Can non-French no claims bonuses be added to new policies?
France’s no claims system is different to many elsewhere
Drivers who do not claim on their insurance for 13 years in France receive the maximum discount
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Reader Question: I have several years of no claims bonuses on my previous car insurance in the UK. Now I am moving to France permanently, I want to know if this will help me when I obtain insurance for my vehicle here.
In France, no claims bonuses - along with penalties for having made claims - are applied to insurance policies.
The figure used in the calculation is called the Co-efficient de réduction-majoration (CRM), or informally, the bonus-malus. The ‘no-claims’ element can just be referred to as le bonus.
It is calculated differently than in the UK, using an index that starts at 1.0
This then changes each year depending on your driving record.
A year of not claiming for an accident yields a 0.95 multiplier, meaning the premium is multiplied by this figure, thus lowering it.
On the other hand, accidents increase it, depending on the type of claim.
In effect, a year of no claims lowers the index by 0.05, equating to a 5% discount.
The lower your CRM, the more your no claims bonus is.
The multiplier can reach as low as 0.5, equivalent to 13 years of driving without a claim, offering the biggest discount on your policy.
Due to this system, an accident resulting in a claim does not fully reset your policy, but only partially rolls back your multiplier, meaning you do not lose your entire discount.
An explanation of the system (for people leaving France and looking to transfer their no claims to a non-French policy) offered by the European Consumer Centre is available here.
Can non-French claims be transferred?
There are no rules against transferring a foreign no-claims bonus to a French insurance subscription when converting to a policy in the country but nor are insurers obliged to accept this.
It is worth contacting several insurers to see if your UK no claims will be factored into your first insurance policy in France.
Often, however, a UK no claims bonus will be taken into account as long as you provide paperwork providing your insurance record, usually over at least the last three years.
Britline, an online offshoot of Crédit Agricole set up for Britons who move to France, advises you to provide a copy of your UK driving history, showing yourself as the main driver or named driver on the policy.
Generally, proof of the last three years of no claims will be required to confirm any bonus. You can request this from your previous insurer.
UK insurers often only provide proof of the last four years of no claims bonuses – if yours is longer, ask for a full history to get the maximum possible benefits.
