Car ownership in the Netherlands can be confusing — road tax, yearly car maintenance, roadside assistance, the list goes on.
If you’re thinking about becoming a car owner in the Netherlands, we’re here to help break down one of the first steps: car insurance. These are seven commonly asked questions about car insurance in the Netherlands.
READ MORE | 7 things to know before owning a car in the Netherlands
Is car insurance compulsory in the Netherlands?
Yes, car insurance is compulsory in the Netherlands. To legally drive any vehicle here, you need to have the proper insurance for the car.
Why do you need car insurance in the Netherlands?
Car insurance is one of the biggest insurance markets in the country — and for a good reason. Taking out car insurance not only protects you but also ensures the safety of drivers across the whole country.
In the financial sense, it covers any damages drivers otherwise might not be able to pay for, and it also motivates other drivers to drive around safely and avoid paying insurance claims!
In the Netherlands, drivers make several thousands of claims per year to help compensate for the costs of damages or injuries caused by cars.
What are the requirements for getting car insurance in the Netherlands?
To take out car insurance in the Netherlands, there are a few requirements.
Firstly, you need to be a Dutch resident (so no car insurance if you don’t have a place of residence in the country). 🇳🇱
Secondly, you must have a Dutch car or an imported foreign car with a valid Dutch licence plate.
Thirdly, you can’t take our car insurance on a car before you’ve gotten a licence to drive it so make sure you have a valid driving licence.
How does car insurance in the Netherlands work?
This might come as a surprise to internationals and expats, but in the Netherlands, car insurance covers the car itself and not the driver.
This means that anyone with a valid driver’s licence can legally drive your car. However, the person whose name is on the car insurance is legally responsible for any damage done by the car, regardless of who drives it at the time of the accident.
What are the different types of car insurance in the Netherlands?
There are three main types of car insurance in the Netherlands.
Third-party liability (WA verzekering)
This is the minimum, mandatory level of car insurance (or any vehicle, really) in the Netherlands. It covers any damage done by your car to other vehicles, property, and even injuries to other people.
It provides coverage if you have an accident where you were at fault. This type of insurance is perfect if you aren’t a frequent driver or if you drive an older or inexpensive car model.
Extended liability (WA beperkt casco)
Extended liability car insurance is a little more inclusive. Apart from covering all of the third-party damage caused by your car, it also covers damage to your own vehicle for circumstances out of your control.
This includes incidences like:
- Theft of your car
- Vandalism
- Fire damage
- Storm damage
- Collision with animals
All-risk insurance (Allriskverzekering)
This is the most comprehensive form of car insurance. It covers any damages done by your car and damage done to your car by other vehicles.
All-risk insurance is the best choice if you drive a new or expensive car, where the cost of replacing the car yourself in an incident would be too much.
Other types of insurance
There are other types of situational car insurance. You might not necessarily need them but it’s good to know they exist.
- Breakdown insurance: Breakdown insurance covers any costs to tow and repairs your car in case it breaks down while you’re travelling.
- Personal accident insurance: This type of insurance covers any medical costs and potential compensation for disability or death.
- Legal insurance: Legal insurance covers any legal fees that follow a vehicle incident.
- No-claim insurance: No-claims insurance insures against the first incident that might affect your no-claims bonus.
Where can you get car insurance in the Netherlands?
Because car insurance is one of the biggest markets in the country, there are plenty of companies that offer car insurance for every occasion.
Some insurance companies include ANWB, Aegon, Hema Verzekering, FTBO, Centraal Beheer, even the bank ABN AMRO offers car insurance.
It can be tough to find which car insurance matches your situation perfectly, but there are websites like Independer that allow you to compare car insurance plans. You can also use it to find an estimate for the yearly costs.
Is car insurance expensive in the Netherlands?
In short, yes, car insurance is expensive in the Netherlands. But your yearly costs depend on a number of factors like driving history and experience, your age and health, as well as vehicle value and weight.
Generally, your insurance will be cheaper if you are considered a low-risk driver.
Curious if you check the boxes? Low-risk drivers are usually drivers who:
- haven’t previously had to make any insurance claims or been in any incidents with their car,
- and who take their car for maintenance service often to make sure their vehicle doesn’t cause any nuisances or problems for other people.
There are other factors that affect car insurance premiums such as age, how long you’ve had your licence, how many kilometres you drive, and the initial cost of your car.
On average, car insurance costs about €75 per month, but can also range between €30 and €90.
Once you’ve read about these seven questions, you can consider yourself a near-expert in Dutch car insurance! Go forth and insure that sweet ride of yours!
Got any tips when it comes to finding the right car insurance for you? Share them in the comments below!
In the Netherlands speeding or parking tickets nor the maintenance of a car is a factor that influences the height of your car insurance premium.
Deciding factors are:
Age
How long you have a drivers license
Your history of having caused car accidents
The price of your car when it was new. ( Yes, you’ll pay for the full €40,000 that your car costed 10 years ago.)
How much kilometers you drive per year.
Contrary to what the article implies, a speeding ticket or an illegal parking fine will not affect your premium. Not now, not in the future.
Thanks for pointing this out! I recognize the mistake and have fixed it in the article 🙂