Do I need a Green Card to drive in Europe?

If you are driving in the European Union, you do not need a Green Card. Under European law it is no longer compulsory to have one when driving in Europe, and the UK government has confirmed that Green Cards are no longer required to drive in countries in the European Union¹. The same applies across the wider group of countries known as the Green Card Free Circulation Area, which the UK has joined³.

That does not mean your UK policy covers everything while you are away. All UK motor policies provide the minimum cover required by law in other EU countries, or the minimum required by UK law if that is greater, and this does not automatically include theft of or damage to your car⁴. In practice that usually means third party cover only, so repairs to your own vehicle after an accident abroad are generally not paid for unless you have arranged extra cover.

A Green Card is still a real document in the right circumstances. Outside the EU, it provides proof that your domestic motor insurance policy covers the minimum legal requirements in the country being visited⁴. If your trip takes you beyond the free circulation area, the question to ask your insurer is not whether you need a Green Card in Europe, but whether you need one for the specific country on your route.

UK drivers no longer need a Green Card in the EU

The change followed the UK's entry into the Green Card Free Circulation Area, which means you will not need a Green Card if you are going on holiday to anywhere in Europe³. Insurers have updated their policy wordings to match. One motor policy states plainly that you do not need a Green Card to drive abroad within the listed European countries⁸.

The countries where UK drivers do not have to carry Green Cards include the EU, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland⁹. One insurer's list of countries where a Green Card is not required runs to Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland¹⁰.

Two countries sit outside that arrangement and are worth checking before you travel. Unless you are travelling to Moldova or North Macedonia, you will no longer need a Green Card when travelling to countries in the EU and the EEA¹¹. If either is on your route, ask your insurer what documentation it wants you to carry.

Countries where a Green Card is not required

The free circulation area is the clearest way to think about it. It is made up of all 30 European Economic Area countries, as well as Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland and Gibraltar⁵. Within that group, a UK driver does not need a Green Card.

The list is not the same as the list of countries where your travel health cover works, which is a separate question. A UK Global Health Insurance Card is accepted in all 27 EU countries, as well as Switzerland, Montenegro, the Channel Islands and Australia, and the card itself is free of charge¹³. It entitles you to free or reduced-cost healthcare, but this is not the same as travel insurance and does not cover private healthcare costs or emergency travel back home¹⁴.

Do I need a Green Card for a caravan or trailer in Europe?

No. You no longer need a Green Card if you are planning on driving a vehicle and towed caravans or trailers in the EU and EEA¹². The same free circulation rules apply to the vehicle and to what it is towing.

Outside that area the position changes. Insurers say you may need a Green Card to drive your vehicle and tow a caravan or trailer in Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iran, Israel, Moldova, Morocco, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey or Ukraine¹⁵. If your route includes any of those countries, the caravan or trailer is part of what the Green Card needs to cover, so tell your insurer what you are towing when you ask.

What your UK car insurance covers when you drive abroad

Every UK motor policy provides the minimum cover required by law in other EU countries, or the minimum required by UK law if that is greater⁴. That is a floor set by law, not a level of cover you chose. It does not automatically include theft of or damage to your car⁴.

Some insurers describe the same position in their own words. One states that your policy will provide the minimum cover needed to drive your insured vehicle in most European countries, which is third party only cover⁵. Another says you are automatically insured to drive in Europe with third party cover, which you can choose to upgrade to comprehensive¹¹.

How long that cover lasts varies by policy. It is fairly common for classic car policies to allow up to 90 days on the continent, although there are often options to buy cover for longer stays¹⁷. One motor policy sets out that the certificate of insurance includes international cover for a maximum of 90 days in a single period of cover on a third party basis only, and that full policy cover abroad can be extended in return for any extra premium required and a fee charged by the insurer, with a Green Card issued for the named countries⁸. That policy also notes that breakdown assistance, if bought, operates only in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man, and that if there is an accident abroad a courtesy car will not be available because the recommended repairer network is only in mainland UK⁸.

Minimum cover: third party is the legal floor

Third party insurance is the legal minimum, and it covers injuring someone or damaging another car but not repairs to your own car⁶. The same rule applies on UK roads: if you drive on UK roads, you must have at least third-party motor insurance by law¹⁸. By law, you need third party insurance as a minimum if you drive a car or other vehicle¹⁹.

The lowest level of cover you need to drive on public roads in the UK is third party only¹⁴. This cover is the legal requirement⁴. It is worth being clear about what that means in practice: third party cover pays for the harm you cause to other people and their property, and nothing for your own vehicle.

Driving uninsured abroad or at home: the penalties

It is illegal to drive without insurance, and it is against the law to drive if you do not have valid insurance²⁰. Driving without insurance can lead to fines, penalty points or even having your driving licence revoked or your car seized⁷.

The penalties for the most serious driving offences are set out separately. For each offence of failure to stop or failure to report, the penalties include a maximum fine of £5,000 and five to 10 penalty points on your driving licence²². Driving under a fraudulent policy carries its own consequences: the insurance is invalid, and the driver can face a fine and six points on their driving licence, be unable to make insurance claims, have their vehicle seized and pay a fine to release it, pay costs if at fault in an accident, and have to buy another genuine policy²³.

There is also a paperwork penalty that catches people out at home. If you fail to renew the photo card part of your licence, you are still entitled to drive but you may be committing an offence, with a fine of up to £1,000²⁴.

Complaints and where to get help

If something goes wrong abroad, the first steps matter. Contact the police, do not admit any liability or sign any documents other than the European Accident Statement, and contact your insurer as soon as you can²². A failure to report can give your insurance company the right to refuse to cover you in the future²².

You do not always have to claim. If you wish to preserve your no claims discount and you decide to pay for the repairs yourself, or attempt to recover the cost from the other driver, you do not have to submit the claim to your insurer²². That is a decision about your own money, and it carries the risk that a later claim runs into trouble.

If your insurer refuses a claim, you can complain to the firm and then take the matter further. The Financial Ombudsman Service looks at complaints about insurers when a firm has not resolved them, and there is more on how that works in complaining about an insurer. If the problem is that your insurer has run into financial difficulty, there is separate protection through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, explained in what happens if your insurer goes bust.

For free, impartial help with money problems, including the cost of cover, MoneyHelper and debt advice charities offer guidance at no charge. If you are struggling with debt, Debt: a complete guide to help, solutions and your rights sets out the options.