Balcia Insurance SE
Balcia
Balcia is a motor casco insurance for the Latvia market with no online purchase and 24/7 assistance.
Direct payment
Balcia settles claims by paying repair costs directly (to Balcia's partner workshop or a workshop chosen by the client, capped at 30% of Balcia's own repair estimate if using an outside workshop), by providing a replacement item, or by paying cash compensation excluding taxes; for theft of any built-in vehicle part (other than additional equipment) only direct repair-invoice payment is offered, not cash.
Geographic scope
Latvia, with optional extension to Europe, or Europe and CIS countries (policyholder's choice, fixed in the policy)
Three territorial options can be chosen: Latvia only; Europe (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and most other European countries incl. UK, Switzerland, Turkey etc.); or Europe and CIS countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Moldova, Ukraine up to 50° east longitude).
Unique selling points
- Free replacement vehicle provided from day one of a claim, for up to 30 calendar days, while your car is repaired or after theft.
- Freedom to repair your vehicle at any workshop of your choice, not just Balcia's partner network.
- No deductible applies to key-loss claims or to damage/theft of personal belongings left in the vehicle.
- Coverage extends to personal items such as bikes, skis or snowboards stored in a locked roof box or bike rack, up to EUR 2,000.
- Fast claims handling, with indemnity decisions made within 5 business days of receiving all required documents.
Coverage limits
Own damage coverage
Covered
Balcia pays compensation if the insured vehicle suffers damage (including loss) from any sudden and unforeseen external event not listed as an exclusion, e.g. fire, natural disasters, or third-party unlawful acts including vandalism; compensation is based on the sum insured (market value or new value) stated in the policy.
Total loss / write-off
Covered
A vehicle is considered a total loss (Bojāeja) when the repair cost needed exceeds 70% of its market value immediately before the loss. Compensation is calculated at market value, or at new value if the vehicle is under 2 years old, has under 60,000 km mileage, and has had a single owner since first registration; otherwise market value applies.
Partial damage / repair
Covered
For damage that does not amount to a total loss, Balcia pays for the repair, arranges a replacement, or pays cash compensation (excluding taxes), aiming to restore the vehicle to the condition it was in before the insured event.
Theft and robbery
Covered
Covers secret or open taking of the vehicle, including where associated with violence or the threat of violence. Indemnity is based on the vehicle's market value or new value, per the same criteria used for total loss. If theft/robbery occurs in CIS territory, the deductible is doubled, with a minimum of 20% of the payable indemnity.
Glass breakage
Covered
Covers breakage of the vehicle's windows, roof, or panoramic glass when this is the only damage caused by the insured event. Note: the T&C's list of deductible-waiver situations (third-party fault, key loss, personal item theft/damage) does not name glass damage, so the standard deductible may still apply to glass claims unless one of those specific waiver conditions is met.
Natural disasters
Covered
Covers direct effects of storms, floods, lightning and hail, as well as damage from objects that fell as a result of these natural events, together with fire, smoke, soot and firefighting effects.
Vandalism
Covered
Covers deliberate damage to or destruction of the insured vehicle by the actions of a third party (vandalism), as part of the general 'damages' peril in the policy.
24/7 roadside assistance
€500
Included for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes: vehicle start-up, tyre pressure restoration/spare wheel fitting, fuel delivery (up to 10 litres per period; EV towed to nearest working charging station), recovery/rescue works, transport to chosen workshop or nearest guarded parking (up to 5 days' parking costs), hotel or alternative transport if towed by evacuator, and spare key delivery/vehicle opening. For vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, recovery works, transport to workshop/parking and hotel/alternative transport are covered. Overall benefit is capped at EUR 500 per insurance period.
Free replacement vehicle
Optional
A replacement vehicle is provided from day 1 of a claim being filed, for up to 30 calendar days per insurance period, if the insured vehicle cannot be used following an insured event (incl. while being repaired) or after theft/robbery; for total loss/theft/robbery it runs until the claim is fully settled. Note: the T&C's benefits section presents this feature as part of coverage, but the current IPID documents classify 'Free replacement vehicle' under additional/optional risks rather than the core base coverage, so eligibility and availability may depend on the specific policy configuration.
Driver and passenger accident insurance
€4,300
An optional additional risk (Papildrisks), governed by separate terms (Nr. LV-01/04-02), covering death, permanent disability, injuries/fractures (per a payout schedule), medical expenses (within 30 months of the accident), and 'family comfort' expenses following a road traffic accident involving the insured vehicle. The IPID states a sum-insured cap of up to EUR 4,300 for this benefit.
Key conditions
Driver age and experience limit
The KASKO terms and conditions do not specify a minimum driver age or driving-experience requirement; such factors are assessed individually as part of risk underwriting when the policy is issued.
Repair network requirements
The client may use Balcia's partner repair network, in which case damage is transported to the nearest convenient partner workshop. Alternatively, the client may choose their own repair workshop, but in that case the indemnity payable to that workshop cannot exceed 30% of the repair estimate that Balcia's own chosen workshop would have prepared for the same repair.
Territorial scope
Coverage territory is a fixed policy choice among: Latvia only; Europe (an extensive list of European countries); or Europe and CIS countries (adds Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Moldova and Ukraine, up to 50° east longitude). The chosen territory is stated on the policy.
Anti-theft requirements
Balcia may reduce the payable indemnity by up to 50% if, after a key theft or loss, the vehicle's locks were not changed or the immobiliser was not recoded, or if the vehicle was not kept in a guarded parking lot or locked garage, and this is causally linked to the resulting loss.
Claim notification deadline
The policyholder must contact the competent authority immediately (police for theft/robbery/road accidents, medical services for injuries, fire and rescue service for fire, etc.) and notify Balcia as soon as possible; failure to notify in time so that Balcia cannot establish the circumstances or exact loss amount is grounds for refusal. Once all necessary documents are received, Balcia issues its indemnity decision within 5 business days.
Deductible rules
The deductible (Pašrisks) stated in the policy is deducted from each claim, except: it is not withheld when a third party is at fault and the loss is covered under that party's compulsory MTPL insurance, nor for key-loss claims or personal-belongings damage/theft claims. If theft or robbery occurs in CIS territory, the deductible is doubled (minimum 20% of the payable indemnity). The payable indemnity itself may also be reduced by up to 50% for lock/immobiliser non-compliance after key loss or for speeding more than 30 km/h over the limit, where causally linked to the loss.
Policy specifics
Glass breakage without deductible
Balcia CASCO covers glass damage including windshield breakage without a deductible
SourceDriver and passenger accident coverage
Optional additional coverage for driver and passenger injuries that can be added to CASCO policy
SourcePersonal belongings damage or theft
Balcia compensates for damage to personal belongings left in the vehicle, or their theft from a locked vehicle, including a bicycle, skis or snowboard stored in a locked roof box, on a roof rack, or on a bike carrier fitted to the vehicle; the loss must be reported to the police.
SourceAdditional equipment (Papildaprīkojums) limit
If additional equipment (e.g. alloy wheels, bike racks, roof boxes, child seats, EV charging cables, spare wheels/tyres) is not listed separately on the policy, compensation for its damage or loss is capped at EUR 2,000 per insurance period; if listed separately, the cap is 30% of the vehicle's market value for the whole insurance period.
SourceBalcia repair service network
After an accident, Balcia arranges transportation to the nearest convenient repair shop. Client can choose from Balcia's partner repair network or use their own preferred service for repairs.
SourceDeductible waiver upon full recovery
Deductible is not applied if full recovery is achieved from an insurer registered in Latvia or EU. For foreign insurers outside EU, deductible is withheld until full indemnification.
SourceClaims payment timeline
After receipt of all necessary information and required documents about the accident, claim payment is made within five business days
SourcePremium deduction from indemnity
Unpaid insurance premium until the end of the insurance period may be deducted from the indemnity sum
SourceVehicle security system requirements
For most vehicles, factory-installed anti-theft devices are sufficient to meet CASCO requirements. Additional security systems may be required for higher-value vehicles.
Source