Documents required to insure a used car in Switzerland
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When taking out auto insurance, there are documents to be submitted, to insure a used car. In this article, we take a look at the documents required, to be able to insure you in Switzerland. They are slightly different, whether you choose to insure a new or a second-hand car. You'll also find all the useful information, regarding these documents, and how you can send them to your insurer.
Car insurance: supporting documents for a used car?
Here's the list of documents for insuring a used car in Switzerland.
Supporting documents for the used car
With regard to the car, your insurer will need:
- The contract of sale justifying the acquisition,
- The road registration permit,
These supporting documents are absolutely crucial, to determine the cover offered, but also the amount of the insurance premium. In fact, thanks to these various elements, the insurer will be able to assess the risk he is taking in insuring the car.
In very concrete terms, a vehicle with a high market value can lead to high compensation payments in the event of a claim. This will be taken into account when calculating the premium. Furthermore, most insurers consider a powerful car to be more at risk, and also apply higher premiums.
Supporting documents concerning the insured
The insurer must then check information relating to the insured, asking for supporting documents such as:
- Thedriver's license,
- The old insurance policy of the insured may also be requested.
Here, the credentials for insuring a used car will be used to assess the insured's profile. For example, a person considered to be a young driver is likely to pay a higher insurance premium than someone who has held a license for many years. The insurer effectively considers that lack of experience is an additional risk, that a claim will intervene.
The insured's address influences the price. People who live on the border of another country may indeed have to pay more than others, to cover any claims that may arise beyond the Swiss border.
Analysis of the old insurance policy may simply enable the insurer to know what cover was taken out by the insured.
Documentation concerning the insured's past history
Information concerning the old insurance policy also enables the insurer to know your past history. It will thus know whether you have recently been responsible for a claim. It will also be able to take into account your bonus or malus, when calculating the premium.
Is form 13.20A required to insure a used car?
In general, form 13.20A is only required when insuring a new vehicle. To insure a used car, you won't need to present it.
Beware, it can be useful for a foreign person, who wishes to buy a vehicle in Switzerland, and bring it back to his country. In particular, it can facilitate customs clearance.
When to provide the documents to insure a car?
Most of the time, it's when you make contact with an insurer that you'll need to provide the documents to insure a used car.
At the time of underwriting
It's generally unnecessary to provide the documents to insure a car, when you want to draw up a simple quote. Individuals making online insurance comparisons are content with simple statements, to obtain a rate proposal. These will then eventually be validated, if supporting documents confirm the statements made by the future policyholder.
It is therefore truly at the time of underwriting, that policyholders must prepare all their documents.
In the event of a change of car insurance
More and more policyholders are choosing to change insurance companies regularly, not least to get the best rates. Each time you take out a new policy, you'll need to provide all the supporting documents mentioned above.
It's therefore a good idea to prepare them well, if you want to change insurer when your contract expires. If you change companies regularly, it can be useful to keep them under wraps.
How to send proofs for car insurance?
The method of transmitting proofs for used car insurance varies, from one insurer to another.
The classic transmission
Historically, documents have had to be sent in paper form to your insurer. You can go directly to your agency, to transmit your driving license, registration certificate or documents relating to your old insurance policy.
It is not possible for an insurer, with whom you hold a contract, to automatically transmit these documents to your next insurer. You will therefore have to take care of the process yourself.
More and more insurers are opting for dematerialization, rendering obsolete this process requiring you to travel.
Dematerialization of procedures
So you can now directly transmit your documents to insure a used car, on your insurer's website or even app. In general, all you need to do is upload the documents, in the format indicated by the insurer, which can be a pdf.
If you have the documents in paper format, simply scan them or even take a photo of them with a smartphone with good photo quality.
From the customer's point of view, this is a real asset, making it even easier to change insurers, to challenge the rates and cover offered.
Documents required to insure a used car: the importance of good faith
When you declare something to your insurer, it's a legal obligation to make declarations in good faith. If you don't, the contract may be considered null and void, and you won't be protected in the event of a claim.
The same applies to documents submitted to insure a used car. You need to submit authentic documents. Moreover, you may be penalized by your insurer, if you provide documents from a person who is not actually the main driver of the vehicle.
When a young driver wishes to insure his first car, it is possible that he stays on his parents' insurance. He or she must nevertheless be listed as one of the car's main drivers, to be within the rules.
Updated on: 30.01.2024Written by Antoine LégerHead of non-life insurance department at Comparea.To learn more about our team click here.