Frequently Asked Questions

General
Are you regulated?

Yes, we are fully authorised and regulated by the Direccion General de Seguros, with Authorisation Number J 2503, and carry professional indemnity insurance with a € 3M limit.

What should I do if I am not satisfied with the service or advice which I receive?

We aim to deliver a very high standard of service and your views/opinion is very important to us. So if you are dissatisfied with our service or feel that we have made a mistake, please write directly to the Managing Director on danni@opdebeeck-worth.com or by ordinary mail to Op de Beeck & Worth Correduria de Seguros S.L.; C.C. Guadalmina IV, Locales 97-98, Guadalmina Alta, 29670 San Pedro de Alcantara, Málaga (please provide you policy number, your full name & address, contact phone number(s) and he will investigate your complaint and try to find a satisfying solution

Should you continue to be dissatisfied, then you may write to

INADE, Instituto Atlántico del Seguro, S. L. C/La Paz, 2 - Bajo 36202- VIGO (PONTEVEDRA) Fax: +34 986 48 56 53 Tel: +34 986 485 228

using this form.

 

Other than motor insurance, are there any other obligatory insurances which I may require in Spain?

If you practice such sports as fishing, hunting or yachting, there are obligatory liability insurance requirements, which in the case of yacht ownership, will vary depending on the size and flag of the vessel.

How do I go about renewing my Insurance Policy?

Most Spanish policies will renew automatically each year, and we will advise you in advance of the renewal date of the premium due for the coming year. If we have arranged your cover with an Insurer who does NOT provide automatic renewal, we will write to you well in advance of the renewal date and offer renewal terms to you.

Will I receive a new Policy Document each year?

Generally speaking NO. In Spain you tend to get the policy document when you originally buy the insurance Policy, and thereafter you simply receive a payment receipt which attaches to the original policy.

How do I go about cancelling my policy?

Either drop us a line by email, fax or post indicating policy number, reason for cancallation and a copy of your passport and we will carry out your instructions immediately. Please bear in mind though, that most Spanish Policies carry a clause by which the policy holder has to give one month written notice of cancellation prior to the policy renewal date. Insurance companies on the other hand, have to give two month written notice of the cancellation prior to the renewal date.

Our close relationship with most Insurers normally means that most Insurers are happy to waive this restriction for clients of Op de Beeck & Worth.

How can I pay my premium?

The easiest way to pay your premiums is via a direct debit mandate to your Spanish bank account - we will always inform you prior to debiting your account of the renewal date and the premium due so as you may ensure there are sufficient funds in the account. Alternatively, you may also pay by bank transfer or by credit card. In most cases we can also arrange half yearly or quarterly payments.

You find a summary with all necessary information here.

What happens if I wish to make an amendment to my Policy, or my circumstances change?

Either drop us a line by email, fax or post, and we will carry out your instructions immediately, and then forward any necessary endorsements to you.

How do I make a claim under my policy?

Visit the claims section of our website for full instructions

Car Insurance
What should I do in the event of an accident?

Complete the European Accident Report form provided by us with your Insurance Policy. This should be completed as fully as possible, and signed by both parties, but only if you are in agreement with the content of the form. Completion of this form can greatly reduce the timescale in processing your claim. Once completed please send it to us as soon as possible so as we may commence the claims process. Should, following the accident your car be undriveable, you should call the emergency breakdown number provided in your insurance documents, and they will arrange to send a towing vehicle to transport your car to a garage of your choice.

A stone has hit my windscreen, and the windscreen now needs replacing – what should I do?

Simply call the emergency breakdown number provided with your motor policy, and they will arrange for a glass specialist to repair the damage.

Do I require insurance cover for my golf buggy?

Nowadays most golf courses will insist on you producing proof of third party liability insurance for your buggy in order to be able to use it on the golf course.

Other than motor insurance, are there any other obligatory insurances which I may require in Spain?

If you practice such sports as fishing, hunting or yachting, there are obligatory liability insurance requirements, which in the case of yacht ownership, will vary depending on the size and flag of the vessel.

What are the minimum insurance requirements for motor insurance in Spain?

All vehicles must have at least the Obligatory Third Party Liability cover

Does my golf buggy insurance cover me to use my buggy on the road?

Unless your buggy has a registration number, lights, indicators, horn, and has been homologated for use on the roads - and this extends not only to major roads, but also to internal community roads within urbanisations - then it is an offence to use the buggy on the public highway, and the insurance would be invalidated.

I have received a fine for a traffic violation – what should I do?

You can call the emergency breakdown number provided with your Insurance Policy as this includes a service which can help you contest the fine/sanction.

What car documents am I obliged to carry in my car?

The original vehicle log book (known in Spain as the Permiso de Circulacion & Ficha Tecnica), original driving licence of the driver, and original receipt of premium payment for the current insurance period. If your premium is paid via direct debit, it is your bank who will send you this receipt - if you do not receive it, you can either chase your bank up for it, or contact us and we can send you a duplicate.

What cover is available for my golf buggy?

We can provide third party liability cover on its own, or we can top it up with fire and theft as well.

How do I go about renewing my Insurance Policy?

Most Spanish policies will renew automatically each year, and we will advise you in advance of the renewal date of the premium due for the coming year. If we have arranged your cover with an Insurer who does NOT provide automatic renewal, we will write to you well in advance of the renewal date and offer renewal terms to you.

Does my Insurance come with a green card?

Yes, we provide a 12 month green card on all policies

My car has been damaged in a claim. Am I entitled to a courtesy hire car?

Yes, in most cases, our motor policies entitle you to a courtesy car for up to 35 days.

Who is entitled to drive my car?

This varies from Insurer to Insurer, but generally speaking any driver over 27 years of age who has held a full licence for over 2 years and has the Owners permission, is able to drive the car. You must advise us if anyone under this age is intending to drive the car.

My children are visiting for a 3 week holiday in the summer – they are only 19 and 22. What should I do?

Contact us with their full names, dates of birth and copies of driving licences, and for a small additional premium we can arrange to include them on your policy for the duration of your stay.

My policy has an excess of € 300. How and when is this applied?

If you make a claim under your Policy for an incident which was your fault, then any repairs to your own vehicle will be subject to the € 300 excess - in other words, if the total repair bill for your vehicle were € 2.800, then your Insurers would indemnify €2.500. If on the other hand the claim is the fault of a third party, and the third party insurers accept liability, then your vehicle will be repaired without any excess being applied.

However, should the third party insurer not accept liability, or simply not respond, then you would need to make a claim under your own policy (assuming you had fully comprehensive cover), and you would have to pay the € 300 excess.

 

Can I use my no claims discount from my previous Insurer?

Yes, we are happy to respect your no claims entitlement from your previous Insurer (including overseas Insurers) - all you need to do is get a certificate from them confirming the level of discount that you enjoyed.

Health Insurance
Can I get private medical insurance if I have a pre-existing condition?

The approach varies from Insurer to Insurer, but in general terms, yes, although there are likely to be some restrictions, which may completely exclude any treatment related to the condition or involve some form of limitation. It is imperative that you do NOT cancel any existing health insurance before you establish what, if any, restrictions the new Provider is going to impose.

How long does a company have to pay a claim?

Once they have received all the relevant paperwork relating to the claim, they tend to arrange a transfer within 10 days.

Will my premiums increase as I get older?

Yes, your private medical insurance premiums will increase with age as you are more likely to make a claim.

Will I need to have a medical examination before joining the plan?

No, you will simply need to complete a questionnaire with several questions relating to your current state of health. It is vital to complete this accurately as failure to do so can lead to problems later on in the event of a claim.

How much does it cost?

The cost depends on a number of factors, but private medical insurance is available from as little as € 1 / day.

Will the cover include my pregnancy?

Each policy is different, but most of the plans we recommend do provide coverage for the birth itself as well as the pre-birth control visits.

Will my Policy cover for drugs and medication prescribed by a Doctor?

Most policies will provide cover for drugs and dressings whilst booked in as an inpatient, but will NOT reimburse for these as an outpatient.

I would like to proceed with a private health insurance – what do I do next?

You can either call us on 95 288 2273 or email health@opdebeeck-worth.com and we shall arrange an appointment with you in order to discuss and fully understand your requirements.

Am I fully covered from the moment that my health Policy incepts?

Yes, however, all Insurers will have a "waiting period" until certain insurance coverages are available. You should check these with us as they will vary from Company to company.

Household Insurance Claims
What happens if I suffer a problem outside of working hours, and I require emergency assistance?

Most Policies which we arrange will include a 24 emergency helpline, which will be able to take your call, and log your claim, as well as arrange for any necessary tradesmen to visit your home and effect any necessary repairs or assistance. Timely action can minimise the impact of a claim, and speed up the whole claims process, so we recommend that you take advantage of this service.

Some thieves have broken into our home and stolen various items – what should we do?

You should contact the Police and inform them of the loss as well as provide them with a list of the missing items. You should then inform Op de Beeck & Worth, who will arrange for a loss adjuster to visit your home as well as ensure that any necessary repairs are carried out to make your home safe again.

Should I make a claim for a small loss?

This is a tough question to answer - after all, why do you insure, if not to make genuine claims? It depends very much on your own attitude to claims, and indeed whether your Policy has an excess. Clearly, if the amount of the claim is less than the Policy excess, then there is no point in making a claim.

What should I do following an incident at home, which I believe may be covered under my Household Insurance Policy?

You should call our offices and we will be able to advise you whether in fact the incident is recoverable under your Policy, as well as the best way to proceed.

Motor insurance claims
What should I do in the event of an accident?

Complete the European Accident Report form provided by us with your Insurance Policy. This should be completed as fully as possible, and signed by both parties, but only if you are in agreement with the content of the form. Completion of this form can greatly reduce the timescale in processing your claim. Once completed please send it to us as soon as possible so as we may commence the claims process. Should, following the accident your car be undriveable, you should call the emergency breakdown number provided in your insurance documents, and they will arrange to send a towing vehicle to transport your car to a garage of your choice.

What is the procedure once I have communicated the claim?

If your vehicle has been damaged, we will arrange for a loss adjuster to inspect the vehicle (at a garage of your choice) as soon as possible. Depending on the insurance cover which you have for your vehicle, we may be able to authorise the repairs, and get you back on the road in the shortest time possible.

In the case of the accident being the fault of the third party, we will immediately pursue a claim against the other vehicle's insurers.

What happens if my vehicle cannot be repaired?

If the damage to your vehicle is so severe that it cannot be repaired, your Insurance Company will make a settlement proposal based on the replacement value of the vehicle immediately before the claim. A vehicle will be deemed to be unrepairable, when the repair costs exceed between 80 & 85% of the value of the vehicle.

What happens if my vehicle is stolen?

You must report the theft to the Police and obtain the necessary Police Report which should then be sent to us. We will then write to you asking you to provide the following;

As in many cases a stolen vehicle will turn up several days after the initial theft, Insurers wait 40 days before paying out on a stolen vehicle. However, in many instances your Policy will entitle you to a courtesy car whilst the claim is being processed.

Boat Insurance Claims
What do I need to do in order to make a claim?

Whilst we are happy for you to telephone us and advise us of the claim, we will also require you to submit a marine claims form detailing full circumstances surrounding the claim.

What should I do following the claim, and what information will be required?

This will vary depending on the nature of the claim, however as a general rule of thumb the following guidelines should assist;

Own Damage:

  • Take whatever action as may be necessary to minimise further loss or damage.
  • Obtain a repairs estimate for the necessary repairs to your vessel.
  • Retain any damaged items, as it may be necessary for a loss adjuster to carry out an Inspection of the damage.

Damage by third party:

  • Ensure that you have full details of any other persons/boats involved, including name and address of the person who was in charge of the other vessel, details   of the Owner (if different) of the other vessel, their insurance company and policy number, their boat name.
  • If there were any witnesses to the incident you should also obtain their contact details.

Damage to third parties;

  • Should a third party hold you responsible for damage to themselves or their property, you should provide them with details of your Insurance Policy.
  • Do NOT make any admission of liability, or offer any form of payment.
  • If you receive any correspondence from the third party, make sure that you pass it on to us as soon as possible.

Theft/vandalism:

  • Report to the Police as soon as possible, and send a copy of the corresponding Police Report to us along with the duly completed claims form.
  • Ensure that you advise the theft to the local Harbourmaster.
General advice on dealing with claims
Keep calm
  • Whenever a loss or claim occurs, you should act as though uninsured. This does NOT mean that your Insurance Policy will not respond but reinforces the golden rule, that you must take all reasonable action to minimise the impact and amount of the loss.
  • Do not make any permanent repairs or dispose of any damaged items until such time as the loss adjuster whom your Insurers may decide to instruct has visited you and estimated the extent of the damage.
  • There are no winners when a claim occurs, and depending on the nature of the claim it can be a difficult and stressful time. Our aim is to deal with the claim as quickly as possible, and help you to recover with a minimum of hassle and interruptions, and in order to achieve this, we will need your full assistance and co-operation.
  • Make sure that you advise us as quickly as possible of any claim or incident which you consider may give rise to a claim.
  • Insurance Companies are subject to frequent audits, and in order to settle claims, will require proper paperwork, so it's imperative that you provide receipted invoices for any repairs or replacement necessary following a claim.
Community Insurance
What should we do about the Communities contents?

Most communities will have contents, which may compromise of furniture in communal areas, fire extinguishers, a community office on site, community cleaning, maintenance and gardening implements etc.. These should be valued on a replacement as new basis.

We have a number of Owners who are late in paying their Community fees. Is there anything we can do?

This a problem faced by many Communities and is aggravated in times of economic difficulties, or in Communities where many of the properties may remain unsold. Amongst a whole range of other benefits, an Community Legal Defence Policy will assist the community in initiating legal proceedings against the debtors.

We are finding the annual premium to be too much to pay in one go. Can you help?

Yes, we can offer half yearly, or even quarterly premium payments which will help your cashflow.

I own an apartment which I am advised is insured by a community Policy which covers the whole building – is this so?

No, the community policy will generally cover the original buildings as handed over by the developer, and also community water pipes. That means that private water pipes (which are clearly considered to be part of the building) are often NOT covered under a Community Policy. Nor indeed are any buildings improvements which you may carry out having bought the apartment - ie. Installation of a safe, security blinds, sun canopies etc.. And of course you will also need to arrange insurance for your own contents and personal possessions.

How do we establish the correct sum insured for the Community Insurance?

The sum insured for the buildings should reflect the full reconstruction cost of the buildings. In order to establish this, it's very useful to have the total constructed area in square metres.

Household Insurance
If I have a claim, how will this be handled, and how long will it take?

You simply contact us with details of the claim, and we shall handle it from their. Depending on the nature of the claim, we normally aim to get either a loss adjuster or a tradesman along to visit you within 24 hours of advising the claim. We aim to get the claim finalised within 30 days of being advised of the claim, subject of course to having been presented with all necessary supporting documentation etc.

What is meant by New for Old cover?

This means that provided your sums insured are correct, you will be reimbursed for any loss on a replacement value at to-day's cost. You should always check the policy itself for any exceptions.

What is Accidental Damage Cover?

Examples of accidental damage losses are cigarette burns in carpets, dropped fragile items, collapsing shelf which damages items etc.

What cover is available for my jewellery?

This depends on the type of policy which you have. Many of our policies provide upto 15% of the contents sum insured to cover jewellery, with a single item limit of € 3.000. However, to be on the safe side, we would always strongly recommend that you check with us, and that you submit to us an inventory of any jewellery which you may have. Most policies in Spain will provide defined risks cover for jewellery, meaning that it is covered for named perils inside of your home, and has very restricted cover outside of your home. Whilst it is not usual to find anglo-saxon style “all risks” cover for jewellery, we can arrange this for you.

How do I establish my sums insured?

As a general rule of thumb, the buildings sum insured should reflect the total cost of reconstructing the property (excluding land purchase). The contents should reflect the replacement as new of the contents - our contents calculator should assist you in establishing the correct figure.

I have a mortgage on my property and my bank insists on me buying their own buildings insurance cover, what should I do?

The bank can insist on you having buildings insurance, and that they are named as beneficiary on the Policy - we can arrange this, and note their interest in the Policy. However, they cannot and should not "force" you to buy the insurance with them, and we would strongly recommend that you do NOT purchase the cover via the bank as they do not offer any advice to clients on how best to arrange the policy, and will normally leave you to your own devices once the Policy has been sold, leaving you to deal with the dreaded call centres in the event of a claim. In addition to this is the fact that generally you will be able to get a much more competitive deal with an Insurance Broker.

I have an apartment and the Community arranges the buildings Policy. Do I still need buildings cover?

There is no clear cut answer to this as each case is potentially different. However, in our experience community insurance policies often do not cover private water pipes, and will often have low sums insured leading to problems in the event of a claim. In addition, the community policy will only cover the "original" buildings as handed over by the developer - therefore any improvements to buildings such as installation of a safe, security grilles, sun blinds etc. will NOT be covered by the community policy. Our advice therefore, is always for the client to "top-up" by buying a 1st loss buildings limit of at least € 20.000, although, we would also recommend that they consider insuring for the full reconstruction cost and accept that there is some duplication of cover.

What cover is available for my objects of value?

This depends on the type of policy which you have. Many of our policies provide upto 25% of the contents sum insured to cover objects of value (art, antiques, rugs, collections etc), with a single item limit of € 6.000. However, to be on the safe side, we would always strongly recommend that you check with us, and that you submit to us an inventory of any objects of value which you may have.

What does the third party liability cover me for?

This part of the policy is designed to cover you for claims made against you by third parties for physical or material damage which they have suffered as a result of an act or omission carried out by you or your property.