Should a caravan have car insurance?

Verified 10 April 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Want to hitch a caravan to your car? You want to settle a caravan on a lot? It is important to check beforehand whether you need to take out compulsory insurance and to determine the type of insurance. We present the applicable rules.

The situation varies depending on whether the caravan is hitched to a car or if it is settled on land:

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Caravan coupled to a car

The caravan coupled to a car shall be considered as a vehicle put into circulation and shall be subject toliability insurance obligation. Depending on its weight, the caravan may or may not be covered by the insurance of the car.

Caravan weighing 750 kg or less

The caravan weighing 750 kg or less can be covered by the insurance of the car, free of charge or for an additional fee.

The car insurance contract specifies the conditions for taking over the caravan.

You must read your contract carefully to check whether your car insurance covers the caravan or not, and if so under what conditions.

If it is a rental caravan, you must check in the rental contract whether there is insurance already included in the price.

When the caravan is not covered by your car insurance or rental business insurance, you should contact your insurer to ask what conditions your car contract could cover.

The insurer must make you a proposal to extend your car insurance to cover the caravan.

If you accept the insurer's proposal, they will issue you a agreeable to your contract.

This document states that the caravan is covered by the car insurance, and it can serve as proof in case of a check.

Your insurer may require you to make specific arrangements before taking over the caravan, such as installing a safety system for gas-powered equipment (stove).

If you have made adjustments to the caravan, you must declare them to your insurer and verify that they are covered by your contract. Otherwise, the insurer may refuse to compensate you in the event of a loss.

You can subscribe in addition to the compulsory civil liability insurance of additional guarantees :

  • Accidental Damage
  • Explosive fire
  • Theft and break and enter (for items inside the caravan)
  • Storm
  • Natural disaster and acts of terrorism
  • Legal protection
Caravan of more than 750 kg

A caravan weighing more than 750 kg must be covered by a contract separate of the car to which it is coupled.

You can subscribe in addition to the compulsory civil liability insurance of additional guarantees :

  • Accidental Damage
  • Explosive fire
  • Theft and break and enter (for items inside the caravan)
  • Storm
  • Natural disaster and acts of terrorism
  • Legal protection

Caravan settled on a plot

The caravan settled on land is not considered to be a moving vehicle and is therefore not subject toliability insurance obligation.

But the owner of the land (campsite business, public forest management organization, private owner, etc.). on which you wish to settle the caravan may require you to take out insurance civil liability

Liability insurance will cover you for damages that you may cause to third parties through the use of your caravan on land (fire, explosion, unintentional destruction of property, etc.).

The civil liability guarantee of your home insurance may cover or exclude the use of the caravan settled on land. You need to check this in your contract.

If your home insurance does not provide coverage for the use of the settled caravan on land, you must request an extension of guarantee from your insurer or subscribe to a specific contract for this risk.

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