Motor News

23 January 2022 by Geoffrey Insurance

BREXIT : DRIVING IN THE EU – Green Cards

On 30th June 2021, the EU Commission announced their decision to waive the need to travel with a Green Card for vehicles and towed caravans and trailers when driving in the EU and EEA from 2nd August 2021 onwards.

This means you DO NOT need a Green Card for driving your vehicle and towing a caravan or trailer in the following countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

You MAY NEED a Green Card for driving your vehicle and towing a caravan or trailer in the following countries: Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iran, Israel, Moldova, Morocco, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.

(Please note, insurance cover in these countries is subject to agreement from your insurer and an additional premium may apply in accordance with the terms of your policy).

  • If you are travelling to the countries shown above where a Green Card may be required for your vehicle and caravan/trailer - please contact us 21 days before you are travelling and we will arrange for one to be sent to you if your insurer agrees to the cover and you have paid any additional premium if required. 

You will need to take a copy of your Certificate of Insurance, your driving licence and V5C log book with you and display a UK sticker on your vehicle. You may also need an International Driving Permit to drive in some EU/EEA countries.

If you intend to tow a trailer with your vehicle, depending on the type of trailer you have, you may also need to register your trailer before you travel here.

Please note, if you took out a new policy or renewed a policy with us after May 2021, ‘Section 9 Driving Abroad’ in your terms and conditions will still contain information concerning the previous EU ruling which advised that Green Cards were required in all circumstances. We will not be reissuing policy documents in the short term, however if you choose to renew your policy with us at your next renewal, this section will be updated. 

For more information on driving abroad and any required documentation, please review the following websites before you travel:

  • Driving Abroad

https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/driving-abroad

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/trailer-registration

  •  International Driving Permits

https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/international-driving-permit

  • The Motor Insurance Bureau

https://www.mib.org.uk/driving-abroad-eu-exit/green-card-information-for-the-public

Arranging Breakdown Cover

While it may be tempting to save a small amount of money and go without breakdown cover, this could be a false economy given the cost of repatriation can be quite high. After all, would you feel comfortable arranging your own recovery and repairs in a foreign country?

At Geoffrey, we provide a range of optional extras, which includes European Breakdown cover. If you haven’t already taken advantage of this, you can read more about the costs and details on our dedicated Optional Extras page.

 

Create your checklist

We recommend creating yourself a checklist before you go on your trip. Another important factor is the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) no longer being accepted by 28 countries within the EU in a no deal Brexit situation, rendering it useless outside of Ireland, Spain and Portugal. More than ever, you should ensure you have appropriate travel insurance for your travels.

CHECK GUIDANCE: Current information country-by-country is available on the NHS website.

 

Here is our suggested checklist of documents for your trip:

  • Passport
  • Driving licence
  • Insurance documents
  • Car registration document (V5)
  • Authorisation letter if it’s a company car
  • Breakdown policy documents
  • Travel insurance documents
  • European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
  • Ctir’Air sticker (applicable for some French cities)

 

The following kit is also recommended to take with you:

  • Reflective jackets for all passengers
  • Warning triangle
  • Headlamp beam deflectors
  • GB car sticker (if you don’t have a GB Euro number plate)
  • First aid kit
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Replacement bulbs
  • Torch

 

Of course, your car should be in good mechanical fettle before you go, with oil and fluids all at the correct levels. Ensure also that your tax and MOT will not expire whilst on your trip!

Was our advice helpful? Then you should be following us on Twitter and Facebook!