With no no-claims years you start at the bottom of the no-claims ladder, so the question is not whether you can get a policy but how quickly you can move up.
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
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Your premium depends more on your position on the bonus-malus ladder than on any other factor. If you have built up no years, as a new driver, after years without a car of your own or after returning from abroad, you start at step zero or lower.
For every year without an at-fault claim you climb one step. In absolute discount the first period yields the most. After that it levels off. One at-fault claim puts you back usually five steps, and in the building-up phase that hits hard.
There is more you can do than wait. Years from abroad can often be carried over, and with your choice of cover and excess you can steer the first years yourself.
What does insuring a car with no no-claims years cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Compulsory by law
Third-party liability
Damage you cause to others with the vehicle.
Compulsory from registration onwards
Damage to other vehicles
Injury to third parties
Most chosen
Third-party liability + fire and theft
Also, external damage to your own vehicle.
Theft and burglary
Fire, storm and hail
Windscreen damage
Collision with animals
For a new vehicle
Comprehensive
Including damage to your own vehicle through your own fault.
Own fault
Vandalism
Unknown party at fault
Total loss
What is covered
Situation
Third-party liability
Third-party liability + fire and theft
Comprehensive
Damage to another vehicle
Yes
Yes
Yes
Theft
No
Yes
Yes
Windscreen damage or stone chips
No
Yes
Yes
Storm, hail and fire damage
No
Yes
Yes
Driving into a bollard yourself
No
No
Yes
Wear and deferred maintenance
No
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.
Ask for old and foreign years before you declare them
If you have driven insured abroad, ask that insurer for a written statement giving the number of no-claims years and the claims history. Many Dutch companies take that over, sometimes with an adjustment. The same applies to years from a policy you ended long ago: ask how far back your new insurer looks, because not every company accepts a period that has lain dormant for years.
Putting the car in someone else's name is not a solution
Putting the car in a parent's or partner's name while you drive it yourself solves nothing. You build up no years of your own, and after a loss the insurer can reduce or refuse because the regular driver was declared incorrectly. The duty of disclosure is set out in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code, and the consequences of an incorrect declaration in 7:930 DCC. After a few years you are back at zero anyway.
In the building-up phase, claiming is more expensive than it looks
An at-fault claim usually costs five steps. If you are already high up, the drop is manageable. If you have only just reached zero, it works through for years because you have to climb step by step again. For a small loss, first ask for an estimate of the repair and set that against the premium over the coming years. Glass damage does not count as an at-fault claim with most insurers.
Steer on the factors you do control
Your steps are fixed, but the rest is not. A higher excess on own-damage cover brings the premium down, as do a realistic declared annual mileage and a locked place to keep the car. Choose deliberately as well: for a car with a low market value, comprehensive cover is rarely worthwhile in the building-up phase. Compare on acceptance conditions too, because companies weigh an empty claims history differently.
What not to do
Putting the car in a parent's name while you drive it yourself looks like a solution but is not one. You build up no years of your own, and after a loss the insurer can reduce or refuse because the regular driver was declared incorrectly. After a few years you are back at zero anyway.
You build up no-claims years for each year without an at-fault claim, and you usually lose five at once when a claim is paid. They are registered in Roy-data, the central system of Dutch insurers, and therefore transfer automatically to a new insurer. With most insurers, glass damage does not count.
With an at-fault claim you usually lose five no-claims years and your premium rises for years, because you then climb back up step by step. For a small claim, paying yourself can be cheaper. Always ask for a damage assessment before you finalise a claim.
What does your premium depend on?
Starting position on the bonus-malus ladder. Step zero or lower; this is the factor this subject turns on.
Recognised years from abroad. With a statement from your previous insurer you often start higher than at zero.
Age and length of time holding a licence. How long you have held your licence counts as long as there is no claims history.
Excess. A higher excess on own-damage cover brings the premium down in the building-up phase.
Cover chosen. For a car with a low market value, comprehensive cover is rarely worthwhile at this stage.
Annual mileage. Declare what you actually drive; too low a declaration leads to discussion after a loss.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your 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.
One year without an at-fault claim earns one step. In absolute discount the first years yield the most, after which it levels off. The accrual is registered in Roy-data and moves with you automatically when you switch to another insurer. You do not have to arrange anything for that yourself.
Do years from abroad count?
Often they do, provided you have a written statement from your previous insurer giving the number of years and the claims history. Some companies apply an adjustment. Ask for that statement before you leave or as soon as possible afterwards; getting in touch with a foreign insurer later takes considerably more effort.
Can I benefit from my partner's years?
No, not on your own policy. No-claims years belong to one insured person and one vehicle and can only be used once. If you put the car in someone else's name while you drive it yourself, you build up nothing and after a loss you risk a reduction because the regular driver was declared incorrectly.
What does one claim cost at the start?
Usually five steps. From step zero that means dropping to a malus step and a premium that works through for years, because you have to climb step by step again. For a small loss, therefore, first ask for an estimate of the repair before you make the report final and paying yourself is still an option.
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.
