...Honestly, I really have read almost every post regarding green cards and european insurance, but nothing seems to work for me and I'm ETD 2 weeks!

My problem. My vehicle is a UK registered, Japanese Imported, Camper van...

My route. Europe, Former Yougo's, Greece & Turk, Russ, Mong, Stans and Iran back to Turkey.

Plan A: Would be awesome to get 3rd party insurance that covers all the 'Green Card' affiliated countries... Then I would only need border insurance in Mong, and the Stans. As the GC seems to be valid in Russia and Iran these days. But absolutely nobody in the UK will offer it.

Plan B: Get cheep UK (threfore EU) insurance for the first 3 months then border insurance after that. But, it seems the very few UK insurers who will cover an imported camper van, will only offer me Fully Comp for a year. Which is a massive waste of money!

Plan C: Over to you guys!

Am willing to be corrected if needs be, but doesn't the reciprocal Green Card scheme mean that, if you have 3rd party insurance in 1 Green Card member state (the EU plus others eg Iran and Russia), you automatically have 3rd party cover in all the other Green Card scheme member states as well?

As the UK is a Green Card scheme member state, I would have thought the 3rd party cover you get from a UK insurer therefore covers you in all the other Green Card scheme member states even though you are not given a physical Green Card.

Maybe this will assist:-
The Green Card system : Directgov - Motoring

__________________
www.overlandcruiser.wordpress.com

I phoned the Bureau of Motor Insurers today who co-ordinates Green Card matters. The link is on the .gov website.
I asked a similar question. But it appears that an Insurance firm that offers UK insurance has the right to only offer insurance for the UK. They don't have to offer Green Card Insurance. ie 3rd party for the eu and the few other countries.
Not sure if that helps you?

Sorry to be a pedant, but are you sure about that? I thought that under EU law, motor insurance cos in each member state selling insurance in that state HAD to provide 3rd party cover to policyholders when they went to other member states. The position is different with comprehensive and indeed any cover in excess of the 3rd party minimum required by law - on that, they are at liberty to offer/refuse what they like.

__________________
www.overlandcruiser.wordpress.com

Exactly what I thought. That's why I phoned because my CAR insurance is with the co-op who say they don't issue 3rd party insurance just fully comp. 8 days EU cover included or pay £15 for their extended cover.

Last year More Than covered me in Serbia and in Montenegro, but co-op won't touch those two.

You were given bum information about this. The relevant EU Insurance Directive (can't remember the number off hand) means broadly that if you are driving in an EU country on an insurance issued in a EU country that insurance must cover claims by innocent victims of your driving; indeed the Insurer can be sued directly. HOWEVER, the insurer can come after you to recover it's outlay if you have been in breach of any of the terms of your insurance policy. I have no idea what happens beyond the EU-i.e. in countries where reciprocal GC arrangements exists. Of course damage to your vehicle or the other add-ons won't be covered unless you take out comprehensive cover and the Insurer is not obliged to extend your Comprehensive cover to EU countries.

Q

Quintin, Is it possible you could post a link/source for that because I would like to follow it up with the Co-op.

OK

The EC 3rd Insurance Directive Art2 (don't forget that this applies to all EU residents using an EU registered vehicle in any EU country plus Switzerland and a couple of other counties) states that every vehicle in an EU country must be insured against use in any EU country. This provision was implemented in the UK by Section 143 (3) (b) of the 1988 Road Traffic Act. Cover is to the minimum level of the country of use NOT the UK. So if for example in Belgium a pedestrian is injured by a motor vehicle then the pedestrian is compensted even if the accident is the pedestrian's fault; not the position in the UK. But UK Insurance has to cover that liability.

There are 2 subsequent EU Directives; the 4th and the 5th. The 4th has been implemented by the Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) (information centre and compensation body) Regulations 2003 and the 5th is largely irrelevant. The 4th allows victims to sue insurers direct.

I can't post all the links but if you Google any of the above then you should find the necessary info.

Bottom line is that under the Road Traffic Act your insurer has to cover the risk but if you're in breach of any term in the policy (which you may be by incuring a foreign liability-read your policy) your insurer can come after you.

Hope that helps

Q