TRAVEL AND VEHICLE INSURANCE IN NL

Planes, trains, cars and bikes: they’re essential for getting around, into, and out of the Netherlands. All these forms of transport are extremely safe in Holland. Still, moving at high speed, be it on wheels or by air, comes with some inherent and unavoidable risks. Because you never know what is around the next cobbled corner, we highly recommend that you insure yourself for getting around in NL! There are different types of insurance for drivers, passengers, vehicles and accidents in this country. Read on to learn what is available.

Going Away on Holiday

Holidays are meant to be fun and relaxing. Therefore, the last thing you want is to have to worry about:

• Whether your luggage is going to arrive
• Getting pickpocketed, and losing your money or travel documents
• Dropping your expensive new camera
• Breaking a limb on the ski slope

Insurance Options

You can give yourself some peace of mind by taking out travel insurance in NL. Here’s how it works:

• Depending on which package you pick, it can include cancelation insurance
• Dutch travel insurance will cover you for all the mishaps we just mentioned
• If you wish, you could take out year-round travel insurance
• This will generally cost little more than insurance for a three-week vacation, so could save you money in the long run

Driving in NL

Driving in the Netherlands can be risky! Here’s why:

• Holland may be widely considered one of the safest countries to drive in the world to drive in 
• Still, as a people, the Dutch are not especially calm when they get behind the wheel
• When it comes to tail-gating and claiming right of way, they are pretty feisty!
• This can lead to some hair-raising situations on Holland’s highways

Obligatory Car Insurance

For these reasons it is mandatory to take out car insurance, if you plan to own and drive a car in NL:

• In Holland, car owners are legally obliged to have at least ‘minimum liability coverage‘
• This is referred to as ‘WA-verzekering‘ in Dutch
• If you take out car insurance, this will automatically include minimum liability insurance
• For an extra fee this can be extended
• Paying for an extension will mean that you are covered for more eventualities, such as: damage to your car, theft or joyriding
• Contact your insurance company to discuss what they offer
• You can also opt to include legal aid insurance in your car insurance plan

Should anything happen to one of your passengers whilst you are driving, it is unlikely that it will be covered by your regular car insurance. Consequently, we advise you to take out additional ‘passenger insurance‘:

• In the Netherlands, passenger insurance does not merely cover you for incidents that occur whilst you are driving
• It also covers you for anything that happens whilst you are parked on the side of the road. It makes no difference whether this is because your car has broken down, or because you are filling up with gas 
• There are typically two kinds of passenger insurance to choose from in NL

1. ‘Damages Insurance’

• Dutch ‘damages insurance’ pays for any damage done to your passengers
• Certain amounts of emotional damage will be covered too

2. ‘Accident Passenger Insurance’

• ‘Accident passenger insurance’ is a fixed amount of money
• It’s purpose is to cover the expenses, if one of your passengers dies or becomes permanently disabled

Dutch ‘accident insurance‘ works as follows:

• You will be paid a lump sum if you have an accident in NL
• This money is intended to cover any large expenses, that result from said accident
• You have the option of taking out either individual or family accident insurance

Accidents in NL

The insurance covers all manner of incident, and is not limited to road accidents. It is intended to insure you for eventualities like:

• Falling off a stepladder
• Dislocating an arm playing rugby

Dutch Motor and Scooter Insurance

There is a special type of insurance for Motors and Scooters in NL:

• Unsurprisingly, it is called ‘Motor and Scooter Insurance‘
• Motorcycle and moped drivers can take out additional passenger insurance for their vehicles as well

Bicycle Insurance in NL

Having a bicycle is an amazing way for expats to truly become a part of life in Holland.

Sadly, one of the thriving black markets in the Netherlands is that of stolen bicycles:

• It is highly likely that, at some point, your bicycle will be stolen or damaged
• Luckily, you can take out bicycle insurance in the Netherlands
• If you are attached to your trusty Dutch ‘fiets’, we suggest you invest in a good lock with a chain