Expat Insurance Belgium

Although the car insurance market is dominated by four major insurers (AXA, Fortis, Ethias and Allianz) there are a total of 76 companies looking for your business, so it makes sense to use an insurance broker who can select the best type of insurance for your particular needs. A good broker, like Copper & C°, will always check whether there are more attractive options at the time your policy comes up for renewal.

Types of car insurance

There are different types of car insurance and as in most things in life, you get what you pay for

• Third party
  This is compulsory. The insurance company will pay the damage that your car has done to a third party. Under Belgian law, all the passengers in the car are insured against physical injuries, except the driver !
• Driver insurance
  This is a sensible addition to the basic third party cover as it covers physical injuries to any driver of your car.
• Small Comprehensive
  Five guarantees :
  Fire, Theft, Breaking of glass, Natural Occurences (Dtorm - Flood - Earthquake - Hail)
• Full Comprehensive
  On top of the cover you get with the Small Comprehensive, another guarantee is addes calles "Collission and Vandalism". The insurance company pays the damage to your car, when you can't recover it from an identified third party who may not be insured.
• Legal Protection
  The insurance company will pay all the cost (lawyers, court expenses, car experts) concerning juridcal help after an accident. It also covers the cost of a legal problem involving your car (like defending a speeding allegation).

Driving other peoples cars : the insurance premium is calculated based on the principal driver of the car. However any other person holding the appropriate driving license may also drive the car.

No claims bonus : if you come to Belgium with a good driving record, make sure you use it. Premiums may decrease a lot if you can show evidence of a good driving record in another EU state.

Control technique : Any car in Belgium has to go through a control technique every year after the car has been registerd for 4 years. You will receive notification 8 weeks before it is due to be done. This can be a long and boring process, so you might consider asking your friendly garagist to do this for a fee! If you do it yourself, check the times of day where you will have the best chance getting through by using the useful site www.controltech.be