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Zurich car insurance in Portugal
Zurich Auto in Portugal: four options from third-party to comprehensive, explained in English and compared with other insurers.
✅ For drivers throughout Portugal: office in Almancil, Algarve
✅ Independent broker: several insurers compared
✅ Advice in English: also in German and Portuguese
Free and with no obligation · reply usually within 24 hours (working days)
We compare car insurance from these insurers
What is compulsory in Portugal and what Zurich Auto covers
Motor liability insurance (responsabilidade civil automóvel) is compulsory for every motor vehicle in Portugal (Decree-Law 291/2007, Article 4). The legal minimum is currently €7,750,000 per accident, of which €6,450,000 for bodily injury and €1,300,000 for property damage. Zurich covers liability in every option at least up to this amount; higher cover can be agreed in addition.
Liability cover does not pay for damage to your own car. For that, Zurich offers own-damage covers (danos próprios), for example against theft, fire or an accident you cause. How car insurance in Portugal works in general is explained on our page car insurance in Portugal.
Zurich Auto: the four options
Zurich Auto (product name Zurich Auto Ligeiros e Comerciais) is built from covers that can be combined individually. For a simple choice, Zurich suggests four options, from Simples to Premium. It insures cars and light commercial vehicles.
Simples
Liability, accident cover for the driver and passengers (death, permanent disability, medical costs), legal protection and breakdown and accident assistance. Damage to your own car is not covered.
Essencial
Everything in Simples, plus glass breakage in the basic version. Other damage to your own car is not covered.
Essencial +
Everything in Essencial, plus theft and robbery, natural catastrophes, strikes and riots, and fire, lightning and explosion, which Zurich lists here as complementary covers (Complementar). Collision is not covered.
Premium
Comprehensive cover with collision, rollover and fire, plus theft and robbery, natural catastrophes, strikes and riots, and terrorism and vandalism. Glass breakage in the Genérico version (instead of basic).
You can also add further covers, for example a replacement car after an own-damage claim (per policy year up to 30 days after an accident and up to 60 days after a theft, in Portugal only; instead of a car, credits on a ride-hailing platform are also possible), new-for-old cover in the first three years and a higher liability limit. The Autoproteção own-damage variant covers collision, rollover and fire only if the car is driven by someone who has held a licence for more than five years. Detailed limits and terms are set out in Zurich’s general conditions (in Portuguese, October 2026); your policy is what counts.
Which option suits your car?
We compare Zurich with other insurers and explain the differences in English. For the request you need your car details, your driving licence and your tax number (NIF); you receive a quote with no obligation, and no contract is concluded automatically.
New to Portugal, switching, new car or second car
Which option makes sense depends mainly on your car and your situation. We often see four cases:
New to Portugal
Car with Portuguese plates
A regular Portuguese policy usually requires Portuguese registration; for imported cars, the customs declaration (DAV) helps. Zurich’s assistance for the car and occupants across Europe requires your habitual residence (residência habitual) to be in Portugal. If the car was uninsured for 30 days or more beforehand, breakdown assistance starts 15 days after the policy begins.
Switching
Bring your no-claims history
New policies with Zurich start at bonus-malus level 0, unless a history is recorded in a Portuguese rating certificate (certificado de tarifação) or the national register. A statement from an insurer in another EU member state can be included in Zurich’s own claims history statement on request if it covers the last five years and you have handed in the proof; how a UK or other foreign certificate counts is decided case by case.
New car
New or financed
Premium is usually the right choice here, with collision and rollover cover. New-for-old cover (valor de substituição) fits well: after a total loss in the first three years from first registration, Zurich pays the difference up to the new price of a comparable car, up to the agreed sum.
Older car
Second car or city car
For a car of low value, Simples or Essencial is often enough. If the car should be covered against theft, fire and natural events but not collision, Essencial + is an option; we clarify its exact scope in your quote.
We work out with you which option suits you and explain the Portuguese policy terms in English before you sign.
Zurich Auto options compared
What Zurich suggests for each option, at a glance:
| Cover | Simples | Essencial | Essencial + | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liability | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Accident cover driver and passengers | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Legal protection | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Assistance | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Glass breakage | no | basic | basic | Genérico |
| Theft and robbery | no | no | complementary | yes |
| Natural catastrophes | no | no | complementary | yes |
| Strikes and riots | no | no | complementary | yes |
| Fire, lightning, explosion | no | no | complementary | yes |
| Collision and rollover | no | no | no | yes |
| Terrorism and vandalism | no | no | no | yes |
Source: options as published by Zurich (product page Zurich Auto Ligeiros e Comerciais, accessed 27 October 2026); for Essencial +, Zurich lists these covers as “Complementar” (complementary); we tell you their scope and limits in your quote. Fire, lightning and explosion for Premium as set out in the general conditions, cover 009. The options are suggestions by Zurich; the covers can also be combined differently. Depending on the assistance level, you get a replacement car in Portugal after a breakdown (up to three times a year, up to five days each); after an accident covered by an own-damage cover, once a year for up to three days. Detailed limits and terms are set out in your policy.
Zurich or another insurer?
Zurich is one of several car insurers whose offers we compare, alongside Allianz and Fidelidade. C1 Broker is not tied to any insurer.
Allianz
INTERNATIONAL
Allianz Portugal is part of the international Allianz Group.
Fidelidade
PORTUGUESE INSURER
A Portuguese insurer with its own car insurance.
Ageas
ACTIVE IN PORTUGAL
An insurer offering car insurance in Portugal.
Zurich
International
The Lisbon branch of Zurich Insurance Europe AG, supervised by the ASF.
Victoria
ESTABLISHED IN PORTUGAL
An insurer offering car insurance in Portugal.
Generali
EUROPEAN INSURER
A European insurer offering car insurance in Portugal.
This overview is neutral and not a ranking. We identify the most suitable insurer and plan by comparing them for your car, your drivers and your claims history.
Compare Zurich with independent advice
We obtain suitable quotations and explain the differences in English.
Your English-speaking Insurance Broker in Portugal
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Personal advice from the Algarve
C1 Broker · Almancil office, Algarve
“We support drivers throughout Portugal from choosing the right policy to settling a claim, personally and in your language. You deal with the same people at our office in Almancil.”
- Phone: +351 289 392 452
- Email: [email protected]
- Office: Av. Duarte Pacheco 13 R/C, 8135-104 Almancil (Quinta do Lago), Algarve
- Languages: English, German and Portuguese
Related pages & guides
Car insurance in Portugal
Third-party, extended and comprehensive cover, all insurers.
Frequently asked questions about Zurich car insurance in Portugal
Is car insurance compulsory in Portugal?
Yes. Motor liability insurance is compulsory for every motor vehicle (Decree-Law 291/2007), currently with a minimum of €7,750,000 per accident. Zurich covers it in every option at least up to this amount, and higher cover can be chosen. Own-damage cover is optional.
Which options does Zurich Auto offer?
Four suggestions: Simples and Essencial without own-damage cover (Essencial with glass breakage), Essencial + with complementary covers for theft, natural catastrophes, riots and fire, and Premium as comprehensive cover with collision. The covers can also be combined individually.
Does Zurich car insurance cover me abroad?
Liability and own-damage cover apply in the EU, in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, in Switzerland, Andorra, Gibraltar, San Marino and the Vatican, in the Faroe Islands, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, and in other countries named in the policy or the proof of insurance. Assistance for the car and its occupants applies in Europe and the non-European Mediterranean countries, provided your habitual residence is in Portugal. Zurich provides replacement cars in Portugal only. According to Zurich, assistance is available free of charge in Portugal on 800 201 714 and from abroad on +351 213 816 780.
Can I transfer my no-claims bonus from the UK or Germany?
Not automatically. New policies with Zurich start at level 0, unless a history is recorded in a Portuguese rating certificate or the national register. If you hand in a statement from an insurer in another EU member state, Zurich can include it in its own claims history statement on request. Whether and how a foreign no-claims record is taken into account is decided case by case, and we clarify this for you.
How does the excess (franquia) work with Zurich?
It applies to the own-damage covers and is set out in your policy as an amount or a percentage; a percentage is calculated on the insured value. For glass breakage, depending on the version, Zurich also offers cover without an excess. To find partner garages and glass repairers, use the Zurich network search.
What do I need for a quote?
The form asks for the make, model and horsepower of your car, its Portuguese registration and year, whether it is imported (then the customs declaration DAV, if available), your date of birth and the date of your first driving licence, your tax number (NIF) and address in Portugal, the covers you want and when cover should start, your years of insurance and claims-free years, and, if you are already insured, the current insurer and expiry date, plus your no-claims certificate if you have one. Mention in the observations that you are interested in Zurich: we will then request a quote from Zurich and, if you wish, comparison quotes, with no obligation.
Where is your office and which languages do you speak?
Our office is at Av. Duarte Pacheco 13 R/C, 8135-104 Almancil in the Algarve. We advise customers throughout Portugal in English, German and Portuguese, by phone on +351 289 392 452 or by email at [email protected]. To report a claim, use our page file a car insurance claim.
How much does Zurich car insurance cost?
The premium depends on the car and its value, the chosen option and covers, the excess, how the car is used and your bonus-malus rating. There is therefore no single price that applies to everyone. We prepare a free, no-obligation comparison for you.
Zurich car insurance: request your free quote
Advice in English · independent comparison of several insurers · reply usually within 24 hours (working days)