Dutch car insurance explained for expats: WA, WA+ and allrisk, no-claim and foreign claim-free years

In the Netherlands the car is insured, not the driver, and every car with a Dutch registration must have at least WA (third-party liability) cover, even if you don't drive it. You choose between WA, WA+ (also called beperkt casco, limited cover) and allrisk (comprehensive). Your premium depends heavily on your claim-free years (schadevrije jaren). Claim-free years from abroad are accepted by some Dutch insurers and not by others, so ask before you buy.

Status as of 29 September 2026, checked against the official sources listed at the end of this article. Amounts for 2027 are proposals unless stated otherwise and can still change.

The exact list of covered events differs per insurer, so compare the policy conditions, not just the label. A common rule of thumb: allrisk for new or expensive cars, WA+ for cars a few years old, and WA only for older cars with a low value. That is a rule of thumb, not an official norm; the real question is whether you could afford to repair or replace the car yourself.

Yes. Under the Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Act (WAM), a car with a Dutch licence plate must have at least WA cover, whether or not you use it. The RDW compares the vehicle register with the insurance register automatically; an uninsured passenger car costs a €500 fine (RDW). If you won't use the car for a while, you can suspend the registration (kenteken schorsen) at the RDW; the car must then stay off public roads.

Registering a car also starts road tax; see Dutch road tax (MRB). If you bring a car from abroad, it needs a Dutch registration first: importing a car and BPM.

Each year without a claim gives you one more claim-free year (schadevrij jaar). Insurers translate these years into a step on their own bonus-malus ladder, which sets your discount. A claim you cause usually costs you several claim-free years; exactly how many differs per insurer. A claim that is fully recovered from the other party, or window damage, often doesn't count, but check your policy.

Your claim-free years are stored in Roy-data, the central database run by the Dutch insurers' foundation Stichting EPS (EPS). When you switch insurer inside the Netherlands, the new insurer looks them up, so you don't need paper proof. When you leave the country, ask for a written claim-free statement to use abroad.

Sometimes. Foreign claim-free years aren't in Roy-data, so you need a written statement from your previous insurer. According to the insurance comparison site Alpina:

• Acceptance varies: Dutch insurers don't always accept foreign claim-free years. Years from EU countries are accepted more often than from outside the EU.
• Get a proper statement: an official letter from your insurer, in English or Dutch, stating the number of consecutive claim-free years and the policy period. A screenshot is usually not enough.
• Don't wait too long: insurers usually want your foreign policy to have ended recently; Alpina mentions a validity of about one year.

• Claim-free years: the biggest single factor.
• Age of the regular driver: young drivers pay more. Always name the person who drives the car most as the regular driver (regelmatige bestuurder); getting this wrong can cost you cover.
• Postcode: cities usually cost more than rural areas.
• The car: value, weight, power and repair costs.
• Annual mileage and excess: a higher own risk (eigen risico) per claim lowers the premium.

Cancellation terms differ per policy; many allow cancellation with a short notice period after the first year, but check your conditions. Dutch-language details: WA, beperkt casco or allrisk (in Dutch).

Checked on 29 September 2026:

• RDW: fines for missing insurance and APK (in Dutch)
• Stichting EPS: what is Roy-data (in Dutch)
• Alpina: bringing claim-free years from abroad