The cost of car insurance depends on various factors. The car the policyholder drives is important, among other things, but so is the age of the policyholder or their claims history. Only some of these factors can be influenced by the policyholder. This page describes the situation in the Netherlands.
Chosen type of cover when calculating car insurance costs
The costs of car insurance depend first and foremost on the type of cover chosen. Fully comprehensive (all-risk) insurance is the most expensive option, followed by WA + limited casco (also "third party, fire and theft plus") and third-party liability insurance (WA) respectively. Of course, all-risk insurance also offers more extensive cover. The difference between these three types of cover is shown below.
| Third-party liability insurance (WA) | WA + limited casco | All-risk insurance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damage to others | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Theft of the car | Yes | Yes | |
| Damage to the car from a break-in | Yes | Yes | |
| Storm damage to the car | Yes | Yes | |
| Fire damage to the car | Yes | Yes | |
| Collision with wild animals | Yes | Yes | |
| Traffic damage caused by the policyholder's own fault | Yes | ||
| Damage by unknown perpetrators | Yes |
Additional car insurance
On top of the chosen type of car insurance, there are often all kinds of extra cover that you can take out voluntarily. This extra cover naturally also affects the cost of the car insurance. Examples of this additional car insurance are passenger accident insurance, passenger damage insurance, the no-claims protector and legal expenses insurance.
More information about additional car insuranceRisk assessment
As always, the cost of the premium depends on the assessment of the risk. The insurer takes various factors into account, such as:
- The characteristics of the car (heavy or sporty cars have damage more often)
- The use of the car (private or business)
- The number of kilometres driven per year
- Age of the driver (young or old drivers are a greater risk)
- Number of no-claims years
- History (for example a driving ban, criminal convictions and so on)
- Years of driving experience
- Place of residence
- And so on
For these reasons, the insurer will always ask you to fill in a questionnaire. Quite a lot of information has to be provided, but it is the only way to make a correct calculation.
Insured value
Not only does the risk of damage play a role in calculating the premium, but so does the maximum amount the insurer has to pay out. The insured value depends on the catalogue value or the purchase value. The premium for a more expensive car will therefore also be higher. That is why it is advisable, especially as a young driver, to choose a cheaper car.
Excess
The excess means that the insurer has to pay out a lower amount for damage. Every insurer uses a fixed excess, but sometimes the excess can be bought off or voluntarily increased. Adjusting the excess naturally also affects the premium of the car insurance. The options differ from insurer to insurer.
Discounts and benefits
Some insurers grant all kinds of discounts. This makes it possible to save a lot of money on car insurance. There are, for example, discounts for paying the premium annually instead of monthly, or for taking out several policies with the same insurer. Such discounts can certainly be interesting, but always look at them in a broader perspective. After all, even with a discount it can still be cheaper to place the car insurance, as well as any other policies that would have to be taken out with that insurer, elsewhere.
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Frequently asked questions about car insurance
How much does car insurance cost?
This depends on so many factors that it really is impossible to say. An experienced driver from Friesland with all their no-claims years who wants to insure a cheap car for third-party liability only can, for example, take out car insurance for as little as €20. A young person from Amsterdam without any no-claims years who wants to insure their expensive electric car all-risk may pay up to €700 or even €800 a month. A good rule of thumb: the average Dutch person pays around €75 to €80 a month for their car insurance. This does not take any additional cover into account, however.
Is the premium gross or net?
Insurers generally always show the premium that the policyholder has to pay. This includes insurance premium tax (assurantiebelasting) of 21%. So the amount the policyholder has to pay does not all go to the insurer. Administration fees, rarely more than €10, are often not included in the amounts shown.
What if I cannot pay my premium on time?
First you will receive a warning with a final date by which the premium must have been paid. After this final date has passed, a reminder will always follow. Still no payment? Then the insurer will suspend the insurance. The obligation to pay the premium remains, but the insurer no longer has to pay for damage in the event of a claim. From this moment on, the registered keeper can also get a fine because the car is uninsured. The Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) checks this and the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB) sends the fine; for a passenger car it is €500 (source: RDW, Boetebedragen verzekering en APK).
If no payment is made even after the suspension, the insurer will cancel the policy. The insurance is then stopped from the day on which the policyholder should have paid the premium.
Does an insurer take my payment behaviour into account?
If a policyholder is classified as a defaulter, this is recorded in the Central Information System of Dutch insurers (CIS). Other insurers are aware of this. Especially if it happened recently, it becomes difficult to find new car insurance. If you do succeed, the insurance is often more expensive and strict conditions apply. It is then not unusual for the insurer to ask you to pay the full annual premium straight away.
Some insurers also use software from FRISS. This is not a database of payment defaults, but software that gives applications and claims a score for the risk of fraud (source: FRISS). Applications that do not pass this check straight away are assessed by a member of the insurer's staff, who can set stricter conditions or reject the application.
Which cover should I choose?
The general guideline is that all-risk insurance is the right choice for the first five to six years. After that, you switch to WA + limited casco. When the car is more than ten years old, ordinary third-party liability insurance is enough. For cars that still have a high current value or have not yet been fully paid off, it is of course not a bad idea to keep the car insured all-risk for longer.