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The Green Card

The Green Card is a document that is recognised in over 40 countries including all the countries in Europe.

It offers no insurance cover. It is proof that the minimum legal requirements for third party liability insurance in any country for which the Green Card is valid are covered by the insured's own motor policy.

Where the Green Card is needed

A Green Card is not required by law to cross borders within the European Union and some other countries. This is because all EU countries and certain other countries comply with the first directive on motor insurance, which says that every insurance policy issued in the EU must provide the minimum insurance cover required by law in any other EU country.

The countries that don't need a Green Card are:

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

The countries that do need a Green card are:

Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Moldova, Morocco, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine.

Where to get a Green Card

Many insurers will issue a Green Card, but have no obligation to do so. If they will not, you may wish to make enquiries with other insurers or ask about getting border insurance at the point of entry into the country.

The Green Card document itself is only proof that the minimum third party liability cover required by law in the visited country is in force. You should check with your insurer to make sure that your UK policy cover is fully in force when you travel abroad whether or not a Green Card is issued.

Within the countries where frontier inspection is no longer required, the Green Card is still the insurance document most readily recognised and understood by national police forces. As you may need to produce evidence of insurance other than at a border, for example after an accident, you may consider it advisable to carry a Green Card to avoid any inconvenience.

The Green Card system is administered in the UK by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).

Motor Insurers' Bureau
Linford Wood House
6-12 Capital Drive
Linford Wood
Milton Keynes
MK14 6XT

Telephone: 01908 830 001
Fax: 01908 671 681

• E-mail: Enquiries@MIB.org.uk Opens new window

• Website: www.mib.org/GreenCard Opens new window