When to Purchase Car Insurance

The RDW records all kinds of information about cars. This includes whether the car has passed its APK inspection, has been sold, or has been de-registered, and whether it has at least third-party liability insurance.

Is your car uninsured? If so, you risk a fine of about €490—even if your car is parked. You can receive a fine for an uninsured car up to three times a year.

Not only the RDW, but also the police can see whether a car is insured or not. This is because you are required to carry your insurer’s green card with you. This proves that the car is insured.

The police fine is a bit higher than the RDW fine—specifically, €700. So, in addition to the RDW fine, you could also receive a fine from the police. All in all, that adds up to a hefty fine.

Did you cause damage while driving an uninsured car? If so, you’ll have to pay the repair costs yourself. Car repair costs can be quite high, ranging from a few hundred euros to thousands of euros.

And that's just talking about damage to the car. If there are personal injuries involved, the costs can be much higher.

If you're involved in a collision while driving an uninsured car, you'll be placed on the CIS registry. This makes it more difficult and more expensive to get insurance.

The coverage that's best suited for your car and situation depends on a number of factors.

• Damage caused to others is covered by third-party liability insurance. This coverage does not cover damage to your own vehicle. For cars that are 10 years old or older, people often opt for only the mandatory third-party liability insurance.
• With third-party liability and collision coverage, you’re not only protected against damage to others, but also against damage to your own car caused by, for example, theft, glass damage, or natural disasters such as hail or storms. For the most comprehensive protection, there’s comprehensive coverage, also known as All Risk.

Have you built up any claim-free years? The premium you pay is lower because you receive a discount on your premium.

Learn more about no-claim discounts and claim-free years.

You can expand all coverage options with supplemental coverage. Examples include Roadside Assistance in the Netherlands or Europe, legal assistance, passenger accident coverage, or passenger injury coverage.

From the moment you, as the car's owner, have the license plate registered in your name, you must insure the car. You must have at least liability insurance.

Even if you aren't using the car yet, you're required to insure it to avoid fines. So you can't drive home first to get car insurance there.

Yes, as soon as a vehicle is registered in your name, you are legally required to purchase auto insurance. You must have at least third-party liability coverage, even if the car is parked on a public road.

The insurance requirement is temporarily waived only if the vehicle has been de-registered with the RDW. If you drive without insurance, you risk a hefty fine and will have to pay for any damage yourself.

With some insurers, you receive provisional coverage as soon as you apply for auto insurance. This means your car is insured from that moment on, even if the application hasn’t been fully processed or approved yet.

Temporary coverage applies under certain conditions and usually only for standard risks. Always make sure you’ve received confirmation before you hit the road.

Yes, even a car that is only parked on your own property must have at least basic insurance, as long as the vehicle has not been de-registered with the RDW. The insurance requirement applies to any vehicle registered in your name that has not been officially de-registered.

If you do not want to insure the vehicle temporarily, suspend the license plate. Please note: without valid insurance, you are also not allowed to park the car on public roads.

To avoid double coverage, you should cancel your old car insurance as soon as the new policy takes effect. Some insurers handle this automatically for you, but often you’ll have to do it yourself.

Make sure there is a sufficient overlap between the start date of your new policy and the end date of your old insurance. This way, you’ll remain insured and avoid problems with claims or registration with Roy-data.