Green Card Cover
The Green Card is an official document traditionally printed on green paper which is presented at the border to prove you have insurance in place on the motor vehicle you are taking abroad. It is an international certificate of insurance which proves that your UK motor insurance policy provides you with the minimum compulsory insurance cover required by the law of the country you’re visiting.
Would there be a charge?
The Department for Transport [DfT] announced last September that there would be no charge for the issuing of a Green Card. The Association of British Insurers, however, noted that insurance firms however could apply a “small administrative charge” if they felt warranted to do so.
What is the GCFCA?
The GCFCA is the Green Card Free Circulation Area/Zone and comprises of 48 countries spanning Europe, Asia and North Africa. The UK is a member of the GCFCA meaning UK-based drivers do not need to carry a Green Card when driving in any other country that is a member of the GCFCA.
Some countries may still require a Green Card for caravans or trailers if they have ratified the UN 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic; one of the terms of this Convention is the mandatory registration of trailers/caravans. Therefore, if the country you are travelling to has ratified the Convention, you will need to check if your category of usage falls within the scope of the requirement for registration.
Article 35 of the UN 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic
1. (a) In order to be entitled to the benefits of this Convention, every motor vehicle in international traffic, and every trailer, other than a light trailer, coupled to a motor vehicle shall be registered by a Contracting Party or a sub-division thereof, and the driver of the motor vehicle shall carry a valid certificate of such registration.
Definitions:
- “Trailer” means any vehicle designed to be drawn by a power-driven vehicle and includes semi-trailers;
- “Light trailer” means any trailer of a permissible maximum weight not exceeding 750 kg (1,650 lb);
Does it actually affect me?
Green Cards will only affect drivers who wish to take their UK registered vehicle into a country outside of the GCFCA for the purposes of driving it. As a result, these typically fall into the following categories:
- Holidaymakers intending on using their vehicle abroad.
- Commercial operators crossing borders in line with their occupation.
Where is a Green Card used?
The Green Card system currently comprises 48 countries, including all 28 in the European Union. It also covers the additional countries that make up the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, Russia and several countries in the Middle East and others bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
GCFCA Members
- Albania
- Andorra
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Iran
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
Ratified Vienna Convention
- Albania
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Columbia
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Gabon
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Malta
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Netherlands
- Palestine
- Portugal
- Sengal
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- Uruguay
