How to make sure your car is insured for foreign travel

Most people wouldn’t dream of going on holiday without taking out some form of travel insurance, and yet many don’t bother to check that whether their fully comprehensive UK car insurance policy extends to driving outside of the UK. This leads to one of their most valuable possessions being directly at risk.

It has been estimated that up to a million drivers travel abroad in their cars without checking their insurance cover. This can prove an expensive aspect of the holiday to overlook: accidents abroad can cost an average of £1,445 in France and up to £5,180 in Sweden and Denmark, according to Norwich Union.

Any car accident is stressful and upsetting but to then find out that your policy doesn’t cover your costs or provide you with breakdown cover can make a bad situation even worse.

In addition, it is a legal requirement to insure your car, and many drivers don’t realise they aren’t covered, especially when it comes to taking short breaks e.g. when visiting France for a day trip.

Many drivers will find their usual UK fully comprehensive insurance taken down to third party upon leaving the UK, unknowingly. Often even the biggest insurers will only cover the legal minimum requirement of cover within Europe, which is why it is a good idea to invest in the extra premiums on your existing car insurance separately for the duration of any trip you are planning: it can prove to be as invaluable as travel insurance.

Some of the comprehensive contracts for car insurance in the UK will cover you automatically (normally between 60 and 90 days) for travel within Europe, though this usually applies for a limited time, and you should always check the small print of your contract before leaving the UK.


It is advisable to ensure that you apply to extend your cover by at least two weeks ahead of your trip, giving details to your existing insurer of dates and places you are going to visit.

You will then normally have to pay a premium to extend the minimum legal cover that your normal comp switches to in order to ensure you are eligible for breakdown help and for a courtesy car - though often choosing to opt for breakdown help and a courtesy car options can mean separate premiums. A policy with Asda Car Insurance for instance will automatically cover you to drive in any EU country to third party level but you can easily upgrade.


If you are traveling outside of Europe you will usually have to apply for a motoring green card (otherwise known as the International Car Insurance Card) in order to be covered you will need to pay an additional premium.

The idea behind this green card scheme is to identify the issuing insurer and the insurance scheme run from within the UK by the Motor Insurance Bureau who delegate the issue of cards to insurers and their agents.

It is important to remember also that even if you are intending to rent a car abroad, you should check that insurance is included in the rental agreement, as this is often not necessarily the case.

The AA is a good bet for both travel insurance (AA Travel Insurance) and motor insurance (AA Car Insurance) if your planning on traveling abroad.