Insurance in Chad

The CIMA framework is the regional insurance framework used by Chad and 13 other member states. The Conseil Régional de Contrôle des Assurances (CRCA) supervises solvency and applies regional regulatory measures, while the Direction Nationale des Assurances (DNA), based within the Ministère des Finances et du Budget in N’Djamena, regulates and monitors the national market. The CIMA Code 2019 and the CIMA Treaty of 1992 form the main legal basis. The market had two non-life insurers and one life insurer in 2024, with no locally recorded reinsurer and no Fonds de Garantie Automobile. Reported net premiums were about FCFA 18.711 billion for non-life insurance and FCFA 3.445 billion for life insurance, for a total of about FCFA 22.156 billion. The documented main providers are STAR Nationale SA, SAAR Tchad and STAR Vie SA. STAR Nationale was the largest documented non-life provider, particularly in motor and fire or property insurance. The sector employed 109 people in non-life insurance and 32 in life insurance. Non-life policies cover areas such as motor liability, other vehicle risks, bodily accidents and illness, fire and property, general liability, transport and other specified risks. Life policies include death cover, mixed protection and savings contracts, capitalisation products, and individual or group policies. Private premiums are risk-based. No current public retail tariff can be stated reliably for Chad, so the price depends on the insured risk, sum insured, use, location, exclusions and the insurer's assessment. Third-party motor liability insurance, commonly called RC automobile, is compulsory under Article 200 of the CIMA Code. Chad also has national compulsory insurance for goods transported into the country under Decree 736/1985 and for construction risks under Decree 737/1985. Historical thresholds and sanctions reported in an earlier WTO assessment should not be treated as current without checking the applicable Gazette and enforcement practice. A compulsory policy does not cover every loss: the policy still defines the insured risk, limits, exclusions, reporting procedure and payment conditions. A policy should identify the risk, duration, insured amount, premium, payment terms, exclusions, claims procedure, payment deadline, cancellation rules and limitation period. The premium is generally payable before cover begins. A limited exception can allow payment within 60 days for high premiums exceeding 80 times the annual SMIG, excluding motor, illness and transported-goods insurance. Motor tariffs must comply with CRCA-approved requirements and can depend on territory, vehicle, use and driver profile. Buy cover from an authorised insurer or a registered intermediary. Paying an intermediary against the contractual documents and obtaining the policy or certificate helps protect evidence of cover under the 2015 CIMA circular. The policyholder must provide accurate risk information and report a material risk change within 15 days. After a loss, follow the policy's reporting method and keep the payment receipt, policy, certificate, procès-verbal, medical documents and other supporting evidence. For a motor claim, the insurer must respond to a justified claim within 30 days. For bodily injury or death, the offer period can extend to 12 months from the accident or 8 months from the death. The injured party may request the procès-verbal and choose personal assistance. Contractual claims generally become time-barred after 2 years, while life and personal-accident claims by heirs have a 10-year period. A standard cancellation is generally possible after one year with at least two months' notice. Exceptions include life insurance, individual illness insurance and construction insurance. A change of residence, occupation, retirement status or family status may in some cases allow cancellation within three months, taking effect one month after receipt of the notice. The policy wording controls the applicable procedure and exceptions. CNPS is Chad's public social insurance institution for the formal private and parapublic sectors. Its published branches are family benefits (PFM), employment injury and occupational disease cover (ATMP), and old-age, disability and survivors' insurance (PVID). The published contribution rates are 7.5% for PFM, 4% for ATMP and 8.5% for PVID, or 20% in total: 16.5% for the employer and 3.5% for the employee. The employer pays the total amount. Payment is monthly for employers with at least 20 employees and quarterly for employers with fewer than 20 employees and domestic workers. Registration starts when employment begins, and the worker's personal record and number remain with the worker when changing employer. Family benefits depend on a child and a formally registered marriage. ATMP covers work-related accidents, including qualifying commuting accidents. Older pension rules refer to age 55, 15 years of membership and either 60 months of contributions in the last 10 years or 180 months overall, while CNPS later published a retirement age of 60; the current applicable rule should therefore be confirmed with CNPS. A previously published contribution ceiling of FCFA 500,000 also requires current confirmation. Microinsurance is a legal CIMA channel and can use a group contract for an identified community. Current provider and uptake data for Chad are not sufficiently established publicly. Health mutuals, including historically documented mutuelles de santé, may provide a functional health-related alternative but are not a general equivalent to regulated insurance. Informal solidarity can help with losses but does not provide the same contractual rights, claims process or legal protection. Insurance penetration remains low: FANAF reported about 0.19% overall and 0.16% for non-life insurance in 2023. The DNA is in N’Djamena, while CNPS operates through 18 regional agencies. Complaints should first go to the insurer, then through the DNA or the CIMA complaint form, and finally to court where necessary.