Can I cancel my insurance?
Yes, after the first year you can cancel most non-life consumer insurance at any time, with a notice of maximum two months and without cost or penalty. This comes from the Law of 9 October 2023 which inserted art. 85/1 into the Insurance Act of 4 April 2014. Important: that rule applies since 1 October 2024 (not earlier) and to contracts concluded or tacitly renewed from then. The first contract year still runs as a fixed term. The rule covers non-life consumer lines: fire/home, car, family liability. Your new insurer can carry out the cancellation for you and must ensure the new cover starts when the old one ends. Health and life insurance fall outside the always-cancellable rule and keep their own regime (for health cover, usually annual cancellation with 3 months). You can also cancel after a claim, after a premium increase, and the protection against tacit renewal (Verwilghen Act) still applies.
📋 The rules
- After the first year: always cancellable with 2 months notice, no cost (art. 85/1 Insurance Act)
- In force since 1 October 2024, for contracts concluded or renewed from then
- Applies to non-life consumer insurance (fire/home, car, family liability)
- Your new insurer can carry out the cancellation and make the new cover follow on
- Health and life are excluded (health: annual cancellation with 3 months)
- Cancellation also possible after a claim or after a premium increase; by registered or digital means
🔓 Exceptions
- Health insurance: you stay covered for the year; cancellation only at the annual expiry with 3 months
- Life insurance: separate rules per product type; the always-cancellable rule does not apply
- Even during the first year you can cancel after a claim or after a premium increase
⚠️ Penalties & fines
A cancellation under art. 85/1 may not cost you anything, no fee and no penalty, and you are entitled to the premium credit for the unexpired period: the premium you paid in advance for months without cover must come back. If an insurer refuses a valid cancellation, charges costs anyway or ignores your switch request, that charge is not owed and you can complain to the Insurance Ombudsman or the FSMA. Finally, mind the join: a day between two policies is a day without insurance.
📎 Official sources
- FPS Economy · cancelling an insurance contract →
- ejustice · Law of 9 October 2023 (insurance cancellation) →
- ejustice · Insurance Act of 4 April 2014 →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I cancel my car insurance after a year?
Yes. After the first year most non-life policies (car, fire/home, family liability) can be cancelled at any time, with two months notice at most and no costs. That rule has applied since 1 October 2024, not earlier.
Can I already cancel during the first year?
The first contract year runs as a fixed term in principle. Even so, you can cancel after a claim or after a premium increase — two classic reasons to switch insurer earlier than planned.
Must I cancel with my old insurer myself?
You can do it yourself, by registered letter or digitally, but your new insurer may also carry out the cancellation for you. He must then ensure the new cover starts when the old one ends.
Does this apply to my hospitalisation insurance too?
No. Hospitalisation and life insurance fall outside the always-cancellable rule. A hospitalisation policy is normally cancelled at the annual expiry date, with three months notice, and life insurance follows its own rules per product type.
Can the insurer charge costs on cancellation?
No. A cancellation under the new rule may not bring any costs or penalty, and you get the premium credit for the unexpired period back. A charge levied wrongly is simply not owed — complain to the Insurance Ombudsman if it is not refunded.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “cancel insurance belgium”
- “cancel car insurance after year”
- “new insurance cancellation law 2024”
- “insurance 2 months notice”
- “cancel health insurance”
- “cancel insurance after premium increase”