Insurance - Additional driver non-Uk resident

Ant555

Is UK car insurance valid for non-resident as an additional driver?

I have a family member ex-pat that now lives in Spain and if I add them as an additional driver to my car insurance quotation then it adds £30 to the premium. Not bad for the 4 weeks of the year she is typically in the UK as I was thinking I could lend her my car rather than her rent one.

My question is that the comparison sites don't ask for the address of the additional driver - just the relationship to proposer.

Is it implied that the person must be a permanent Uk citizen and I would be bending the rules if I took this up? Her address on her full UK driving license is her parents (my inlaws) in the UK as this was her last Uk address.

Not looking to do anything dodgy here - so asking the question.
Thanks

Richard53

I'm pretty sure that each insurer will have their own approach to this. When I asked my insurer about insuring my step-daughter who lives in Ireland and visits us a couple of times a year, firstly they refused outright (non-UK resident) and then later quoted me £stupid per day for extra cover. We didn't pursue it further and she hired a car instead. You need to call them. Better safe than sorry.

EdGasket

So what is the problem with being non-resident so long as there is a home address where the insurance company can get hold of the person through?

AdrianC

Ant555 wrote: »

Is it implied that the person must be a permanent Uk citizen and I would be bending the rules if I took this up?

I presume you mean "resident" rather than citizen? Nobody can say they are a permanent resident - just whether they're currently resident or not. And if the insurer doesn't ask, then they are saying they don't need to know.

EdGasket

Well I notice that for my insurer, Admiral, they do not ask about residency on the insurance application form but somewhere in the small print of terms and conditions about changes it says you must notify them if a driver becomes non-resdient. Is that so they can add £££'s to the policy or what?

AdrianC

EdGasket wrote: »

Well I notice that for my insurer, Admiral, they do not ask about residency on the insurance application form but somewhere in the small print of terms and conditions about changes it says you must notify them if a driver becomes non-resdient. Is that so they can add £££'s to the policy or what?

For the Ryanair of the insurance world, EVERYTHING is.

EdGasket

So what would happen if you didn't notify them that a driver is non-resident because like most people you never read the terms and conditions but never lied on the application either? Would they ever even know if a driver was classed as non-resident?

Ant555

Thanks for all the replies, advice seems that it depends on the insurer and as my search has been on the comparison sites so far and i'll contact a couple just to makesure.

AdrianC wrote: »

And if the insurer doesn't ask, then they are saying they don't need to know.

I like your optimism AdrianC but as i'm just on the comparison sites at the moment they probably have a caveat to check anything and everything with the insurer.

Cheers all.

EdGasket

Well let us know what they say please?

shaun_from_Africa

EdGasket wrote: »

Would they ever even know if a driver was classed as non-resident?

If the driver concerned was involved in an accident, it's possible that the insurance company may ask to see a copy of their driving licence as proof that they actually had one and if this was a foreign licence, it might start an investigation into their driving history and residency status.

Iceweasel

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

If the driver concerned was involved in an accident, it's possible that the insurance company may ask to see a copy of their driving licence as proof that they actually had one and if this was a foreign licence, it might start an investigation into their driving history and residency status.

An EU licence shouldn't start any investigation at all - but an African one might.