By Khaossou Diallo.
Working as a diplomat in a foreign country can be very exciting. Besides to new adventures such as meeting new people and learning about another culture, there are several financial matters to take care of. One of them is your insurance package. Perhaps not always exciting, but often wise to arrange well in order to work and live carefree.
Insurance you need to consider in the Netherlands:
Health Care Insurance According to the Dutch Health Insurance Act (Nederlandse Zorgverzekeringwet) all residents in the Netherlands, and everyone working and paying for social security in the Netherlands are required to be insured for healthcare.
Exceptions are made for diplomats or employees who work for international organizations (‘volkenrechtelijke organisaties’, e.g. NATO, EUROPOL). In that case you are not entitled to the Dutch Basic Health system and it is important to find out whether your employer covers (all) the necessary costs for healthcare. If not, you can apply for a private insurance from an insurer in the Netherlands.
Tip: An insurance broker will compare several offers and advise you which one fits your personal situation best.
Car Insurance
You can take out insurance for business vehicles as well as for personal vehicles. In the Netherlands you are obliged to insure ‘Legal Liability’ for motor vehicles. This insurance provides coverage for damage to third parties caused with your motor vehicle.
In addition, you can choose to insure damage to your own motor vehicle(s) (caused by fire, theft or even broader) with a ‘Limited or Fully comprehensive insurance’. Besides that, you can also insure your passengers for financial consequences of injury or damage to their belongings.
Tip: An insurance broker gives advice about the insurance you should take out for both your business and personal vehicles and will arrange this for you.
Tip: Not all insurers insure vehicles with a CD (Corps Diplomatique) license plate! Most insurance brokers (e.g. Kröller) are equipped to insure vehicles with CD and CDJ license plates.
Other insurance
Besides for its tulips and cheese, The Netherlands are well known from the many insurance possibilities. The Dutch in general are risk avoiding people. You can literally insure everything.
The main question to bear in mind is:
Am I able to bear the costs resulting from an unfortunate event such as an accident or fire?
For example:
Can I pay for a new house if it burns down (Building insurance)? Can I buy a new car in case of theft (Car insurance)? Or can I pay for the damage that my kids caused to my neighbor’s TV (Liability insurance)?
Tip: Virtually everything can be insured! It is wise to inform yourself properly in order to save costs while having peace of mind.
Mortgages
When buying a house in the Netherlands there are a lot of things to be arranged. From financing the house, to notary and requesting a valuation report. A mortgage advisor can help you with all these issues. More information > Mortgage: The Kröller Ten-Stepplan, please click here for additional info kroller.brochure
For quick download please click here: https://kroller.nl/~/media/
Concluding tip: Contact an insurance broker who is well acquainted with staff of international organizations. He/she knows the exceptions that apply to your specific situation.
More information:
Köller Assurantiën B.V. at The Hague. Contact person: Mr. Khaossou Diallo (Account Director International, speaking French, English and Dutch) Phone number: 070 302 89 06 or 06 12 06 42 60. E-mail: k.diallo@kroller.nl Website: https://kroller.nl/en/international
