Insurance Arbitrator

WHAT IS THE INSURANCE ARBITRATOR?

The Insurance Arbitrator is an alternative dispute resolution system established at IVASS, in which both Insurance Companies and insurance intermediaries operating in insurance distribution are required to participate.

The procedure is designed to resolve disputes within relatively short timeframes and may conclude either with a decision on the merits or with a proposal for a conciliatory settlement.

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Parties entitled to file a claim, time limits, and value thresholds of the dispute

The following parties may apply to the Insurance Arbitrator: policyholders, insured persons, members, beneficiaries of insurance coverage, and injured parties entitled to bring a direct action, provided that::

• a complaint has previously been submitted;
• the complaint does not date back more than 12 months;
• the contested facts do not precede the date of submission of the complaint by more than 3 years.

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Maximum limits on the value of the dispute are also provided, differentiated according to the type of insurance coverage:

     1. life insurance policies, up to €300,000 for Temporary Death Insurance and up to €150,000 for other types of life insurance policies;
     2. non-life insurance policies, up to €25,000;
     3. injured parties entitled to bring a direct action, up to €2,500.

Participation in the Insurance Arbitrator is mandatory for Insurance Companies and Intermediaries and applies automatically by virtue of their registration in the relevant registers (Register of Insurance Companies, RIGA, and the Single Register of Intermediaries, RUI).
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Starting the procedure: when and how
If the complaint has not been upheld or the response is deemed inadequate, the interested party may file a claim through the dedicated online portal.

Through the platform, it is possible to monitor the progress of the procedure, upload documents, communicate with the Technical Secretariat, and receive the outcome of the Panel.

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How it works

The claim is examined by a Panel composed of five members, representing the various positions and interests involved.

The Panel’s determination is based on the documents and records acquired and does not produce binding effects. If the recipient does not comply with the outcome of the decision or the conciliatory proposal, such circumstance is made publicly available through publication on the website of the Insurance Arbitrator and on the website of the non-compliant party. paragraph).

The right of all parties to bring the matter before the Judicial Authority remains unaffected.

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Duration and stages of the procedure

Under ordinary circumstances, the procedure is concluded within 180 days, with the possibility of an extension of a further 90 days in cases of particular complexity. In summary:

• the Technical Secretariat carries out an initial check on the completeness and regularity of the claim;
• if documents or information are missing, a request for supplementation is made, to be provided within 10 days;
• once the file is complete, the respondent has 40 days to submit its defenses;
• the claimant may reply within the following 20 days;
• a further period of 20 days is provided for any counter-reply.

The communication of the outcome takes place within 90 days from the closure of the investigation phase, unless an extension is granted.

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Outcome of the procedure and compliance
The Panel’s decision, or any conciliatory proposal, is transmitted to the parties together with the reasoning.

The recipient has 30 days to comply with the outcome of the procedure.

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Fee for filing the claim

The submission of the claim requires the payment of a fee of €20.

In the event of full or partial acceptance of the claim, the fee is refunded to the claimant.

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Effective date

Claims may be submitted starting from 15 January 2026, exclusively through the guided procedure available on the website of the Insurance Arbitrator.

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Further information

For further details regarding access, requirements, and the conduct of the procedure, reference may be made to the website of the Insurance Arbitrator: www.arbitroassicurativo.org

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PUBLICATION OF DECISIONS

This section is dedicated to the publication of any instances of non-compliance by SRIB with

respect to the decisions of the Insurance Arbitrator

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