How do claim-free years work?

When do I lose claim-free years?

You lose claim-free years by making a claim to your insurer. For every claim you make, you lose 5 claim-free years. If you have more than 15 claim-free years, you always fall back to 10 claim-free years after a claim. Before January 1, 2016, this was different. Back then, each insurer was allowed to decide how many claim-free years you lost after a claim. As a result, it could happen that you lost 3 claim-free years with one insurer, and 5 with another, while it concerned the same claim. This was considered unfair and therefore a new regulation was created. With this regulation, everyone who claims a damage falls back 5 claim-free years.

How long do claim-free years remain valid?

After canceling a car insurance policy, claim-free years remain valid for 3 years with most insurers. If you want to use the claim-free years with a new car insurance policy, you have to take it out within 3 years. After 3 years the claim-free years expire and can no longer be used. You then start again with the accumulation of claim-free years and receive no or little premium discount when buying a new car insurance. With some insurers, claim-free years are only valid for 2 years, and with some insurers for 4 or 5 years. This can differ per insurer. How this works with your insurer can be found in the policy conditions.

Are negative claim-free years rewarded?

Claim-free years are rewarded by the insurer with premium discounts. However, you can also end up with negative claim-free years. This happens when you do not yet have many claim-free years, but by claiming a damage, you fall back 5 claim-free years. Also when you make several claims in a short period of time, you quickly fall back on the bonus malus ladder.

If you are a novice driver, you have not yet accumulated many claim-free years. If you have not yet built up 5 claim-free years, but you do claim a damage, 5 claim-free years will be deducted and you will end up in the minus. As a result, you will have negative claim-free years to your name. Because of this you will not get a premium discount, but a premium surcharge. Your car insurance will thus become more expensive.

Claim-free years transferable since 1-1-2022

Since Jan. 1, 2022, claim-free years are transferable in some situations. Upon death, for example, they can be transferred to the surviving partner. Also for lease drivers and drivers who have lived abroad for years, it is now possible to transfer claim-free years. This way they do not lose their accumulated claim-free years. You can read more about this new regulation in our blog post.