What do I need to consider if I want to suspend my car for insurance purposes?
If you have a car but you're not using it for a while for one reason or another, you can temporarily stop your car insurance. In insurance terms, we call this suspension. You also pay no premium temporarily. On this page we explain what you need to pay attention to when you want to suspend your car for insurance purposes.
Why suspend your car insurance?
Suppose you have a car that you do not use for a while, for example, because of a lengthy repair, or because it is a vintage car, you can suspend the license plate. This means that the third-party insurance is temporarily suspended. In addition, you also temporarily stop the motor vehicle tax and mandatory MOT.
There is another reason when suspending your car insurance can be interesting. For example, if you sold a car and you don't have a new car right away. You can cancel your car insurance, but then you can lose the discount on your premium. In this case you can stop your car insurance temporarily (suspend) to keep the discount. When you have a new car again, you can reactivate the insurance. Another advantage is that the claim-free years remain valid for 3 years. When you cancel your car insurance, this is only one year.
What do I need to suspend my car insurance?
You can suspend a vehicle both online through the RDW and at a PostNL post office. What you need are proof of identity, a car transfer slip and a registration certificate. There are costs associated with a suspension. The suspension fee depends on the age of the car. For a passenger car weighing up to 3,500 pounds that is older than 15 years, you pay €24.10 per year. For a car younger than 15 years old, you pay €73.10 per year. After one year, the suspension expires automatically. You can lift a suspension at a PostNL post office or at the RDW throughout the year.
The suspension of the MOT obligation and Motor Vehicle Tax is done automatically through the RDW. To suspend car insurance, contact the insurer. Attach a copy of the suspension certificate you received from the RDW or the indemnification certificate. Once the license plate is on suspension, there is no obligation to insure the vehicle. There is also no road tax to pay and no obligation to have the vehicle MOT. The moment you want to use the vehicle again, you can reactivate the insurance.
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What are the conditions for temporarily suspending my car insurance?
There are a number of conditions when suspending car insurance:
- Suspend first at RDW: Your vehicle must first be suspended at RDW before you suspend your car insurance.
- Suspension maximum 12 months: after this period you must renew the suspension yourself or you risk a fine.
- Vehicle on your own premises: your vehicle must be on your own premises during the period of suspension in, for example, the garage or under a carport.
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