Green card required for Morocco ?

[Cbrpad]

Me again. My insurance company (Hiberian) won't give me a green card for Morocco, only main EU countries. Strange that, since I believe Hibernian UK have no such difficulties. The only other insurance company here, Carole Nash, want me to pay a premium of 2,500 euros. They must be joking since Hibernian is only 700.

So the question is, can I get into Morocco without a green card ?

Thanks,
Paddy.

[sunjan]

Originally posted by Cbrpad:
My insurance company (Hiberian) won't give me a green card for Morocco, only main EU countries. Strange that, since I believe Hibernian UK have no such difficulties. The only other insurance company here, Carole Nash, want me to pay a premium of 2,500 euros. They must be joking since Hibernian is only 700.
So the question is, can I get into Morocco without a green card ?

Rdiculous behavior by Hibernian, change insurance company is my advise! AFAIK, you're being issued a green card, period. It's not up to them to decide which countries it's valid in, there's a default list printed on all green cards, where Morocco is always included.
At least, that's how vehicle insurance works in Sweden, and other nationalities I've met.

If you don't have a green card, you can buy third party insurance on entry to Morocco (Ceuta, Tanger), at a fixed sum (maybe 5-15 USD/day). But no guarantees you'll ever get anything, if you have an accident.

Surely there must be more than those two companies to choose between?!

[Roman]

It's not that simple. An insurance company may refuse cover for any particular country and. AFAIK most UK companies will not cover you even for a trip to the continent if you divulge your desitnation is Morocco. Even if they did you'd pay a fortune. Better get the green card at the border in Morocco. At the end of the day it'll be less hassle and money to spend.

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Roman (UK)
www.polandrover.com

[roamingyak]

Hi,

I spent 4 days last week phoning every Insurance company in the UK who advertise in Land Rover magazines and the like.

None of the 11 or so that I spoke to said the green card side of the insurance was valid in Morocco.

No documets have actually turned up yet, so I can't check what countries are listed on it. But when I asked, they all said EU only etc.

But I know at least 2 people who used their UK insurance at the border into Morocco etc

Err, so what all that means I'm not sure :-)

[Cbrpad]

Many thanks for the answers all. Yup, believe it or not we do only have a choice of two insurance companies here, so they can charge what they want really. I know of guys paying 7 or 8,000 euros TPO to ride restricted CBR600's worth only half that.

So am I picking up from some of your replies that I can still enter the country without the green card, i.e. once I buy insurance at the border ? That would be fine by me, all I want is in !

If I crashed or broke down I'd just get a truck or something to carry it back to the ferry, and then use the AA or RAC breakdown to get it back home.

[Darkenbad]

Hi. did this trip last year, had the same problems with the insurance. Just pitch up at the Maroc border and buy the local version of a green card. Then just hope you and the bike stay safe. Its not to bad once your out of town.

Have a good trip, stay safe.

Pete K

[Cbrpad]

Woohoo ! Happy days ! Cheers mate.

[electric_monk]

Hey CBRPad

Excuse me if this sounds patronising, but have you a full licence or a provisional. A provisional licence is only valid within the 26 counties. I only mention it because 75% of all bikers in Ireland are on a provisional licence. No insult intended.


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[Cbrpad]

Howdy Electric Monk. Nope, not patronising at all. Yes I do have a full license and have had it for about ten years now. I rang up Hibernian main office and questioned them as to why they won't give a green card but couldn't get an answer. They just don't do it and that's it, no discussion.
But it's sure not like they'd be making huge losses on the thousands of Irish bikers who would be heading off for the sun on every rainy weekend !

[IanC]

Hello again

I had to change my insurance when I went, as the only one I could track down was Norwich Union. They did give me a green card. In fact I've just renewed and kept with them although they werent cheapest, because of this. Even they won't cover Algeria (where I hope to go whenever it seems a bit safer) though.

I deal with Insure.co.uk, phone 0870 6080015

[Andrew Baker]

Hi,

We went to Morocco this april/may and unlike continental european countries, it was not possible to get insurance cover for anywhere in north africa. We bought one months insurance at one of the various offices on the right hand side of the road, a few metres after the customs checks at Tangier. It cost about £80 for the month.

Beware of people trying to offer their 'services' or sell you spurious documents which you do not need whilst you wait in the car.

Andrew.

[ag]

Hi all,
If you pass the borger in Tangeri, (maybe also in Ceuta but I can't promise it) you are able tu buy a GREEN CARD just after the ferry exit...

AND, FOR THE DAYS NUMBER THAT YOU NEED!!!
We bought it in august, only for 5 days, just to cross it...

Enjoy!

[mikethebike]

I've just come back from 2 weeks in Morocco, crossing the border at Ceuta. I had a green card from my UK insurer (Frizzells), my mate did not. He was forced to buy at at the border and paid £60 for 30 days. We were only going to be in the country for 12 days, but the available options were 5, 10 and 30 days. I would also add that my green card was fully comp, whereas the Moroccan one was 3rd party only. My mate said that in retrospect, he wished he had changed companies in the UK before the trip, to one that would have issued a green card.
Good luck!
Mike

[desert soul]

have been crossing the melilla/nador border two times in 2002/2003. one time they asked for the green card, the other time not. so if you like to gamble: take your chances...

[beddhist]

Originally posted by mikethebike:
I would also add that my green card was fully comp, whereas the Moroccan one was 3rd party only

I think I should point out here that there is no such thing as a full-cover green card. The green card is an internationally standardised document that certifies that you have third-party cover for the countries indicated on it, i.e. those not crossed out.

Whether or not your insurer provides you with more extensive cover or not in those countries has to the best of my knowledge nothing to do with the green card.

As we have discovered, which countries are covered depends on the insurance companies. We have two bikes, both registered in Germany, but with two different companies. My wife's bike is covered in Turkey, mine isn't. 3 months extension for Turkey cost me more than what I pay normally for a whole year.

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Jenny & Peter.