Bike Insurance for the Balkans - Croatia Albania etc
 

Hi, we are heading to Greece for a month long trip from the UK.
We are insured as far as Slovenia under our UK policy.

Can vehicle/bike insurance be purchased at borders for the rest of the trip. We are typically following the Adriatic coastline, so, Croatia, a bit of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania to Macedonia & to Greece.

The insurance company doesn't issue a 'Green Card', but whenever I phone I always get a different answer as to where I am covered!!!

Opinions appreciated.

Phil

Hi Phil,

HAK
(+385 1) 4640 800

this is a link and a phone number of Croatian Auto Club, ask them, they sholud know.


Nikola

If you are inhabitant of EU you don't need "green card" for Croatia.

Insurance
 

I too am (was?!) planning the same trip from the Highlands of Scotland leaving on 17th May. So far, despite trying for weeks, I have not managed to find comprehensive insurance cover for countries that are not in the EU. I do not fancy at all getting insurance at the borders as I believe it will at best only be 3rd party (I value my bike and my skin!). Does anyone know of anywhere in the UK that could help?

Normally you would only be covered 3rd party as you know but most insurance companys will extend it to comprehensive for a small fee.Mine did (Hastings)This covered non EU countries too.Do try and get a green card from them otherwise you will have to pay on border for not having one.Bosnia was 20 Euros,as mentioned Croatia will be ok not sure about others but plenty of threads on here about Albania etc.
On my return I contacted Hastings and explained to them I had to pay because they didn't issue me a green card.They refunded the cost so i don't know if they and others are now giving out green cards.If they get pestered enough they might.
I don't know why they are reluctant to hand them out in UK.Other EU countries still issue them.
Although we are suppose to be a European Union we dont all 'sing from the same song sheet'.
Which is what i like about Europe,We are all different !

Ok, thanks for all your replies.

After (yet) another call to my insurance company, they now tell me that I am covered in Coatia but not Austria!!!

They say that they don't issue Green Cards as they are no longer required for the EU???

I guess I'll just set off & see what happens!

Phil

Are you sure they said you were NOT covered in Austria?

The reason some don't bother issuing a green card is that local authorities know that a UK cert provides minimum cover - and thats all they care about. I think most of them list all the countries on the back of the cert ??

They must be wrong about Austria - thats on the 'very easy' list !!!! Complete rubbish.

When I did my last long trip ( which was before a lot of the Eastern Europeans joined the EU ) the only country they wouldn't cover was Serbia. So I decided to go round it and through Romania and Bulgaria instead - and I'm very glad I did. That was with Carole Nash, who I think used Royal Sun Alliance for it ? But I guess the best choice will also depend on your age and the type of bike. I think RSA worked because I was 40 and on a Pan at the time. I know that because as soon as I got back and switched back to my normal sportier stuff they didn't want to know :)

Your policy document should state where you are covered - times like this you have to read the boring small print!! I'm insured with Carole Nash and they insure all EU member states as well as Croatia.

Did they mean you're not covered for Austria or Australia?! A couple of years ago I wanted to extend my cover to Bosnia - they kept mixing it up with Bolivia!!
I got there in the end .... £27 per week extened my fully comp. to include Bosnia.

I was told I didn't need a Green Card so didn't worry. I had no probelms anywhere (including Bosnia) and didn't even have to show any paperwork other than my passport.

By the way, I'd recommend seeing more of Bosnia .... it was a great place and Sarajevo was fantastic.

insurance
 

As I had no green card (Devitt would not provide despite 3 requests) I had to pay (also week/this week, so recent information)

Montenegro: about 10 Euro I think
Albania: very little

Macedonia : 50 Euro!!!

Turkey: about 7 Euro for 2 weeks

Syria: 25 Euro for a month

Croatia were not bothered, Slovenia there was no one at the border (Wurzen pass).

As you can imagine I will be moving from Devitt as they are very unhelpful!
regards

Simon

Got charged 50Euros for Macedonian 3rd party insurance at the Greece/Macedonia border yesterday for a 15-day period. In hindsight i should have asked for a 7-day period, but there may not be flexibility on that 15-day period.But as things are sooo much better value here in Mace then it helps reduce the blow... Friendly and efficient border crossing (20mins). :mchappy:

Green card
 

Hi
- This is no help to the OP, but I've just returned from some of those places....

To those of you struggling with other insurance companies/brokers, my policy is with Carole Nash, and they were very helpful and efficient in producing a green card for me at no charge.

As already mentioned, my policy already covered Croatia, it was specifically mentioned on the certificate, I guess because they're "almost" in the EU now.

I am just about to start applying for green card and wanted to know if anyone out there is planning a trip through western balkans (Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia) and what they have discovered are tariffs for each border. My trip starts in Dubai and ends in Cambridgeshire

Hi, i travelled in these countries last summer and had to switch my insurance to AXA which issued me with a green card that covered all European countries & Turkey (not Russia). I was told by a number of companies that green cards are no longer issued (crap ). I was asked for it in a number of countries. Andy B

No direct experience of this myself but I have heard of several people printing or photocopying their insurance certificate onto green paper. This I was told was accepted no questions asked, rarely more than glanced at.

I am not suggesting avoiding insurance but if you know you are covered (a list of countries I am covered in appears very clearly in my policy documents) it may prevent you having to pay twice.

This sounds veeeeery strange to me... :nono:

Last year with no green card (insurer refused to issue as they "are not required") we had to buy insurance (a worthless piece of paper) before entering Croatia, Monte Negro, Albania and Macedonia. 50 euros for Monte Negro, which we passed through (in the rain) in half a day. Annoying. And it often took a fair while to find the right office and sort out the paperwork.

Each border wanted to see a green card. If you don't have it is very likely you will be forced to pay up. Even if your insurance certificate states that it covers you in those countries, if it's not a green card they won't even look at it. They'll just grunt and wave you away.

50 bloody euros.....:thumbdown:

Hi Raffexpat, two of us a planning a similar trip from Qatar to the UK, I'd be pleased to sharing plans/thoughts etc.

Hi Raffexpat...

Did you get anyupdate on this? I'm passing through the Balkans in late May and would be curious to know as well.

Thanks,
John

Are you sure? Myself and numerous friends have passed through these same borders. Croatia does not require a fee with EU insurance. Montenegro is €10, Albania was free in my case but I've heard it can be €15 depending on which border post you cross. Macedonia is €50. On the Croatian coast where a small strip of Bosnia intersects the road you don't have to pay insurance to transit this tiny section of Bosnian territory.

Our Polish companion had a green card. Incidentally I had my insurance details on green paper. It didn't work :thumbdown:. A green card means just that, a little green card in a plastic sleeve.