A CIS registration is not automatically a negative entry or a fraud registration. Stichting CIS manages a database with various types of data from participating insurers and authorised agents. The meaning, retention period and correction route depend on the type of registration.
So do not start by asking how to “get out of CIS,” but with three more precise questions: which registration is listed, which handler placed it, and is the factual content correct? For an EVR, separate requirements concerning fraud, proportionality and duration also apply.
What is the CIS database?
According to the consumer information from Stichting CIS, CIS is a foundation by and for insurers and authorised agents operating in the Netherlands. The database supports, among other things, acceptance, risk, claim and fraud assessments.
The database is not the same as a register used by banks. Stichting CIS explicitly states that banking and mortgage EVR or EVA registrations are not in the CIS database. The BKR (Dutch Credit Registration Bureau), banking warning systems and the CIS insurance domain must therefore be distinguished from one another.
The five types of CIS registrations
On the Types of registrations page, Stichting CIS lists five categories.
| Registration | What is recorded? | Retention period according to CIS |
|---|---|---|
| Claim notification | Factual data and personal data in connection with invoking insurance coverage. Liability and coverage are not determined by this. | Five years from the reference date. |
| Guarantee Fund notification for uninsured drivers | Details of the registered keeper, owner and/or driver where an uninsured motor vehicle is involved in a loss. | Five years from the reference date. |
| Driving disqualification | A completed disqualification supplied by the government under the responsibility of the Dutch Association of Insurers (Verbond van Verzekeraars). | Five years from the last day of the disqualification. |
| Confidential notice | A cancellation (royement) by the insurer, for example due to non-fulfilment of contractual or financial obligations. | Five years; for non-payment three years. |
| External Referral Register (EVR) | An external referral registration for serious integrity incidents under the PIFI (Protocol Incidentenwaarschuwingssysteem Financiële Instellingen). | Until the set end date, up to a maximum of eight years. |
A claim notification is not the same as liability or fraud
All claims received by participating insurers are recorded as a claim notification. Stichting CIS defines a claim notification as asserting a right to insurance coverage. For that registration it does not matter who was at fault, nor whether the claim is covered under the policy.
A request to correct a claim notification solely because you believe you are not liable is, according to the CIS FAQ, not granted: the fact that a claim was reported may be correct. An error in name, date, file linkage or other factual data is a different matter.
Confidential notice after cancellation (royement)
An insurer may terminate a policy in certain circumstances. A cancellation (royement) due to non-fulfilment of contractual obligations can be recorded as a confidential notice. CIS distinguishes a term of five years for non-financial breach of contract and three years for non-payment.
If you cancel the insurance yourself, this is not recorded as a confidential notice according to Stichting CIS. If you dispute the grounds for the cancellation (royement), ask the handler for the decision, the policy terms and the precise registration details.
EVR is a specific external fraud warning
The EVR is not an umbrella term for every CIS entry. De Vereende on the External Referral Register explains that inclusion takes place when trust has been seriously impaired and that a proportionality test is carried out beforehand. In that test, the interests of the data subject and those of the financial sector are weighed, both for inclusion and for the duration.
The insurer that places the EVR is the controller. Stichting CIS does not handle substantive correction of an EVR. According to De Vereende, financial institutions consulting the register must inquire about the reason before attaching negative consequences to the referral.
For the substantive EVR assessment, see the separate page on when an EVR registration may be unlawful. For the conceptual framework, there is a separate explanation of the difference between CIS, IVR and EVR. An IVR is an internal registration kept by a financial institution and is not one of the five CIS registrations.
What consequences can a CIS registration have?
Participants may use the CIS database to check data when processing an insurance application or claim and to assess risk. The outcome differs per registration, application and acceptance policy.
Stichting CIS states that the mere fact that data are in the database is not in itself a reason to refuse insurance. An insurer must explain its own decision. Moreover, a previous claim notification carries a different weight than a confidential notice or an EVR.
As a rule, insurers have no general duty to accept applicants; basic health insurance (basiszorgverzekering) is the exception. The fact that a person is legally required to have third-party motor liability insurance (WA-motorrijtuigverzekering) therefore does not mean that any given insurer must accept that application. An insurance adviser or De Vereende can sometimes look into an alternative, but there is no guarantee of acceptance or of a particular rate there either.
Step 1: request access free of charge
Via Access to your registrations you can use the CIS WebApp or the postal route. CIS requires sufficient personal and address details to find the correct registrations. Relevant previous addresses may be needed.
Upon receipt, check for each registration:
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the registration type and reference number;
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the handler that placed the registration;
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reference and end date;
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name, address, vehicle and file details;
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the letter or decision on which the registration is based;
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for an EVR: the alleged facts, evidence, proportionality assessment and duration.
Step 2: determine the correct correction route
The Adjusting your registrations page makes clear that only the relevant insurer or authorised agent can amend or remove the registration. You can contact that handler directly.
For an ordinary incorrect CIS registration, you can also submit a CIS correction form per registration within three months after receiving your access result. CIS will forward this to the handler. After more than three months, CIS requires you to first request access again, because the data may have changed in the meantime.
The route differs for two registrations:
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EVR: send the reasoned correction or deletion request directly to the insurer acting as the controller, usually the Security Affairs or Special Affairs department.
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Driving disqualification: have the data checked by the Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie, OM) or the body that handled the disqualification and send the written confirmation to CIS.
Step 3: substantiate factual error, legal basis and proportionality
Describe exactly which data are incorrect or incomplete and attach evidence. Think of correspondence, policy details, proof of payment, claim documents, court papers or a letter from the Public Prosecution Service (OM). Ask the handler for a reasoned written decision.
For an EVR, the assessment goes beyond mere factual accuracy. The insurer must be able to justify the registration under the applicable PIFI standard and a concrete proportionality assessment. Removal or shortening is not guaranteed; the facts, seriousness, evidence, passage of time and individual consequences may be relevant.
For the practical removal route, see the page Correcting or removing a CIS registration and for the broader architecture fraud registrations at banks and insurers.
Step 4: complaint to the insurer, Kifid or the courts
If the handler rejects the request, first go through that insurer’s internal complaints procedure. Stichting CIS then lists Kifid or the civil courts as possible next steps.
Before a Kifid complaint, check jurisdiction, admissibility, deadlines and the prior internal complaint. Also read the explanation of the Kifid procedure. Which route is suitable depends on the registration, your capacity, urgency, evidence and desired outcome.
Costs and outcome
A request for access at CIS is free of charge. Legal assistance with a correction procedure, Kifid procedure or court proceedings is not automatically free of charge and success cannot be guaranteed. Ask in advance about fees, legal expenses insurance cover and any possibilities for subsidised legal aid.
Frequently asked questions about CIS registrations
Is every CIS registration a fraud registration?
No. The CIS database contains five types of registrations. A claim notification factually records that a claim to insurance coverage has been made and in itself says nothing about liability, coverage or fraud. The EVR is, however, a separate, more severe external fraud warning.
What retention periods apply to CIS registrations?
The period depends on the type. Claim notifications and Guarantee Fund notifications remain for five years. Driving disqualifications remain for five years from the end date. Confidential notices generally last five years, or three years in case of non-payment. An EVR remains visible until the set end date, with a maximum of eight years.
How do I request my CIS registrations?
You can request access free of charge from Stichting CIS via the WebApp or by post. Also provide relevant previous addresses so that CIS can find the registrations associated with those addresses.
Who can correct an incorrect CIS registration?
The insurer or authorised agent that placed the registration—the handler—is responsible for the content and can amend the data. CIS can forward a correction request, but does not itself change or remove the registration.
Is a CIS registration automatically a reason to refuse insurance?
No. Stichting CIS says that the mere fact that personal data are in the database is not in itself a ground for refusal. The insurer applies its own acceptance policy and must explain a refusal itself.
What can I do after rejection of my correction request?
First submit the complaint to the complaints committee of the insurer concerned. Thereafter, depending on the case and admissibility, Kifid or the civil courts can be approached.
Official sources
- Stichting CIS: general consumer information
- Stichting CIS: types of registrations and retention periods
- Stichting CIS: access to registrations
- Stichting CIS: adjusting registrations
- Stichting CIS: frequently asked questions
- De Vereende: External Referral Register and proportionality
Read more
- Correcting or removing a CIS registration
- EVR registration: assessment and removal
- Difference between CIS, IVR and EVR
- Kifid procedure explained
- Insurance law attorney
