Atradius Surety FAQs

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about Atradius Surety and our services.

Signing documents at a business meeting

Please read the following information in conjunction with the disclaimer at the end of this page.

What is the procedure I need to follow for a surety bond application process?

  • Apply for a surety bond through our online application process or an email (depending on the bond needed).
  • Fill in the application form including the required bond type and wording, amount, duration and further specifications about the obligations to cover.
  • Your application is assessed by your local surety team.
  • You receive a draft of the surety bond to be issued and if approved by you.
  • The surety bond is issued in favour of the beneficiary.

What information is required to assess a surety bond facility?

The information required to assess a surety bond facility is, among others:

  • Financial statements (at least the last three financial years).
  • Stakeholders’ and management team information.
  • Business strategy (plan) for the next few years.
  • Overall surety bond need (e.g. type of bonds, beneficiary countries, durations).

Depending on the complexity, this process can take up to a couple of weeks.

How is my surety bonds application assessed?

  • Your underlying obligation that originates the surety need (e.g. contract, regulations).
  • Surety bond amount, duration and beneficiary.
  • Your capability of fulfilling your obligations towards the beneficiary.
  • Specific requirements for the surety bond wording if any. After the evaluation has been done, we will send you an offer, which sets out all terms and conditions required in connection with the underlying risk.

Is collateral required?

A collateral is an asset or more general commitment that has been offered as a counter guarantee for a policy or a surety bond.

Collateral might be needed in some countries and cases. Collateral is usually requested in order to strengthen the credit worthiness of a prospect/customer and enable a positive final evaluation of a surety bond request.

Can Atradius issue financial guarantees?

No, we are not allowed to issue financial guarantees. In fact, as financial guarantees are issued to cover purely financial obligations granted by banks or financial institutions, these products fall outside the scope of insurance.

What is the appetite for Atradius surety bonds on the market?

Our surety bonds are widely accepted by governments as well as large publicly traded companies and private enterprises.

Where can I request an Atradius bond?

Atradius Surety is active and can issue surety bonds locally in 12 European countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Surety requests related to other countries are evaluated on a case by case basis.

Our Surety teams assess these requests according to relevant local legislation on insurance licensing as well as other factors, such as the nature of the underlying obligations, terms and conditions, etc.

How quickly can a surety bond be issued?

In case of a new relationship, Atradius Surety needs to perform a full underwriting assessment, which depending on the complexity, may take up to a few weeks to be completed and a surety bonds facility to be established. Once the facility is established, in most cases we can issue a surety bond within 24 hours, depending on the amount, complexity and nature of the case.

What is the duration of a surety bond?

Duration varies depending on the type of a surety bond.

When can a surety bond be terminated?

A surety bond is terminated when it reaches its specific expiration date or when the beneficiary provides a “release letter”. This is a declaration that the underlying obligations
have been fulfilled and no longer need to be guaranteed.

Can a surety bond be cancelled?

No, we cannot cancel a surety bond. However, specific conditions may apply.

How much does a surety bond cost?

We evaluate each case individually as the premium varies according to the type and duration of the bond, the customer’s financial information and the market practice.

What happens if a claim is filed against my surety bond?

First, the customer is informed that a claim has been filed to give him the opportunity to reach out to the beneficiary to resolve the case. If this is unsuccessful, we assess the claim
for its validity and, if approved, we pay the amount due to the beneficiary in accordance with the value determined within the bond. If we consider the request baseless or partially
grounded (such as the unfair calling of a bond), we can take legal action to protect both your business and ourselves.

All content on this page is subject to our Disclaimer, available here.

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Disclaimer

Each publication available on or from our websites, such as, but not limited to webpages, reports, articles, publications, tips and helpful content, trading briefs, infographics, videos (each a “Publication”) is provided for information purposes only and is not intended as a recommen¬dation or advice as to particular transactions, investments or strategies in any way to any reader. Readers must make their own independent decisions, commercial or otherwise, regarding the information provided. While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in any Publication has been obtained from reliable sources, Atradius is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information in any Publication is provided ’as is’, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from its use, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied. In no event will Atradius, its related partnerships or corporations, or the partners, agents or employees thereof, be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in any Publication, or for any loss of opportunity, loss of profit, loss of production, loss of business or indirect losses, special or similar damages of any kind, even if advised of the possibility of such losses or damages.