Or, if your "green card" indicates you are not covered in these countries, you can purchase insurance that is valid for either one of these two countries at the border, when you enter the country.

Insurance policy documents that are valid in one country only (e.g. Albania, or North Macedonia) are not normally issued using the "green card" document format. For examples of what single-country insurance document look like, including Albania and North Macedonia, see this post: Balkans Insurance - Here's the story, with details & sample documents.

Michael

Michael.....the assumption is made by the legislation Not me.....it states it clearly in the body of the document . As u r Canadian u will need a greencard......cars registered in the states mentioned In the document don't........greencards don't exist for them anymore......just as the border official stated. As I said if u read the Cob website a will become clear . Armenia and Georgia are two other countries that May join the scheme in the future .
Happy reading........have a scotch on standby

U also mentioned Andorra.....that is a eaa country just like the UK Serbia and suisse are......my insurance automatically covers those countries......as a Canadian u would have to ask for it . Things have and are changing ,three years ago I had to buy insurance for Bosnia at the border......now I don't as they are signed up to this agreement . Obviously you need to read your own individual policy , I just renewed hence me knowing about all this as I looked it up as I wasn't sure where I was covered .
...

Just to clarify.....when I said as ur Canadian I meant the bike not you.......unless its registered in one of these states and has an insurance policy from that country in which case all of this would b of use to you.......otherwise its green card time I'm afraid
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Chris:

A "Green Card" is nothing more than a standardized presentation of proof of insurance coverage for one or more countries.

If a vehicle is insured for operation in one country only, the insurer can issue a certificate of insurance that is recognized in that country only. Examples of this can be seen on the link I posted above about individual country insurance policies in the Balkan countries.

If an insurer issues an insurance policy valid in more than one European, North African, or Middle Eastern country (or any combination), they will provide proof of insurance coverage in a document that is compliant with COB (Council of Bureaux) specifications. This document specification has been in use since the early 1950s. The COB has since come up with other protocols to enable recognition of insurance issued by various countries, but the Green Card format is still in use and has not been deprecated by these newer protocols.

What needs to be understood here is that the Green Card is only a document specification. Hence, it is up to each individual insurer to make their own determination of what countries they wish to provide coverage in. An insurer may offer the purchaser choices - for example, they may offer their customer coverage in only the Western European countries, or in Western Europe plus any combination of additional countries in which the insurer is authorized to underwrite insurance coverage.

Participants come to the HUBB forum to gather accurate and up to date information prior to international travel. We who participate in the forum need to take care that we do not provide misleading or inaccurate information in the post that we make.

To suggest that coverage is "automatic" in any given country is misleading and inaccurate. The geographic extent of insurance coverage provided is a private commercial decision between the person purchasing the insurance and the insurance company providing the coverage. The insurer may choose to only offer coverage in certain specific countries, and likewise, the purchaser may choose to only purchase coverage in countries (or country groups) that they intend to operate their vehicle in.

The only thing that a "Green Card" guarantees is that it (the document) will be accepted as proof of having the minimum legally required coverage to operate the vehicle in countries whose code is not crossed out by an X on the document.

Your comments about whether or not one is a Canadian (or other person foreign to the Green Card region) or not, or whether the vehicle is Canadian (or otherwise foreign to the Green Card region) are not relevant at all. At the same time in the past that I was riding my Canadian plated motorcycle in Europe and had a Green Card to show that the motorcycle was insured in Europe, I was living and working in Switzerland and driving a Swiss plated car. I also had a Green Card for that car showing that it was insured for operation in various European countries.

TL;DR - The Green Card is nothing more than a standardized presentation of a proof of insurance document. Check the document to see which countries it shows you are insured in. Don't make assumptions, and don't take anything for granted.

Michael

Hi Michael.......thanks for the reply . Just one thing at no stage have I ever said cover is automatic . You need to read the legislation that applies to the eaa eu and associated countries . It only applies
to them and them only.....
Not Americans or Canadians etc etc Unless their vehicle is registered in one on those countries And insured in that country .
Each insurer will obviously differ but for the most part in the UK you are insured in all EU states all EAA states and any other state that takes part in the civil legislation covering motor vehicles.........as always you need to read your certificate.
The legislation also allows countries that operate a green card system to be able to charge money for this......so in my case this would b Albania and Nth Macedonia etc etc . So to summarise if you are for example an Indian national on an Indian registered bike none of this applies to you Full Stop

Oh forgot as for Switzerland......previously you would've needed a green card as would've if I had gone there....
.previously UK insurers did not automatically cover it , same with Andorra.....they are both now EAA countries and I am automatically covered for both .

As I said before.....read the website covering COB 44.......if you wish to disagree with me then fine.....things have changed dramatically re foreign insurance recently.....especially for us Brits .
I'm pretty sure that most Hubbers are wise enough to read the above site and read their own insurance policies.......which is exactly what you and I have been both saying . However like it or not automatic presumption is part if that legislation
Safe Roads

Uh, that is not how I interpreted your post #13 (below)

Michael

That's OK Michael......that quote is lifted directly from the website and the legislation...... So as I said I have never suggested it......I have merely stated how things now are. As for how different states interpret this well who knows . Personally if I was going to Serbia I'd prob get a green card