Green Card Insurance

Will we need 'Green Cards' after Brexit?

In May, 2018, senior officers at the Department for Transport informed both the ABI (Association of British insurers) and BIBA (British Insurance Brokers Association) that the UK government is going to stay within what is known as the Motor Insurance Free Circulation Zone. This means that it will not be necessary in the future, even after the United Kingdom has left the EU, for motorists to apply and pay for a green card in order to confirm that they are properly insured.

There is an organisation called the 'Council of Bureaux' which oversees the Green Card arrangement internationally, and it has been agreed that procedures in place in the United Kingdom are sufficient to confirm that any claims against motorists from the UK, which originate in another country, will be met in full. This confirmation covers both private motorists, and haulage operators.

Like all such arrangements this one requires the agreement of the EU commission, but this is claimed to be a purely formal matter and that there will be no obstacles placed in it's way.

The UK will therefore join the other three non-– EU countries; Switzerland, Andorra and Serbia – whose motorists can use their own motor insurance cover throughout the EU, without having to apply for additional documentation.

At the time of writing this (September 2018) it has still not been formally decided whether or not UK private motorists can take their vehicles into the EU, and whether or not an international driving licence will be required.