Car insurance, UK and Cyprus, who is insured? The car or the person?

MancChris

Hi

In a couple of weeks I'm doing a house swap with a family friend in Cyprus for the first time (I live in the UK). We have also agreed to drive each others cars during that time. I assumed that insurance wise we were covered because I thought that my insurance covered someone else to drive my car, and his would be the same.

However, I phoned my insurance to check, and they said that if I let someone drive my car the coverage is THEIR insurance, not mine. As such, it's my insurance that covers me to drive another person's car, and unfortunately I'm not covered to do so outside of the UK. As such, it looks like we would have to get additional coverage to drive each others cars (so temporarily add each other to our insurance policies).

I contacted the friend in Cyprus who said it was the car that was insured, not the driver, so I would be covered to drive his car in Cyprus.

Just checking (and I've tried to Google for the answer, but with no luck), what's correct here. Are rules on insurance different in the UK compared to Cyprus. Is it that it's the car that's insured in Cyprus and not the driver and that is different here?

paddyandstumpy

Here, the vehicle is insured with named drivers.

You're also (usually) insured to drive other cars on a third party basis.

mattk_180

They definitely need to be added to your policy to drive your car.


In terms of what happens in Cyprus, they may insure a different way to us but I'm unsure. If you can't find the answer I'd ask them to double check with the insurer and/or check the policy yourself before you get in the drivers seat.