When to buy car insurance

The RDW registers all kinds of data about cars. These include whether the car has been MOT-tested, sold or suspended, and whether the car has at least third-party insurance.

Is your car not insured? Then you risk a fine of about €490. Even when your car is stationary. You can receive a fine for an uninsured car up to 3 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 shows that the car is insured.

The police fine is even higher than the RDW fine, which is €700. You can therefore receive a fine from the police in addition to the RDW fine. All in all, that is a hefty fine.

Do you drive damage in an uninsured car? Then the repair costs are at your own expense. Repair costs on a car can be high, from several hundred euros to thousands of euros.

And that's just talking about damage to the car. If there is personal injury, the costs can be much higher still.

When you are involved in a collision with an uninsured car, you get a CIS registration. It then becomes more difficult and expensive to obtain insurance.

It depends on several factors which coverage is best for your car and situation.

• Damages caused to others are compensated with the third-party coverage. Your own damage is not covered with this coverage. For cars 10 years or older, people often choose only the compulsory third-party insurance.
• With the WA Casco coverage you not only protect against damage to others, but also against damage to your own car due to, for example, theft, windshield damage or natural damage such as hail or storm. For the most extensive protection there is the Full Casco insurance, also called All Risk.

Have you accumulated claim-free years? The premium you pay is lower because you get a discount on your premium.

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

You can expand all coverages with additional coverages. For example, Dutch or European roadside assistance, legal assistance, passenger accident or passenger damage.

From the moment you, the owner of the car, have the license plate in your name, you must insure the car. At a minimum, you must have third-party insurance.

Even if you are not using the car yet, you are required to insure it to avoid fines. So you may not drive home first to get car insurance.

Yes, once a vehicle is registered in your name, you are required by law to have car insurance. You must have at least third-party coverage, even if the car is stationary on public roads.

Only if the vehicle is suspended from the RDW, the insurance obligation expires temporarily. If you drive without insurance, you risk a hefty fine and pay for any damages yourself.

With some insurers, you get provisional coverage as soon as you apply for auto insurance. This means that your car is insured from that moment on, even if the application is not yet fully completed or accepted.

Provisional coverage applies under certain conditions and usually only for standard risks. Always check that you have received confirmation before taking the car on the road.

Yes, even a car parked alone on your own property must be minimally insured, as long as the vehicle is not suspended from the RDW. This is because the insurance requirement applies to any vehicle that is in your name and not officially suspended.

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

To avoid double insurance, you should cancel your old car insurance as soon as the new insurance is active. Some insurers automatically arrange this for you, but often you have to do it yourself.

Make sure there is a good overlap between the effective date of your new policy and the end date of your old insurance. That way you stay insured and avoid problems with claims or registration with Roy-data.