International Driving Insurance

transatlanticrachael

Hi,
I'm off to the Netherlands for 4 months next year and really wanted to take my car with me! It would only take 8 hours to drive so I figure why not. Now, I don't know how to proceed with insurance as most will insure you but only for a month or so! I'm a relatively 'young' driver at 22.... any advice on where I can get said insurance?

Cheers.

missile

SAGA do motor insurance, 12 month unlimited travel throughout EU. You will need to check if they insure younger drivers?

Be warned it is a legal requirement to carry passport, driving license and insurance at all times when driving in netherlands.

Have a great time and try the brown bars.

dzug1

Your current car insurance may cover you* - though you may well have to pay extra for a longer stay and/or comprehensive cover.

* I think legally it has to - but only minimum legal third party cover

vaio

Yep, legally they have to provide the minimum required in any euro country, so a frenchman driving in the UK would have third party only cover.

As missile says saga (and others) now include unlimited eu cover but most of the ones I’ve seen have a max length of trip condition so you can go as often as you like but not for more than say 30 days at a time.

I’d talk to your existing company and if they won’t play ball then it’s a matter of trawling the online T&C or going see a broker and try find a company with no restrictions.

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It might even be worth looking into getting insurance over there, years ago my kid brother was army based in germany, got posted back to the UK on a two year course and just kept his german insurance because it was cheaper and automatically covered him anywhere in Europe. I suppose it makes sense as someone closeish to a boarder could well live in one country and work and or shop in a different one.
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dacouch

vaio wrote: »

It might even be worth looking into getting insurance over there, years ago my kid brother was army based in germany, got posted back to the UK on a two year course and just kept his german insurance because it was cheaper and automatically covered him anywhere in Europe. I suppose it makes sense as someone closeish to a boarder could well live in one country and work and or shop in a different one.

You cannot Insure a vehicle that is registered in a different country eg a UK plated car in germany with a German Insurer.

The only real exceptions to this are the SHAPE and BFG which your brother no doubt came under (Other nato foreign armies / attached civil service in Germany and SHAPE probably have a similar system). UK forces in Germany have their car registered with a UK BFG plate when they get to Germany or they are can opt for a German looking BFG late if they have a LHD. Whilst they have a BFG / SHAPE plate they can insure with a UK or German Insurer. When they are posted back to the UK they should then reregister the car with a UK plate.

So assuming the OP is not in SHAPE they will retain their UK plate and need to insure it with a UK insurer.

vaio

Good point about BFG, I didn’t think about that.

I’m pretty sure he didn’t re-register onto UK plates, maybe the fact that his family stayed in germany meant he could stay on his bfg (german) plates?

Can you think of UK company that gives >30 days per trip coverage?

dacouch

Aviva through a broker gives a maximum of 3 months per trip to europe and also includes RAC breakdown whilst outside of the UK.

They are likely to be expensive for his age though, I think he will find it easier / cheaper to fly there in the long run

verybigchris

Could be worth looking at the small print to see how they define a "trip".

It might work out cheaper to go with an insurer that limits the length of time you can stay abroad, and then buy a cheap return ferry ticket to pop to the UK and back, effectively starting a new trip (e.g. you'd be away for four months, but turn it into two trips of 2 months each).

I'm just guessing here though, and there's every chance the insurers will have clauses to stop that, the big spoilsports

missile

dacouch wrote: »

You cannot Insure a vehicle that is registered in a different country eg a UK plated car in germany with a German Insurer.

So assuming the OP is not in SHAPE they will retain their UK plate and need to insure it with a UK insurer.

Not sure about Netherlands / Germany, but there are several companies in spain who offer insurance for UK registered vehicles. They will gladly take your money and issue a policy, but god knows if they would pay out in event of an accident?

There are many who keep an old UK banger in spain. I often have "discussions:mad:" with a.n.other brits who like to "bend" the rules.

dacouch

missile wrote: »

Not sure about Netherlands / Germany, but there are several companies in spain who offer insurance for UK registered vehicles. They will gladly take your money and issue a policy, but god knows if they would pay out in event of an accident?

There are many who keep an old UK banger in spain. I often have "discussions:mad:" with a.n.other brits who like to "bend" the rules.

I've seen the Spainish schemes they are normally with UK Authorised Insurers (They basically issue a UK policy with an annual greencard)

vaio

dacouch wrote: »

I've seen the Spainish schemes they are normally with UK Authorised Insurers (They basically issue a UK policy with an annual greencard)

Which sounds exactly what the OP is looking for.