Zip insurance: what does it mean?

Not as a product. No Dutch insurer offers a policy under that name, and there is no form of cover called that. So we are not going to invent conditions for it. It usually turns out to be zzp insurance or a package name a provider has thought up itself for a combination of ordinary policies.

That is the most likely reading. Zzp insurance is itself an umbrella term as well: it covers public and employers' liability, professional indemnity, cover for tools and equipment, legal expenses and a provision for disability. Which of those you need depends on your work, your clients and your financial buffer.

Read the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) and the policy conditions. The insurance card is a standardised overview of cover, exclusions and limits. Pay particular attention to the exclusions, the excess, the territory and the sums insured. If you are unsure about a term, ask for an explanation before you sign, not after there is a claim.

First set out which events you could not absorb financially: liability for injury, loss of your home or contents, loss of income. Insure those risks first. Small, predictable costs are better carried yourself. An adviser will go through that assessment with you.