The Insurance Ombudsman: An Extra Level of Protection
From 15 January 2026, a new safeguard is available to consumers: the Insurance Ombudsman (AAS). It is an independent and impartial body, supported in its operations by IVASS, the Italian Insurance Supervising Authority.
Like the Banking and Financial Ombudsman (ABF) and the Securities and Financial Ombudsman (ACF), the Insurance Ombudsman (AAS) is part of the out‑of‑court dispute resolution system. These mechanisms offer a simpler, quicker and more cost‑effective way to exercise one's rights compared with ordinary judicial proceedings.
Submitting a complaint to the Insurance Ombudsman costs €20, which is refunded if the complaint is upheld, even partially. Legal representation is not required.
What the Insurance Ombudsman can do
The Insurance Ombudsman allows consumers to resolve disputes with insurance undertakings-that is, companies with which we have taken out a policy-or with insurance intermediaries, meaning those who sold or advised us on the policy, such as agents, brokers or other distributors.
We may file a complaint against insurance undertakings or intermediaries that:
- are headquartered in Italy;
- are based in another European country but operate in Italy through a branch;
- are based in another European country and operate in Italy under the freedom to provide services (without a permanent establishment) and do not adhere to another foreign out-of-court dispute resolution scheme.
Issues may arise after signing an insurance contract - for example, a rejected claim, delays in payment or the application of unexpected charges.
In these cases, the first step is always to submit a written claim to the insurance undertaking or intermediary. If no reply is received within 45 days, or if the response is unsatisfactory, we may turn to the Ombudsman, avoiding the longer timescales and higher costs of going to court.
How the Insurance Ombudsman works
To submit a complaint, we must use the dedicated online website. The procedure is straightforward: the system guides us step by step, helping us describe the issue and upload the required documents. We can check the status of our complaint at any time.
Before filing a complaint, we must ensure that:
1. no more than 12 months have passed since the written claim was submitted;
2. the facts occurred no more than 3 years before the written claim was submitted.
Once the complaint has been filed, a Panel of five independent experts examines the case and issues a decision. Complaints are generally resolved within 180 days; for more complex cases, this may be extended by up to 90 additional days.
The decision is not a court ruling and is therefore not binding. However, if the insurance undertaking or intermediary does not comply, this information is published on the Ombudsman's website in a dedicated section for five years. They must also publish the same notice on their own website for six months.
When the Ombudsman cannot be used
The Insurance Ombudsman can assist with many types of dispute, but there are situations in which it cannot be used. For example, we cannot file a complaint if:
- the facts relate to a contract that has not yet been signed;
- the dispute concerns cases handled by the Road Victims Compensation Fund (e.g. accidents caused by uninsured or unidentified vehicles) or by the Hunting Victims Compensation Fund (e.g. injuries caused by gunshots or other hunting‑related activities);
- the matter concerns Consap, which manages public‑interest insurance services (e.g. disputes relating to the conduct of insurance experts who fail to comply with principles of diligence, fairness and transparency);
- legal action has already been initiated before a court or another ADR procedure (mediation or assisted negotiation) is pending;
- the Ombudsman has already issued a decision on the matter;
- the compensation requested exceeds the following thresholds:
- €300,000 for life insurance policies paying benefits only in the event of death;
- €150,000 for other life insurance policies;
- €25,000 for non‑life insurance (such as home, health or travel insurance);
- €2,500 when the complainant is not a party to the contract (policyholder, insured or beneficiary) but acts as an injured third party claiming compensation directly from their insurer, for example in motor liability cases.
Need further information?
For assistance, you can contact the IVASS Consumer Contact Centre:
- from Italy: toll‑free number 800 486661, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.;
- from abroad: +39 06 9435 8604.
Alternatively, you can request assistance online by logging in to the website.
For more information on how the Ombudsman works, you can consult the Simple Guide to the AAS.
An additional safeguard
The Insurance Ombudsman completes the set of out‑of‑court protections available to businesses and consumers of financial services. Today, there is a dedicated body for each area: the Insurance Ombudsman for issues relating to insurance, the Banking and Financial Ombudsman for accounts, loans and payments, and the Securities and Financial Ombudsman for matters involving investments.
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