When you decided to live and work in the Netherlands, you probably weren't thinking about the day you pass away. It’s not something one likes to think, or let alone talk, about. Sadly enough, death is part of everyone’s life.
Whether it comes as a terrible surprise or as a relief after a long and fulfilling life, your family or loved ones will have to process their loss and emotions. On top of that, a funeral will have to be arranged and paid for.
If you know some Dutch people, you might have noticed they like to plan, arrange and insure as much as possible. You might think it is a peculiar cultural habit, but if you take a minute to really think about what happens when you die, you might want to consider funeral insurance too. Most Dutch people invest in this for a reason.
Are you Dutch and have you wondered what you would need to do if you or your travel companion pass(es) away during your time abroad? This article contains some relevant information for you, too!
Funeral insurance: why?
You might wonder why Dutch people have an "uitvaartverzekering"or funeral insurance at all. Well, let’s start with the costs of a funeral. In the Netherlands, the cost of an average funeral can be between 6.500 and 11.000 euros. This is not an amount of money everyone can just cough up whenever a family member passes away.
With funeral insurance, you pay a small amount of money each month (premium) to save up for the time when you pass away and your relatives need it.
Being an expat, you might also want your body to be repatriated to your home country. This will make the whole situation even more expensive, as it can be very costly to repatriate a deceased person. Fortunately, there is a kind of funeral insurance especially tailored for situations like this. It’s called a "kapitaalverzekering"(endowment insurance).
Choosing between two kinds of funeral insurance
Monuta offers two kinds of insurances: a personally chosen package-deal, and a "kapitaalverzekering" (endowment insurance).
Personal package-deal
Choose this option, and Monuta will cover the common expenses for the funeral services and will help relatives out during the process. The packages contain elaborate guidance and a set amount of money that relatives can use for funeral costs and plenty of other services and related products.
Endowment insurance
With endowment insurance, you are guaranteed a certain amount of money that relatives can spend on the funeral. Monuta can still help out with the funeral service and all the practical issues, but the funeral services and related products are not directly included within the insurance. With endowment insurance, relatives usually experience a bit more freedom during the arrangement of the funeral than with a personally chosen package deal.
It’s all about personal preference. In both cases, it’s becoming more common for people to define their last wishes and document them to share with their closest relatives.
Compare funeral insurance packages
If you want to know what is included in the different funeral insurance packages, check Monuta’s website or contact Monuta for help.
Repatriation: Bringing the deceased person back to their home country
If you want your body to be brought back to your home country in the case of passing away abroad, there are a couple of things you have to take into account when you think about funeral insurance.
To make sure your body can be repatriated home, whether it’s back to the Netherlands or from the Netherlands to another country, Monuta can help you out.
Being the largest funeral business of the Netherlands, Monuta has over 95 years of experience in funerals and bereavement services. You can find more information about repatriation services on Monuta’s website.
