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Van insurance is mandatory for commercial business vehicles — third-party liability coverage is the minimum requirement (statutory). For SME limited companies, comprehensive or all-risk coverage is often also advisable: a total-loss van represents a loss of €25,000–€50,000. Premium: €50–€250/month depending on value, usage, and driver profile. Important: business use must be explicitly included in the policy — private policies do not cover business use. Below are coverages, costs, and how Tessa insures her two vans.
The short answer
- Legally required: minimum third-party liability coverage for damage to third parties.
- Premium: €50-€250/month depending on value, usage, and driver.
- Three main types: third-party liability, third-party liability plus limited comprehensive, all-risk.
- Business use: explicitly register — private policy does not cover business use.
- Extra options: legal assistance, accident insurance for occupants, liability insurance for occupants.
Three coverage types
1. Third-Party Liability (WA)
Mandatory minimum: covers damage to third parties (cars, cyclists, pedestrians, property). Excluded: damage to own vehicle. Lowest premium.
Suitable for: old delivery vans with low residual value or companies with a financial margin for self-repair.
2. Third-party liability + limited comprehensive
Third-party liability coverage + specific risks to your own vehicle: fire, theft, glass damage, storm damage, collision with animals. Excludes: collisions for which you are at fault.
For SMEs with delivery vans up to 5 years old, this is often a sufficient balance.
3. All-risk (full hull)
Third-party liability + limited comprehensive + all damage to own vehicle — even if caused by your own fault. Highest premium but maximum coverage.
For new or expensive vans, or sensible for professional drivers with high annual mileage.
Premium factors
Premium depends on:
- Vehicle list price.
- Vehicle age.
- Annual mileage (50,000+ km higher).
- Age of the Chief Executive.
- Driver's no-claims years.
- Area of deployment (city center vs. highway).
- Purpose of use (transport, delivery, construction).
- Stock/cargo (higher premium for valuable cargo or separate cargo insurance required).
Business use — register separately
A car used for business purposes, even one day a month, must be insured for business use. A private policy covers non-business incidents — the claim will be rejected.
For occasional business use (private car sometimes for business): supplementary declaration or special coverage. For structural business use: separate business policy.
Extra options
- Legal assistance: legal help with traffic disputes, recovery of damages — typically €5-€15/month.
- Accident occupants:benefit for injury to driver/passengers — €5-€10/month.
- Passenger accident insurance: broader coverage for injury — €10-€25/month.
- Roadside assistance: covers towing and recovery costs — €5-€15/month.
- Loss assistance (no-claim protector): prevents premium increase after 1 claim — €5-€20/month.
No-claim accrual
No-claim years provide discounts — sometimes up to 80% of the base premium. With every claim payout: a loss of no-claim bonus. Some policies offer a “no-claim protector” — no loss of no-claim bonus for the first claim.
Tessa's delivery vans
Tessa has 2 delivery vans:
- Delivery van 1 (3 years old, € 30,000): Third-party liability + limited comprehensive — € 150/month.
- Delivery van 2 (8 years old, € 8,000): Third-party liability only — € 65/month.
- Plus legal assistance and passenger accident insurance: + € 25/month total.
- Total: € 240/month = € 2,880/year for 2 vehicles.
When replacing the old delivery van: switch to comprehensive insurance for the new one.
Honest recommendation
For delivery vans under 5 years old with a residual value > €15,000: at least third-party liability plus limited comprehensive. For older delivery vans: third-party liability is often sufficient. For newer or expensive ones: all-risk. Compare at least 3 companies — premiums differ by up to 40%. Ensure that business use is explicitly covered — the most common cause of rejected claims. For wholesale with deliveries to customers: also include valuable cargo/theft.
For other topics: insurance for SME companies, general liability and business travel insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Three types: Third-Party Liability (legally required, damage to third parties), Third-Party Liability + Limited Comprehensive (incl. fire, theft, glass damage), All-Risk (all damage incl. own fault). Plus options: legal assistance, passenger accident insurance, roadside assistance.
€50-€250/month per vehicle depending on value, age, annual mileage, driver profile, and intended use. Old third-party liability-only delivery van: €50-€100. New comprehensive: €150-€250.
Vans under 5 years old with a residual value > €15,000: minimum third-party liability plus limited comprehensive. Older (8+ years) or with low residual value: third-party liability is often sufficient. New or expensive: all-risk. For professional drivers with high mileage: all-risk.
No — a private policy does not cover business incidents. A car used for business purposes (even one day a month) must be insured for business use. The claim will be rejected in the event of uncovered business use. A supplementary declaration is required.
No-claim years provide premium discounts — up to 80% with maximum accrual. With every claim payout: a reduction. Some policies offer “no-claim protection” — no loss on the first claim. A valuable option for regular drivers.
Legal assistance (traffic disputes), passenger accident insurance (passenger injury), roadside assistance (towing and recovery), no-claim protection, passenger liability insurance. Include options relevant to your usage.
Delivery van policy covers the vehicle, not the cargo. For valuable cargo (electronics, jewelry): separate freight insurance or delivery van policy extension. For occasional use: daily coverage for specific transport. For wholesale: take out structural coverage.
