Car Insurance in France: How MAIF Accounts for Overseas Insurance Records

Understanding Car Insurance and the Bonus / Malus

The French insurance market is characterized by a bonus / malus system based on your insurance records. This can be especially penalizing for individual coming from overseas who do not have recent car insurance in France. I checked with numerous car insurance companies who wouldn't take into account my good insurance record in the United States. Then I reached out to the MAIF and they were happy to use my statements from State Farm and were able to give me a bonus / malus of 0.57 which results in a 43% discount versus not having a previous driving record.

Steps to Secure Your Bonus Discount with MAIF

To successfully obtain your bonus discount with MAIF based on your overseas insurance record, follow these steps: 1) Gather all relevant documentation from your previous insurers, including proof of driving history and any no-claims certificates. 2) Clearly present this documentation when submitting your application to MAIF. You can either do this in person or in my case, I did everything online and over the phone. They sent me a link to upload my certificates from the United States and then confirmed my bonus of 0.57.