1Insurance in a nutshell
2Which policies you need
| Compulsory? | Who needs it | What it covers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health (basisverzekering) | Yes | Everyone living or working here | GP, hospital, medicines. See healthcare |
| Liability (AVP) | No, but near universal | Everyone | Damage you or your children cause to others or their things |
| Contents (inboedel) | No | Renters and owners | Your belongings: fire, theft, water damage, storm |
| Buildings (opstal) | No, but the lender requires it | Home owners | The house itself |
| Car (WA) | Yes, for every car | Car owners | Damage you cause; add casco for your own car |
| Legal expenses | No | Anyone who wants help with disputes | Lawyers and legal advice in work, housing and consumer disputes |
| Travel | No | Travellers | Cancellation, luggage, extra medical costs abroad |
| Income protection (AOV) | No | The self-employed | Income when you cannot work through illness |
3Liability insurance: the one everyone has
You knock a phone out of someone's hand, your child scratches a car with a bike, your washing machine leaks into the downstairs flat: in the Netherlands you are liable for damage you cause. Liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering particulieren, AVP) pays for it, for a few euros a month, and usually covers your whole household.
4Your home and belongings
Do you rent or own?
5Car insurance
| Covers damage to others | Covers your own car | |
|---|---|---|
| WA (third party) | ✔ | ✘ |
| WA + beperkt casco (limited) | ✔ | Theft, fire, storm, glass |
| WA + allrisk (casco) | ✔ | ✔ including damage you cause yourself |
6Useful extras, and what to skip
Often worth it
- Legal expenses insurance if you rent, work as an employee or run a business.
- Continuous travel insurance if you travel several times a year.
- Income protection or a sickness fund (broodfonds) if you are self-employed.
- Life insurance (overlijdensrisicoverzekering) if a partner depends on your income or you have a mortgage.
Often not needed
- Phone and gadget insurance: expensive for what it pays out.
- Extended warranties in shops: Dutch law already gives you a reasonable lifespan guarantee.
- Funeral insurance at a young age, if you have savings.
- Duplicate cover: travel medical costs may already be in your health insurance.
7Paying less without losing cover
- 1Bundle
Many insurers give a discount for liability, contents and home in one package.
- 2Choose a sensible deductible
A higher deductible lowers the premium; pick one you could pay from savings.
- 3Compare every year or two
Premiums rise quietly. Most policies can be cancelled monthly after the first year.
- 4Check your employer and bank
Collective health discounts, travel cover on credit cards, legal help through a union.
8Insurance questions
Does liability insurance cover my children?
Usually yes, on a family policy. Note that parents are liable for damage by children under 14, which makes this cover especially useful for families.
Can I keep my insurance from home?
Not for health insurance if you live or work here. For other policies it depends: many foreign policies stop covering you once you live abroad.
How do I cancel a policy?
After the first year most private policies can be cancelled at any time with one month's notice; a new insurer often does it for you.
Is insurance tax-deductible?
Mostly not. Income protection premiums for the self-employed and some annuity products are exceptions. See tax deductions.
Sources
This article is based on these official pages. If anything here differs from them, the official page is right.
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