Which countries can I drive in with a European car insurance policy?

If you have a UK vehicle insurance policy, you can drive in any country which is part of the EU. You’ll be covered with a minimum of third-party insurance, but many policies may include more than this or have their own terms and conditions, so do be sure to check your documents.

EU countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. 

In non-EU countries, you’ll usually need what’s called a green card. You can easily apply for this from your car insurance company. All it does is confirm that you’re insured for the minimum cover in whichever country you’re driving in – so you’ll need to get one of these issued for each non-EU country you drive in. However, in some countries you may be obliged to take out additional car insurance cover.

However, from January 2021, the rules around driving and insurance within the EU may well change. It’s best to check the government website for the latest information on what these changes might be.

Before you drive abroad always make sure you know the rules of the road, to avoid both breaking the law as well as invalidating your insurance should you need to make a claim.