Insurance In France

increased by 5% Life insurance makes up approximately 86% of the personal insurance market, which in turn makes up 74% of the total insurance market. Customers subscribe to life insurance policies mainly to have additional income upon retirement, either in the form of capital or interest.

You are legally required to insure your home, whether you rent or own and must have your policy in hand before moving in. The policy will cover any damage to your home, such as fire or water damage, and any risks of damage. (For example, if your apartment's bathtub leaks into the ceiling of the apartment downstairs.) 

Most policies are comprehensive, insuring you also against theft, and are called assurance multirisques habitation. You will be asked a standard list of questions about the property, including the number of square meters, but most companies will not require an agent's visit before signing the contract.

In the recent years there is an alarming number of natural catastrophes in some regions, particularly fires and flooding in the south of the country, including in urban areas.

All vehicles in France must be insured whether in use or not. When taking out a policy, you will be issued with a certificate testifying to the validity of your insurance, called un certificat d'assurance; this must be fixed clearly visible on your vehicle windscreen.

Policies are either third party (au tiers) or comprehensive (tous risques). Whenever you drive your vehicle, you are legally required to carry - along with your car registration papers - a document issued by your insurer proving you are insured, called une attestation d’assurance.

Don't leave these papers if your car is stolen and you cannot produce these papers, even if the reason is because they were in the car at the time it was taken, your insurer may not be required to honour the contract.

French car insurance carries a no-claims bonus system. This can result in some drivers offering to pay directly for damage they cause, so as to avoid an increase in the cost of their policy.

If ever you accept such an offer, you are strongly advised to still fill in the constat amiable for some back-up protection against the other party defaulting on the deal.

Under French insurance law, you must carry a civil liability policy to cover any accidental damages you cause to another person or another person's property.

In most cases civil liability is covered with a comprehensive home policy – but always make absolutely certain of this.

Likewise, your child must also be specifically insured under an assurance scolaire policy; while not strictly mandatory for the school attendance. It is required for any activities outside the official curriculum including field trips of any kind as well as extracurricular sports.

As with your civil liability policy, the assurance scolaire protects against any injury to your child sustains as well as any damage they cause to school property, or another child, both at school and during after-school activities and even, according to the policy, on the way back-and-forth to school.

Most insurance companies offer assurance scolaire policies running from about EUR 30; the majorities of pupils have such a separate policy, which sometimes also provides for private tutoring or other services if a child is sick or injured and cannot attend regular classes for a period of time.