Green Card

[tel]

Hi

Confused here..... Looking on the web for insurance details I find a loy of people sujesting a "Green Card" will be required in France and Spain.

I contacted my insurers who assured me:

1. I dont require one as we are all in the EU

2. They no longer do them..

Any advice would be welcome

Thanks

Terry

 

[rob_jax]

Terry,

The Green Card provided civil responsibility protection for the car driver / owner, and I can't remember when Green Cards finished, but you do need to remember:

1. Driving licences (new photo version is best - less trouble)

2. Original registration document for car

3. Original insurance certificate - should be valid in all EU countries

4. Caravan proof of ownership

5. Copy of your caravan insurance documents

6. Any additional insurance documents covering health, brakedown, etc.

We have been asked in France for 1,2 and 3 before - and they must be the originals.

We bought a PacSafe travel safe (like a cloth bag with a stainless steel mesh liner and good quality lock) to keep all our documents and passports. You can lock the PacSafe to a fixed mount in the car or van.

Robert

 

[SteveW77]

I'm insured with Direct line Insurance and I had to have a green card to tour France this year. Cost

 

[rayc]

Terry, it's a little confusing and I'm no expert but as I understand it: Car policies issued in the UK now cover the minimum lawful requirements of the EEC. You do not therefore require a green card which was the old way of proving you had it. It should now say so on your insurance certificate.

This does not extend to any other rights you have under your policy e.g. comprehensive cover, and there may be an additional charge for this.

Get it in writing from your company what level of cover you have whilst in the EEC.

 

[littleangel]

We have been trying to get our heads around this to. As we understand it, you are covered 3rd party across the water, contact ins Co. for green card and you are cover for european driving. Now you notify ins Co. when and how long the vehicle is out of the country if they don't know your out the country your not fully covered.

We were told this applied to our van aswell, we have 90 days european cover but must notify the Co. when and how long, if not NOT COVERED.

 

[Brian_5062637]

All policies issued in the E.U. have to cover the MINIMUM requirements in each indidual country. Unfortunately, the minimum requirements vary wildly between countries down to what we call "third party only" and even this can have very low values, particularly in France (beware those day trippers who do not have cover) So, you will have cover abroad but, to cover foreign touring with the SAME LEVEL as your U.K. policy, you need to check your policy documents. I have a policy with permanent foreign cover at comprehensive level and do not need to notify my Insurer each time I travel. My wife has to extend her cover if she goes abroad with her car and pays an additional premium for it. It appears most "western" E.C. policies except Britain cover all the E.C. but then they all drive on the right!!! My caravan has 90 days foreign use but I do NOT have to notify the Insurer of any trip. Presumably, in the event of a claim I would have to prove when I left and/or returned to the U.K.

 

[Lutz]

Yes, Brian is correct. Insurance policies issued over here on the Continent automatically cover the whole EU including the new additions, and for that matter Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Switzerland, Ukraine and all the ex-Yugoslav republics, as well. However, the insurance companies and auto clubs still recommend that you take a Green Card along with you, even for the 'western' EU countries, as one can apparently avoid a certain amount of hassle if you can produce a Green Card in the event of an accident. Because coverage is automatic, the Green Card is issued for free over here and all you need to do is to phone the insurance company and they will send one to you. The same applies to the caravan as we have to take out separate third party insurance for the caravan and consequently also have registration documents for it, too.

 

[James3]

We also are with Direct Line and pay around