Claim-free years
The more claim-free years you have, the higher your no-claims bonus
Here’s how claim-free years work
What are claim-free years?
Claim-free years are the years in which you don’t make a claim on your car insurance. You’re rewarded for this: you get a no-claims bonus, so your premium is lower.
How do claim-free years work?
The more claim-free years you have, the higher your no-claims bonus is. If you make a claim, you’ll start again with a lower no-claims bonus. But your no-claims bonus will rise again as you build up more claim-free years.
Where can I see my claim-free years?
To find your claim-free years:
- Check your insurance policy, which you’ll find on Internet Banking or in the ABN AMRO app under ‘Insurances’.
- Contact your current insurance company. They have access to the central Roy-data database and can tell you exactly how many claim-free years you’ve built up.
This information will help you to calculate your premium.
Claim-free years and no-claims bonus
Each year that you have car insurance and don’t make a claim counts as a claim-free year. The table below shows the no-claims bonus you’ll get for your claim-free years. This is also known as the bonus-malus system.
| Claim-free years | Discount percentage | Claim-free years | Discount percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 or more | 80% | 4 | 64% |
| 14 | 79% | 3 | 62% |
| 13 | 78% | 2 | 58% |
| 12 | 77% | 1 | 54% |
| 11 | 76% | 0 | 50% |
| 10 | 75% | -1 | 45% |
| 9 | 74% | -2 | 38% |
| 8 | 72% | -3 | 30% |
| 7 | 70% | -4 | 15% |
| 6 | 68% | -5 | 0% |
| 5 | 66% |
Avoid unpleasant surprises:
Check your claim-free years to calculate the correct premium!
Your new insurance company will check the exact number of claim-free years in Roy-data. If you state a different number to what the database says, your premium may be adjusted accordingly.
How to request car insurance
Check your claim-free years
You can find them on your policy or by contacting your current insurance company.
Enter your claim-free years
Start the request process and enter the number of claim-free years. This enables us to calculate your personal premium.
Request your insurance
View your premium. Choose your start date and take out the insurance.
Examples of no-claims bonus and claim-free years
You’ve had your car for 5 years, and you made a claim in the second year
Year 1 was a claim-free year. Unfortunately, you damaged your car in year 2 and had to make a claim. You made no claims in the other years.
This is how it works:
- You start off with 0 claim-free years
- You don’t make a claim in year 1. You have 1 claim-free year, entitling you to a 54% no-claims bonus.
- You make a claim in year 2. You drop back 5 claim-free years to -4 and your no-claims bonus falls to 15%.
- After that, you build up 1 claim-free year every year, gradually restoring your no-claims bonus.
- After 5 years, you reach -1 claim-free year and the discount on your premium is 45%.
You have 15 claim-free years
Let’s say you have 15 claim-free years. Well done! As a reward, you get a no-claims bonus of 80% on your premium. This is the absolute maximum.
Your no-claims bonus won’t rise any higher, even if you continue to build up claim-free years. However, you’ll be better protected for any claims you make in the future. This is because the higher the number of claim-free years, the less no-claims bonus you lose and the faster you recover your discount. Take a look at the table on this page for more information.
You make a claim, but you don’t lose claim-free years
The following types of damage don’t affect your claim-free years:
- Theft and break-ins
- Damage caused by fire, storm and natural disasters
- Windscreen damage
- Damage caused by transporting an injured person
- Damage that can be claimed back from someone else
- Personal injury to a pedestrian or cyclist if you can prove it was not your fault
If you claim for any of the types of damage shown above, you won’t lose any claim-free years.
You pay for the damage yourself
You can choose to pay for the damage yourself. Your claim-free years won’t be affected. So in certain situations, it may be cheaper to pay for the damage yourself, so that you can keep your no-claims bonus and not pay a higher premium.
Let’s say you take 15 claim-free years with you when you take out a new car insurance policy with ABN AMRO. This will give you an 80% discount on your premium. 2 years later, you make a claim. You had 17 claim-free years at the time.
Is it worth making a claim?
If you do, you’ll drop down to 10 claim-free years. This is because you always drop down to 10 claim-free years if you’ve built up over 15 claim-free years. Your no-claims bonus drops from 80% to 75%. This 5% can make a big difference every year. But if you don’t make another claim, your no-claims bonus will rise to 80% again in a few years.
Paying for the damage yourself
If you pay for the damage yourself, you keep your high no-claims bonus and your buffer. In other words, you don’t lose any claim-free years.
If you’re wondering whether to make a claim or pay for the damage yourself, you can always call us on +31 (0)38 49 67 123. Lines are open from 9 am to 12 noon Monday to Friday (usual call charges apply).
The damage doesn’t affect your claim-free years
The following types of damage don’t affect your claim-free years:
- Theft and break-ins
- Damage caused by fire, storm and natural disasters
- Windscreen damage
- Damage caused by transporting an injured person
- Damage that can be claimed back from someone else
- Personal injury to a pedestrian or cyclist if you can prove it was not your fault
If you claim for any of the types of damage shown above, you won’t lose any claim-free years.
Frequently asked questions about claim-free years:
Can I include my partner’s claim-free years?
If you and your partner drove the same car, but only your partner has accumulated claim-free years, you can take over these claim-free years. Your partner will have to transfer their claim-free years to you using the release form. (PDF, 81 KB)
Can I transfer my claim-free years to my partner?
You can transfer your claim-free years to your partner in the following situations:
- If you die
Your partner must be registered at the same address and in possession of a driving licence at the time of your death. - If you get divorced
You and your ex-partner can share the claim-free years. The person who has the claim-free years registered to their name decides whether and how the claim-free years are divided. You’ll need a signed release form with an allocation key for the claim-free years. - In all other cases
You can transfer your claim-free years to your partner. Your partner must live at the same address and must have a driving licence.
When do I keep my claim-free years?
The following types of damage don’t affect your claim-free years:
- Theft and break-ins
- Damage caused by fire, storm and natural disasters
- Windscreen damage
- Damage caused by transporting an injured person
- Damage that can be claimed back from someone else
- Personal injury to a pedestrian or cyclist if you can prove it was not your fault
If you repay a claim that has affected your claim-free years to ABN AMRO Verzekeringen within 24 months of the compensation being paid out, your claim-free years and no-claims bonus will be adjusted accordingly.
Can I include claim-free years from my lease car?
You can transfer any claim-free years you’ve built up with a lease car to your new insurance company. As they are not stored in the central database, you must ask the lease company to provide a lease statement. You can send the lease statement to:
ABN AMRO Verzekeringen
Postbus 10085
8000 GB Zwolle
Make a claim or pay for the damage?
You can also choose to pay for the damage yourself. This will protect your claim-free years, and you won’t lose any of your no-claims bonus. In certain situations, it can work out cheaper to pay for damage yourself so that you keep your no-claims bonus and don’t have to pay a higher premium. If you’re wondering whether to make a claim or pay for the damage yourself, you can always call us on +31 (0)38 49 67 123. Lines are open from 9 am to 12 noon Monday to Friday (usual call charges apply).
To claim or not to claim? Take a look at some example situations.
Can I use claim-free years from my first car for my second car?
No, you can’t use your first car’s claim-free years for your second car. You build up claim-free years separately, on each car that is insured in your name. But you can benefit from the no-claims bonus you’ve built up on your first car. We’ll calculate this for you. It can be as high as 70%.
Claim-free years built up abroad
In most cases, you can transfer claim-free years built up abroad to your new Dutch insurance company. You’ll need an English Certificate of no-claims bonus from your foreign insurance company, stating that the car insurance has been cancelled. The certificate also specifies the number of claim-free years. Send the Certificate of no-claims bonus to:
ABN AMRO Verzekeringen
Postbus 10085
8000 GB Zwolle
What are negative claim-free years?
You get one claim-free year for each year in which you have car insurance and don’t make a claim. The number of claim-free years determines the discount for your car insurance premium. If you make a claim, a deduction will be made from your number of claim-free years, meaning you lose part of the bonus you’ve built up. If you’re a new driver or if you often incur damage, your number of claim-free years may drop below zero when you submit a claim. This means that you have a negative number of claim-free years.