AutoShippers customers frequently ask us what insurance\nthey’ll need when taking their car overseas. So in this article, we’ll look at\nthe various requirements that apply in different countries and different\nsituations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A caveat before we start: we’re in the business of shipping\ncars, not insuring them. So while this article will provide you with an\noverview of the situation, we would still strongly recommend that you speak to\nyour existing insurer before you take out any additional policies. It may be\nthat your current policy has you covered already, or you might be offered a\nspecial deal if you expand your current cover. So talk to them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look at how\nthe insurance situation varies depending on what country you’re visiting\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s the nice easy bit\u2026 if you’re visiting an EU country\nand will only be there for a short while, then your standard UK car insurance\nshould already have you covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing’s ever quite as simple as that, though, is it? So\nbear in mind that this basic cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accordingly, if you’re visiting Europe for longer than 30 days \u2013 or if you want more extensive cover, for instance, to cover damage to your own vehicle in the event of an accident \u2013 you’ll need to speak to your insurers and arrange specific European cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As ever, you get what you pay for here, so read the small\nprint because the cheapest deal may not always offer the best value for money.\nOn the plus side, many companies can offer such extended cover on a short-term\nbasis. So, if you’re taking your precious vintage Aston Martin to a car show in\nEurope, for instance, you may well find you’re able to insure it for 14 or 28\ndays \u2013 no need to fork out for a full year’s cover!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the way\u2026 if you do decide to take out extended cover,\nwe’d suggest you look at adding European breakdown cover to the package. Many\nif not most insurers offer this as an optional extra, and if you do find\nyourself stranded on the hard shoulder of the Autobahn at 3am, it’s surely\nworth the extra few quid to know that help is just a phone call away!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if you’re happy with just the basic, standard third-party\ndeal, it’s a good idea to let your insurer know you’ll be overseas in advance,\nparticularly if you’re going to be there for longer than a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, right now the UK’s in a kind of limbo \u2013 no longer\nofficially in the European Union, but not yet entirely divorced from it either.\nThat will change as of 1 January 2021. As with all things Brexit-related, it’s\nhard to say exactly how things will pan out, but at time of writing the two\nmajor changes that will apply after that date are that UK drivers in EU\ncountries will (in line with visitors from other non-EU nations) need to have\nan International Driver’s Permit and an insurance ‘green card’ \u2013 a document\nissued by your insurers to confirm that you’re legally covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To sum up the European situation, then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike mainland Europe, UK citizens do not take their cars\nto the USA as regularly, and so the situation regarding insurance there is\nquite different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most short-term US visitors will, if they’re driving at all,\nbe using a rental car. In that case, all your basic insurance requirements will\ngenerally be included in the deal, though as ever in such situations it’s worth\nreading the small print to find out exactly what that coverage entails \u2013 you\nmay wish to play a little more for extended coverage and the peace of mind it\nbrings. Note that the same also applies if you’re using an online ‘car sharing’\nservice such as Zipcar or Turo, rather than a traditional rentals outfit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, you may be staying with friends or work\ncolleagues, and driving their vehicle. \nIn that case, you should be covered on their insurance \u2013 US car insurance\nis tied to the car, not the driver \u2013 but they should check with their insurers\nbefore you get behind the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, if you’re only in the US for a short time, there’s probably no need to take out specific insurance. If you’re staying longer, though, you’ll need to take out US insurance \u2013 and that will generally mean registering your car in the US, and\/or obtaining a US driving licence. As stated above, visiting drivers are not a common sight on US roads (as they are in Europe), and as a result, some insurance companies are sometimes reluctant to insure foreign-registered vehicles or drivers who hold overseas licences. For more on this, see our previous blog posts ‘How to apply for a US driving licence<\/a>‘ and ‘USA driving guide<\/a>‘.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just to complicate matters, the USA isn’t so much one nation\nas a collection of 50 smaller ones, each with their own state regulations. So\nit’s worth doing a bit of research before you travel, in regards to what the\nexact requirements are in each state you’re visiting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do decide that you need insurance, the usual buying\nadvice applies. Seek quotes from multiple providers, check their ratings on\nconsumer reviews websites, and most importantly \u2013 always read the small print! <\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing you particularly need to be aware of is that some\ninsurers will take your UK driving history into consideration when setting your\npremiums \u2013 and some won’t. So if you’ve held a clean licence for 30 years and\ndon’t want to pay the same sky-high premiums as a newly qualified 18-year-old,\nmake sure you find one that does!<\/p>\n\n\n\n We’ve focused on the US and mainland Europe for most of this\narticle, because that’s where most of our customers are going. But obviously,\npeople do take their cars to other countries, so what’s the deal there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s a hard question to answer, simply because there are so many countries in the world, each with their own different rules, regulations and requirements. As a rule of thumb, though, your UK insurance will cover you to drive for a short while in many non-EU countries, but in this instance you ARE going to require a ‘green card’. This is the situation if you’re going to Israel, Russia, Iran, Turkey or most countries in Eastern Europe, for instance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As with the USA, if you’re going to be staying longer, then\nyou’ll probably need to take out ‘local’ insurance, which may mean\nre-registering your vehicle and\/or obtaining a ‘local’ licence. But, once more\nwith feeling\u2026 talk to your insurers! They’ll be able to offer detailed advice\nthat’s specific to your destination, your vehicle and your driving history. <\/p>\n\n\n\nCar Insurance in Other Countries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n