A letter saying your insurer is terminating the policy may affect your home, car or ability to obtain insurance again. Immediately ask why the insurer is cancelling, which provision it relies on and when it will stop providing cover. This page concerns termination by the insurer of Dutch non-life insurance. Your own voluntary cancellation is a separate issue. Where a gap in cover, disputed retrospective effect or allegation of fraud threatens, prompt assessment by an insurance lawyer is advisable.
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1. Identify precisely what the insurer has decided
Read whether the letter concerns non-renewal on the contractual end date, mid-term cancellation or a measure for premium arrears. Sometimes only one element of a package is terminated. In that case ask, for each policy number, which elements continue and which end. Also check whether the letter comes from the insurer itself, an underwriting agent or an intermediary, and who made the substantive decision.
Keep the policy schedule showing its term, all applicable conditions and the complete message with receipt details. Request an explanation if an end date differs from the previously stated contract renewal date. Record the exact reason without adding your own assumptions. A dispute about frequent claims, for example, differs from an allegation that you withheld information; different documents and legal questions are relevant.
2. Test mid-term cancellation against the correct ground
Article 7:940(3) of the Dutch Civil Code imposes conditions on an agreed right for the insurer to cancel mid-term. The ground must appear in the contract and be sufficiently serious that continuation can no longer be required. The ordinary notice period is two months, subject to statutory exceptions. Therefore have the reason, provision used and notice period assessed. A reference to general freedom of contract does not answer those questions.
Kifid 2021-0831 illustrates the importance of the precise policy ground. The insurer wished to terminate mid-term because of an above-average claims history, but the provision cited did not authorise it in that case. The contract had to be restored. This does not establish a general prohibition on all cancellations after claims: what remains decisive is whether the actual contractual ground and statutory assessment support the specific decision.
3. Non-renewal requires a different assessment
Preventing automatic renewal involves cancellation at the end of the insurance period. Article 7:940(1) of the Dutch Civil Code specifies a two-month notice period. That framework differs from the assessment for mid-term termination. Therefore first check whether the stated date really is the end of the current period. Ask the insurer to substantiate this using the policy history if changes were made during the term.
Also request a clear reason and explanation of the consequences for non-renewal. Record which information the insurer used and which facts you dispute. Have a lawyer assess whether the clause, communication and circumstances provide grounds for objection. Do not limit your response to saying you have never had damage; that observation may not address the objection actually raised.
4. Examine retrospective effect separately
An end date in the past requires immediate attention. Ask why that date is used and whether the insurer means ordinary cancellation, suspension, avoidance or another legal ground. These terms may have different consequences. Do not adopt the wording as an established fact. Also ask what the decision means for a claim already notified and premiums paid after the stated end date.
An allegation of incorrect information on application requires examination of the application questions, your answers and the information available at the time. For premium arrears, reminders and payment details are particularly important. Do not let the two disputes become mixed together unnoticed. Keep draft applications and communications with your adviser. A premium refund does not, by itself, mean you agreed that the termination was legally correct.
5. Ask separately about registrations and future applications
Ask whether, in addition to termination, the insurer has entered personal data in a register or passed it to other parties. Ask which specific register, the reason, duration and procedure for checking the data. Termination and registration in an external reference register are separate decisions. Therefore do not infer from the word cancellation alone which registration actually exists or what information another insurer can see.
Keep future application questions and give accurate, complete answers. A question about previous cancellations may be worded differently from one about fraud or refusals. Do not conceal the letter because you are objecting to it; explain the dispute and, if unclear, ask in writing what information is needed. In a registration dispute, have the specific correction sought assessed alongside any restoration of the policy.
6. Arrange continuity while your objection is pending
Sending a complaint does not confirm that cover continues. Ask in writing whether the insurer will postpone the end date or continue cover during the investigation. Until this is confirmed, you must take account of its announced position. With your adviser, list risks that cannot remain uninsured and obligations towards, for example, a lender or business contracting party.
Investigate replacement cover promptly and obtain written confirmation of acceptance, commencement date and exclusions. A quotation or submitted application does not yet prove cover. Record additional premiums and costs caused by termination without assuming they can be recovered. Coordinate switching insurers and requesting restoration so that you do not create unintended duplicate obligations or unclear claims.
7. Prepare a focused objection and advice meeting
In your objection, request reassessment of the specific termination ground and end date. Attach a short chronology and identify the fact or contractual provision you consider wrongly applied. Describe the solution: continuation, restoration from a specified date or a reasonable transition to replacement cover. Keep any request concerning an outstanding claim clearly separate so it also receives a separate response.
A lawyer can assess the legal ground and whether urgent action is needed before cover ends. Bring the cancellation letter, terms, policy history, earlier warnings and your search for alternatives. For example, ask whether termination for claim frequency was permitted mid-term under this clause. Discuss costs, prospects and consequences of any proceedings before signing an offer or granting full and final discharge.
Frequently asked questions
Can my insurer always cancel because I frequently report damage?
No, that cannot be stated so generally. Distinguish mid-term cancellation from non-renewal. For mid-term cancellation, the contractual ground and statutory seriousness assessment are essential.
Am I insured while my complaint about cancellation is pending?
Do not assume so. Request written confirmation of continuation and arrange an alternative promptly if the insurer maintains its end date. Obtain an urgent assessment of whether action is needed.
Does termination mean I am in the EVR?
Termination alone does not establish this. Ask which specific registration was made. An objection to termination and a request to remove a registration each require their own substantiation.
Sources
These sources relate to this page. For a specific case, check current rules and your own documents.
- Kifid 2021-0831 — volledige officiële uitspraak Accessed: 2026-10-23
- Kifid 2025-0272 — volledige officiële uitspraak met wetsbijlage Accessed: 2026-10-23
- Kifid 2025-0560 — volledige officiële uitspraak Accessed: 2026-10-23
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Editorial team Insurance law in the Netherlands
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