FAQ’s

Here’s what you should look for to pick the right car insurance for your vehicle: Insurance buying process, insured value, service benefits, customer support, claim process and claim settlements.

When you purchase a third-party liability (TPL) insurance, you can claim for damage caused to a third-party in the event your vehicle meets with an accident. If the aftermath of the accident leads to any bodily injuries, loss of life or damage to the property of third-party all which have been caused by your car, you get the insurance coverage.

Though this type of plan involves lesser premiums, it would not compensate for any damage to your own vehicle which you would need to bear on your own.

A comprehensive insurance policy offers coverage of liabilities towards a third-party as well as damage to one's own vehicle in event of an accident. You receive compensation for the expenses to repair the damage caused to your own vehicle and even the property of the third-party because of a road mishap.

Since the coverage offered by a comprehensive insurance plan is much wider, for this reason it attracts a higher insurance premium. A comprehensive insurance policy is available for vehicles up to the age of 10-12 years only.

Interestingly, whenever you buy a comprehensive insurance plan, you may consider purchasing additional coverage such as personal accident benefit (PAB) for driver/passengers, Oman or GCC cover, off-road cover, agency repair which widely opted by most vehicle owners for filing claims.

Comprehensive cover is valid for vehicles up to the age of 10-12 years. Third-party liability insurance can be purchased for older vehicles beyond this age

Third-party liability cover, which is mandatory in U.A.E, covers:

• The death or bodily injury to any third party/person.
• Damage to the property of a third party caused by your vehicle.

Please note that this policy does not cover damage or loss to your own vehicle.

Car Insurance in UAE will cease to exist in the following circumstances:

• If the driver drives with an invalid driving license or under the influence of intoxicants such as alcohol, drugs and meets with an accident.
• In case the insured automobile was overloaded or was encumbered beyond the defined capacity.
• In case false or misleading information is provided to the insurance provider at the time of buying the insurance plan or if it is proved that the damage/accident was caused intentionally.
• In case the insured vehicle is used for any purpose (unethical purposes) not mentioned in the insurance policy.

General insurance coverage depends on the terms listed in your schedule. The geographical area commonly included in the policy cover includes GCC countries: Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. This option is only available with comprehensive insurance and in the case of third-party liability, the cover is required to be purchased separately.

Note: GCC cover is not available for all policies and it is subject to certain terms and conditions of your policy.

Some vehicle insurance policies provide compensation for off-road damage as an add-on cover only. You need to check your policy for inclusion of off-road coverage. Also the terms and conditions for off-road cover vary from different insurance providers, so it is advised that you carefully go through the terms to understand whether you can assert your claim. It is important to note that claims will only be entertained only if the vehicle was used for valid purposes mentioned in the policy. In the event the vehicle was utilized recklessly for a racing event or any competition, your claims would be outrightly denied.

This depends on the insurance policy terms and conditions. Some of the insurance covers have named drivers policy.

Insurance companies provide a list of valuable additional covers like temporary rent-a-car facility, personal accident benefit (PAB), PAB for passengers and territory extension to GCC countries.

A deductible, or excess, is a predetermined amount that the policyholder must pay towards any claim in regards to vehicle damage that has occurred.

Agency repairs coverage means your vehicle will be repaired at its authorized dealership agency. Agency cover will be available for the first two years. Non-agency repair means the vehicle will be repaired at one of the approved garages from their network list.

Sorry this is not permitted. It is important to note that the terms and premium on your insurance is calculated based on your individual profile and driving experience, so when selling your vehicle you simply cannot transfer the policy to the new owner. In case you plan to sell your vehicle, you need to first apply for cancellation of the insurance policy. The new buyer of the vehicle can then purchase a fresh vehicle insurance policy once your policy stands cancelled.

The rental vehicle can be made available to the insurer only if the clause is included in your policy schedule. The time period of a free rented car is generally between 7-10 days depending on insurance provider and type of policy until your car is fully repaired.

This can depend on the insurance company. Generally, cancellation of the policy is only possible if vehicle ownership is transferred, or it is deregistered. The refund on your original premium will also vary from insurance providers.

GAP stands for Guaranteed Asset Protection. Originally, GAP Insurance was designed to pay the difference between amount paid under the Comprehensive Motor Insurance Policy in the event of a Total Loss of the Vehicle and the Original Purchase Price of the Vehicle.

Every time you make a claim this may affect how much you pay when you come to renew. You should always report incidents to your insurer, but if the costs are relatively low and you can afford to pay for the damage yourself, such as a broken wing mirror, then do so. This will keep your no claim bonus intact which will help to keep costs low in the future.

To file a motor insurance claim in UAE, simply follow the 6 steps process –

• Report the accident
• Get the police report
• Inform your insurance company
• Get your car repaired
• Review your insurance policy terms
• Pay any excess

If the right claim filing procedure isn't followed, your claim might get rejected.

Documents required to file a claim for car insurance

• Police report
• Driving license
• Car registration document (Mulkiya)
• Car modifying certificate (if any)
• Filled claim form

No, the insurance company does not pay the repair costs fully. A compulsory deductible is deducted from the claim amount. Moreover, the depreciation suffered by the car’s parts would also be reduced from the claim amount and the remaining amount would be paid as claim. However, if you buy a zero-depreciation add-on, the depreciation cost is not deducted from the claim amount. In that case, the company pays a higher claim after deducting only the compulsory deductible.

No Claims Discount or No Claims Bonus is a special discount on the insurance premium given to individuals holding accident-free records for a minimum of 1 year. It can be availed while renewing the policy.

Some of the unique features of NCB include:

• No claim discount benefit is transferable at the time of renewal or porting.
• A no claim certificate is required from the insurance provider to transfer the accrued NCB benefit.
• No claim discount up to 20%, which can be further utilized as a discount in the premium for the subsequent year.
• The no claim discount may vary for different car insurance companies in Dubai or other Emirates.

A compulsory deductible is the part of the claim which is not paid by the insurance company. You are required to pay the deductible limit yourself while the insurance company would pay the rest of the claim amount.

An excess is an amount you may have to pay in the event of a claim. Insurance is designed to cover you for the more expensive claims that you couldn’t settle by yourself. If there was no excess set, then this may encourage drivers to claim for minor damage such as scrapes and scratches on bodywork. This is why the excess is set.

There are two types of excess: compulsory and voluntary. We set your compulsory excess and you choose your voluntary excess. Both amounts are automatically added together, and this is what you will have to pay in the event of making a claim, so ensure you are comfortable with the amount.

Compulsory excess: This is the fixed amount pre-set by your insurer to be paid if you make a claim on your car insurance. The excess level tends to be higher for new drivers with less driving experience, or those who drive high-performance cars - depending on the car's insurance group.

Voluntary excess: Voluntary excess gives you control over the cost of your car insurance. You decide how much to pay. Added to your compulsory excess, you will need to pay both in the event of an accident so make sure you can afford to pay this amount in the event of an accident. You may either choose a lower voluntary excess for a higher premium, or a higher voluntary excess for a lower premium.

There are a few instances that you will not need to pay your excess when making a claim. Some examples include:

• If a driver has crashed into the back of you and once safe to do so, you have collected their name, address, and vehicle registration, we will get in touch with their insurer and your excess fee will be waived.
• If you are in an accident and the other driver admits they were at fault (known as accepting liability), then you will not need to pay your excess. If your car is in a garage being repaired and you have paid the excess amount to the garage, it would be refunded to you.

You will need to pay your excess if you’re in an accident and you make a claim, even if it wasn’t your fault. However, the good news is you may be able to recover this amount from your car insurance provider if there is evidence that the accident was someone else’s fault.

When it’s time for you to renew your car insurance policy, this is a good opportunity for you to look at your voluntary excess amount and revise the amount of excess you voluntarily pay. Make sure the amount set is an amount you are able to pay during a claim for the policy duration.

Theft due to negligence of the car owner is not covered under car insurance plans. That is why insurance companies need you to submit both sets of car keys to ensure that you did not leave one set of keys hanging in the car thereby resulting in theft.

If the car is so severely damaged that the repair costs would exceed 75% or 80% of the value of the car insurance policy, such a claim is called a total constructive loss. In such cases, the insurance company pays the amount mentioned in the car insurance policy after deducting the scrap value for which the car can be sold at a scrapyard.