Inspection Response Times Across Europe
First response comes within about two hours of your photographs arriving. On-site inspection typically follows within 24 to 72 hours depending on country, season and access to the vehicle. Peak hail weeks and remote alpine or island locations sit at the longer end.
Two different clocks
People usually mean one of two things by "how fast". They are not the same, and confusing them causes most of the frustration in cross-border claims.
First response is how quickly someone competent looks at your photographs and tells you what to secure and whether the vehicle can be moved. That is a matter of hours and it is the part that actually protects your claim.
On-site inspection is when an appraiser physically reaches the vehicle. That depends on geography, season and access, and no honest provider can promise the same figure for a lakeside pitch in Carinthia and a campsite on a Dalmatian island.
Indicative on-site response by country
| Country | First response | On-site inspection |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | within 2 hours | 24–48 hours |
| Poland | within 2 hours | 24–48 hours |
| Italy | within 2 hours | 48–72 hours |
| Slovenia | within 2 hours | 48–72 hours |
| Croatia | within 2 hours | 48–72 hours |
| Switzerland | within 2 hours | 48–72 hours |
| Czech Republic | within 2 hours | 48–72 hours |
| Netherlands | within 2 hours | 48–72 hours |
| France | within 2 hours | 72 hours |
Indicative ranges under normal conditions, not a contractual guarantee. The confirmed appointment is given when the instruction is accepted.
What lengthens the timeline
- Mass hail events. One storm cell over a large site damages dozens of vehicles at once. This works in your favour on cost and against you on scheduling — we prioritise vehicles that cannot be driven.
- Islands and high alpine valleys. Ferry timetables and single-access valleys add a day.
- Vehicles inside closed compounds. If the vehicle has been recovered to a yard, inspection depends on the yard's opening hours and release conditions.
- Waiting on recovery. Where the vehicle is still where it fell or is blocked in, inspection follows the recovery, not the other way round.
What you can do in the meantime
The waiting period is not dead time. Photographs, a written note of the sequence of events while it is fresh, a police record where there was theft or vandalism, contact details of witnesses and of the site operator, and a meteorological record of the storm are all things that get harder to obtain with every day that passes. None of them require an appraiser.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an emergency service faster than this?
The genuinely urgent part — whether the vehicle is safe and what must be secured — is handled within hours by photograph triage. Physical inspection cannot be compressed below travel time.
What happens if I need to leave before the inspection?
Common with holiday deadlines. The vehicle can be inspected in your absence provided access and keys are arranged, usually through the site operator or the garage holding it.
Do response times change in high season?
Yes. July and August, and any week following a major hail event, run at the longer end of the ranges above.
More on how we work
- How an On-Site Damage Appraisal Works: From First Photograph to Report
- Who Pays for the Appraisal in a Comprehensive Claim
- Damage Photo Checklist for Motorhomes and Caravans
Damage now? Send photographs before the vehicle is moved.
This page describes the standard pattern of the German motor insurance market and is general information, not advice on your individual contract. Cover always follows your own policy conditions. MOTOEXPERT is a network of certified automotive appraisers (Kfz-Sachverständige). We produce independent technical reports. We do not provide legal representation. Named places and makes are descriptive references only; no commercial connection with their proprietors is stated or implied. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
