Balkans Insurance (Sept 2014)
 

Hi,

Having just got from Bulgaria via the non EU Balkan countries I thought I would post up the current costs of buying your motorbike insurance at the border crossings.

It would seem that most insurance companies don't offer green cards (or any sort of cover) for the 5 non EU countries (even though they are all in the process of applying to join)

All the crossings were very easy (the crossing from Albania to Montenegro was very busy..mega line of cars/lorries) but just bimble up the outside and there was a separate lane for bikes (the footpath between the booths....honestly)

They usually went like this:-
1. Pull up and hand over your passport and V5 doc (I took a colour photocopy (the original was in the lid of my pannier) and each border were happy with this.....saved the original getting dog-eared).
2. "Green Card"?...No, we need to buy insurance.....ok go there (point to office somewhere just across the border...
3. I would get off and walk to buy insurance (V5 needed)and was always asked for Euros in cash (be prepared)
4. Come back to border with insurance paper, show to border guard and off you go...simples...all the concerns we had were totally unfounded.

Macedonia (from Bulgaria) 50 Euros
Kosovo (from Macedonia) 15 Euros
Albania (from Kosovo) 13 Euros
Montenegro (from Albania) 10 Euros
Bosnia (from Montenegro) 16 Euros

So Macedonia was the only one that seemed expensive but that was offset by everything there being soooo cheap (and I thought Bulgaria was cheap)

These countries are great and worth a visit before they do enter the EU and change much more.

Archival Note:

Additional information (as of summer 2014) about insurance prices and availability in the countries of former Yugoslavia can be found at this discussion:

Balkans Insurance - Here's the story, with details & sample documents.

Michael

Up to date info for insurance
 

Does anyone have any up to date information for getting insurance for Bosnia or do the previous post still stand for prices? I have been in touch with my insurers and I am covered for most of the Balkan area I would like to visit. But I will need to get insurance for Bosnia. Looking at entering from Croatia and leaving into Serbia.


Wayne

Wayne - I crossed from Croatia into Bosnia on the 12th June - just two weeks ago. I bought insurance at the border. The cost was 40 Marks (about 15 quid.) Use local cash (not euros) to settle the premium.

If you cross at the Novi Grad border, as I did, then note that there's a bank ATM just down the street from the little border insurance office; therefore getting some BiH Marks quickly, shouldn't be a problem for you.

Furthermore, please give my regards to the customs officer there, Aleksandar Pavkovic (Top Bloke), always assuming he's on duty at the time. Aleks and I have even exchanged a few private e-mails since then.

Serbia insurance? The Serbian border officials never asked for it, or even advised that I needed it .. so I just carried-on riding through to Romania [a-hem] uninsured, so to speak. Not recommended ..obviously! :innocent:

best

Keith

Keith

Great info thanks a lot, and will say hi if I cross there. My insurer covers me for Serbia. The list below is what they sent me. Through Carole Nash with Aviva and for a 90 day stretch at any one time and includes breakdown.

Please find below a list of EU countries allowed on your policy.

EU Countries

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden

No EU countries/Principalities not requiring green card

Andorra
Liechtenstein
Monaco
Norway
San Marino
Switzerland
Vatican City
Iceland

This seems to be a common thing - my insurer too (Adelaide) told me they'll cover me in Croatia and Serbia (no green card needed), but won't cover any further even if I pay them.

I'm planning a trip to Istanbul via Greece in September and will only cross the small "transit" part of Bosnia (Naum corridor), so I hope to get through with no insurance there. Plan B is the ferry to the peninsula. I have Russian passport which means even though I don't need a visa, this will probably raise more questions hence more chance to ask for insurance.

I will report back once I've done the trip, but any reports on the current status beforehand would be very helpful!

I crossed into Bosnia this morning at the ivanice crossing, near Dubrovnik and the Montenegrin border. Bought insurance right at the border post for 30 euro. I'm sure I got ripped off, but at least it was quick and easy...

The road to Sarajevo, route 20, which runs near the Montenegrin border, is one of the best I've been on...great scenery, no traffic. Great ride today!

Ouuuuuuu yeaaaah that route is amazing, love that road and at the end treat yourself with some good cevapcici and baklava :thumbup1:

Dooby

Anyone crossed that bit of Bosnia around Neum to get from Split to Dubrovnik this year? Might be there in September, so just wanting to check that it is still a non-issue.

Also, just in case, is the Ploče-Trpanj ferry (Jadrolinija 633) reasonably reliable?

Iain

We just rode the Neum Corridor last month. Nobody checked for insurance.