Deadlines and limitation periods: how long you have to act

In short

You have 3 years to sue your own insurer and 5 years to sue the other party’s insurer directly.

An insurer must give a reasoned answer to your claim within 3 months.

Report an accident to your insurer in writing immediately, at the latest within 8 days.

A complaint to the Ombudsman suspends the limitation period.

A claim notification interrupts the limitation period only if it was made in time.

Traffic fine deadlines are very short: 30 days to challenge a payment order, 15 days to challenge a default judgment.

Even a well-founded claim may be barred once a deadline has passed. This guide brings the key deadlines together. The general rule: write the deadline in your calendar on day one and calculate it without counting on anything that might extend it, such as interruption or suspension.

First deadlines after an accident or loss

What?	Deadline	Legal basis
Report an accident to your motor insurer	In writing, immediately and at the latest within 8 days (reasonable speed is enough)	Royal Decree 16.4.2018, annex art. 32; Insurance Act, art. 74
Forward court documents to your insurer	48 hours	Royal Decree 16.4.2018, annex art. 32
Insurer’s reasoned answer or offer	3 months from the complete claim	Insurance Act, art. 73/1; 1989 Act, art. 13-14
If there is no answer	€300 automatically; if no reply within 11 days of a registered reminder, €300 per day (indexed)	Same articles
Payment of an agreed amount	30 days; motor liability: 30 working days after acceptance	Insurance Act, art. 73/1 §6; 1989 Act, art. 13
Fire (simple risks): housing and first needs	15 days	Insurance Act, art. 121
Fire: closing the expert assessment / payment	90 days / 30 days after closing	Insurance Act, art. 121
Claims history certificate (motor)	15 days from your request	1989 Act, art. 7 §2

These deadlines and penalties apply under the general regime to claims made after 1.10.2024 and, in compulsory motor insurance, to accidents after 12.4.2024. For older road accidents the former text applies: the penalty for no reply is €250 per day, not indexed.

Under the general regime, late payments carry interest at twice the legal rate (Insurance Act, art. 73/1 §6).

Deadlines to go to court (limitation periods)

Who against whom?	Deadline	Legal basis
Policyholder → own insurer (contract claim)	3 years from knowledge of the event; at most 5 years from the event (except fraud; this maximum can also be interrupted and suspended)	Insurance Act, art. 88 §1
Victim → liable party’s insurer (direct action)	5 years; maximum 10 years	Insurance Act, art. 88 §2
Victim → liable person (tort)	5 years from knowledge; maximum 20 years	Former Civil Code, art. 2262bis
Insurer’s recourse action	3 years, each payment starts a new period	Insurance Act, art. 88 §3
Work accident compensation	3 years	Act of 10.4.1971, art. 69
Refund of premiums wrongly collected	10 years	Undue payment rules
Life insurance reserve	30 years	Insurance Act, art. 88 §1; Constitutional Court 16/2024

What can extend the period (do not rely on them; treat them only as an extra safeguard):

A timely claim notification interrupts the limitation period until the insurer communicates its decision in writing (Insurance Act, art. 89 §3).
A complete complaint to the Ombudsman suspends the period until the outcome is notified (art. 322 §2/2).
Against minors, time does not run in actions against the insurer until they come of age (art. 89 §1).

Claim notification and limitation: what the courts say

The claim notification is what most affects your time limit against your insurer. The Court of Cassation and the courts of appeal have clarified the following:

Only a timely notification interrupts. The notification that interrupts the limitation period is one made in accordance with the law and the policy, i.e. in time; a late notification does not interrupt it (Cass. 13.3.2026, C.25.0020.F). If you notified late, another step (such as bringing proceedings) may be needed to protect the deadline; ask a specialist without delay.
The interruption lasts until the insurer’s written decision is notified to you. It must be notified to you or to a representative you authorised to receive it; notifying just any representative of yours is not enough (Cass. 18.4.2016, C.15.0450.F). The decision must be clear: the Liège Court of Appeal held that a new period started after a letter clearly refusing cover (see the next point). For a victim’s direct action against the other party’s insurer, the Court of Cassation requires the letter to be clear and unambiguous enough for the victim reasonably to understand that negotiations are definitively over (Cass. 21.9.2023, C.22.0462.N); the rule that notice must go to the victim or an authorised representative applies there too (Cass. 9.10.2025, C.24.0476.N).
After a clear written decision, time runs again. Once the insurer clearly communicates its decision in writing, the interruption ends and a new 3-year period starts. Waiting for the outcome of a criminal investigation, for example, does not automatically suspend it (Liège Court of Appeal, 10.12.2018, 2017/RG/721). Note the date of the refusal letter straight away.
The 5-year maximum is not “absolute” either. If you learned of the event late, the 3 years run from the date you learned of it, but there is a maximum of 5 years from the event (except fraud). According to the Court of Cassation, these 5 years are not a strict time bar (délai de forclusion) but a limitation period that can be interrupted and suspended (Cass. 23.4.2026, C.25.0066.N). The grounds for interruption and suspension above can therefore also be relied on for this period.

These rulings matter when calculating the deadline. Even so, the safest approach is to diarise the deadline without counting on any interruption or suspension.

Ombudsman deadlines

Step	Deadline
Decision on admissibility	3 weeks after the complete complaint
Company’s response	1 month
Ombudsman’s outcome	90 days, up to 180 days for complex files (2025 average: 88 days)

Contract deadlines

What?	Deadline	Legal basis
Cooling-off (new contract)	Life 30 days, other 14 days (outside life insurance, only for contracts concluded by pre-signed policy, insurance request or at a distance)	Insurance Act, art. 57
Objecting to renewal	2 months before expiry for you (since 1.10.2024; previously 3 months), 3 months for the insurer	art. 85
Cancelling a non-life consumer contract	At any time after the first year, with 2 months’ notice	art. 85/1
Cancellation after a claim	Notified at the latest 1 month after payment or refusal; takes effect no earlier than 3 months later	art. 86
Formal notice for unpaid premium	At least 15 days	art. 70

Traffic fine deadlines

What?	Deadline
Sending a copy of the police report (PV) when you were not stopped	30 days (since 1.7.2026)
Paying an immediate collection (perception immédiate)	10 days
Paying a prosecutor’s settlement offer (transaction)	As stated in the offer (15 days to 3 months)
Paying or challenging a payment order (ordre de paiement)	30 days
Company car: naming the actual driver	15 days
Challenging a default judgment (opposition)	15 days from service
Appeal against a police court judgment	30 days
Limitation for prosecution	3 years (for all traffic offences since 1.7.2026)

Practical tips

Take every key step by registered letter or email with a delivery receipt; deadlines run from that date.
Several deadlines can run in the same file at once, for example the insurer’s 3-month answer period and your own 3-year limitation period.
Accidents abroad or on the way to work may follow different rules; if unsure, ask a specialist.

You can search case law on limitation periods by topic on our Decision Search page.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Current as of 30.09.2026.