Insurance for sport

Verified 26 September 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Do you practice sports and wonder if you need to take out insurance to protect yourself from injuries sustained or caused during your activity? It depends on the setting in which you practice the sport: in free practice (regardless of any structure), in a club or in the school setting. Here are the rules to know.

Free practice

Free practice consists in practicing a sport without being part of a sports structure (club or sports federation). For example, running on the street, alone and without supervision.

You can choose to take out personal insurance.

However, insurance is not not required.

The risks covered (injuries sustained or caused) are defined in the insurance contract. You can choose the following protections:

  • A "life insurance" policy, for injuries you cause to yourself
  • One civil liability guarantee for injuries you cause to another person. This guarantee may be provided for in the home insurance contract. However, this contract may exclude the practice of certain sports.

Warning  

If you do not have personal insurance, you will be responsible for the cost of the injury to yourself or to another person.

In a club

It's compulsory insurance of the sports structure which covers damage caused by one sportsman to another.

Indeed, any organizer of sporting activities is obliged to take out collective insurance contracts covering the civil liability of all participants. The contract must be posted on the premises of the physical and sporting activities institution (EAPS).

The subscription of a personal insurance is therefore optional. It's only mandatory for underwater fishing if you don't have the federation license.

You can choose to subscribe to a assurance personal (e.g. life injury guarantee).

However, insurance is not not obligatory.

If you do not have personal insurance, you will have to cover the costs of your injury (help, care, loss of income following a work stoppage).

Please note

sports facilities must inform their practitioners of the possibility of taking out insurance covering damage to oneself.

School setting

You can subscribe to school insurance for your child, but it's not not obligatory.

School insurance consists of the following guarantees:

  • One civil liability guarantee which covers the damage caused by your child
  • A personal injury guarantee that covers the damage your child has suffered, including if he or she injures himself or herself

Warning  

if you choose not to take out school insurance, you will have to pay all the costs related to the damage caused or suffered by your child.

For extracurricular activities practiced by your child, you have an obligation to subscribe to a school insurance.

This school insurance obligatory consists of the following guarantees:

  • One civil liability guarantee which covers the damage caused by your child
  • A personal injury guarantee that covers the damage your child has suffered, including if he or she injures himself or herself.

Who can help me?

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