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Cancelling car insurance in the Netherlands
The renewal letter arrives and the premium has crept up again. Or you have just sold your car and are wondering what to do with the policy. If you are new to the Dutch insurance system, cancelling car insurance here is more flexible than in many other countries — but the rules depend on how long you have had the policy and why you want to end it.
This article explains when you can cancel, how to switch insurers without a gap in cover, and what happens when you sell your car partway through the contract.
How Dutch car insurance contracts work
Most Dutch car insurance policies start with a one-year contract. During that first year you are generally tied to the policy, although some insurers let you cancel from day one. After the first year the contract renews automatically — and from that point the rules become consumer-friendly: you can cancel on any day, with a notice period of no more than one month. Some insurers apply no notice period at all after the first year.
The exact terms are in your policy conditions, usually under a heading about the duration and end of the insurance. Broadly, there are three variants: cancellable immediately from the start date, cancellable daily after the first year without notice, and cancellable daily after the first year with one month of notice.
One more thing worth knowing: if you took out the policy online, you have a fourteen-day cooling-off period in which you can cancel free of charge.
Switching insurers? Arrange the new policy first
If you are switching because another insurer is cheaper, do things in this order: take out the new policy first, then cancel the old one. A car registered in your name must be insured at all times in the Netherlands — even if it never leaves the driveway. A gap between two policies can lead to a fine, so have the new policy start the day the old one ends.
Your claim-free years (schadevrije jaren, the Dutch no-claims discount) transfer automatically. Insurers exchange them through a central database called Roy-data, so your new insurer picks up your accumulated years once the old policy has ended. You do not need to arrange any paperwork for this yourself.
Sold your car? You can cancel immediately
When you sell your car or trade it in at a dealer, you receive a vrijwaringsbewijs — an indemnity certificate proving the car is no longer registered in your name. From that moment your obligation to insure it ends, and you can cancel the policy with immediate effect, even in the middle of the first contract year. Send a copy of the certificate along with your cancellation so the end date is clear straight away.
Any premium you paid for the period after the end date is refunded pro rata, sometimes minus a small administration fee. The same applies if the car is written off or exported.
How to cancel
Almost every Dutch insurer lets you cancel online, through your personal account or a form on their website. An email or letter works just as well. Mention your policy number, the car's registration number and the date you want the insurance to end, and ask for written confirmation.
Keep that confirmation. Not because things often go wrong — cancellations are processed correctly as a rule — but because it means you will never have to argue about whether and when you cancelled.
Cancelling with your insurer
Every insurer has its own cancellation route. We have mapped them out for the largest car insurers:
Is your insurer not listed here? You will find all insurers on the insurance overview page.
Can I cancel my Dutch car insurance at any time?
After the first policy year, yes: the contract can be cancelled on any day, with a notice period of at most one month. Some insurers apply no notice period at all. During the first year, the policy conditions determine whether early cancellation is possible.
What happens to my no-claims discount when I switch?
Your claim-free years transfer automatically. Dutch insurers exchange them through the central Roy-data database, so your new insurer retrieves your accumulated years once the old policy ends. No paperwork is needed on your side.
I sold my car. How do I cancel the insurance?
Send your cancellation together with a copy of the vrijwaringsbewijs (indemnity certificate) you received at the sale. The policy then ends on the date the car left your name, even mid-contract, and premium you paid beyond that date is refunded pro rata.
Do I get a refund if I cancel partway through?
Yes. Premium paid for the period after the end date is refunded pro rata. Some insurers deduct a small administration fee; the policy conditions state whether that applies.