put the car in the name of a colleague or housemate to skip that step: the policyholder, registered keeper and regular driver should match one another, and a discrepancy can lead to refusal when you claim.
Foreign no-claims years: request them before you leave
Ask your previous insurer for a statement in English giving the term of the policy, your name and the number of claims reported. Without that document you start in the Netherlands on zero no-claims years and therefore high on the bonus-malus scale. If the statement is accepted, the years are recorded in Roy-data after the first policy year and you simply take them with you the next time you switch. Never declare more years than you can prove. That falls under the duty of disclosure in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What is not covered
The following, among others, are outside the cover: driving without a licence valid in the Netherlands, for example after the exchange period has expired; driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, where the insurer recovers from you what it pays to third parties; and hire, paid passenger transport and driving on a circuit, including on a touring run. Wear and mechanical failures without a collision are also excluded, and for intent and recklessness the exclusion in Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Leaving the Netherlands has to be dealt with on the policy too
If you leave again, the cover does not stop by itself. As long as the registration is in your name, the insurance requirement continues and the RDW collects road tax. If you sell the car, have the registration transferred; if you export it, have that recorded as an export. When the policy ends, always request a no-claims statement: you can often use it in your next country, even if that country uses a different bonus-malus system.
What does your premium depend on?
- No-claims years: foreign years only with a statement
- Age and length of time holding a licence: how long you have held the licence
- Postcode area: theft and claims risk by region
- List price and weight: determines the premium class
- Number of kilometres per year: commuting counts as well
- Type of cover and excess: third-party liability, third-party, fire and theft, or comprehensive
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
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
This is what people ask us most.
Can I insure a car without a BSN?
In reality, no. The policy runs on the registration number and in the name of the registered keeper, and registration with the RDW requires you to be entered in the BRP with a BSN. A few insurers temporarily accept a residence document, but that is exceptional. So arrange your municipal registration first and only then buy and insure the car.
Do my no-claims years from abroad count?
Sometimes yes, always on production of evidence. Roy-data contains Dutch policies only, so you need a no-claims statement from your previous insurer giving the period, your name and the number of claims. One company takes over all the years, another only years within the EU or a maximum number. So have several providers assess it before you choose; the difference in step is large.
May I carry on driving on my foreign licence?
A licence from the EU or EEA remains valid until its expiry date. A licence from outside the EU/EEA remains valid for a limited period after you register in the BRP, usually 185 days. After that you must exchange it or take the test. If you nonetheless carry on driving, your own damage is not covered and the insurer recovers the other party's loss from you.
May I keep driving in the Netherlands on my foreign registration?
Only briefly. If you live in the Netherlands, a car you use here on a lasting basis must carry a Dutch registration; tax rules also apply to this. A Dutch motor policy is moreover issued on a Dutch registration. So have the car registered or do not use it, because a foreign registration in your name cannot be insured here on a lasting basis.
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Work out your premium using your foreign years?
Request a quotation without obligation. We put your no-claims statement to insurers that accept foreign years.
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.