Try to keep this short ... everything I read says you need extra green card doc (insurance) at the Serb border. My insurer here in UK (MCE) won't issue this, no others that I try will and web advice says you'll be stung for £100+ at the border by corrupt guards. surely it is worth some company providing these for less than £100. Any advice? Thanks

I'm pretty sure that if you have regular green card insurance (I'm guessing this is part of any policy you take out in the UK) you can get into Serbia without purchasing anything extra. If you don't have european insurance (which I didn't on my Australian registered bike) you can buy it at the border - around 25 euro for a month if I recall correctly.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

we tried to cross at Vrska cuka in 2008.
even with a green card the boarder guard wanted 80e off us, we would not pay so we were sent back :confused1:

It may be best to cross at one on the Busy boarders crossing

I paid about 80 euros, but I bought insurance--it was not a case of corrupt border guards. It is not included in your EU insurance because Serbia is not EU...although they would like to be.

The Serbs are irritated about Kosovo independence, Nato bombing, international prosecution of their war criminals, and more. They have long memories. It is in an interesting place to travel, but not if you are prone to feelings of EU entitlement.

Hope that helps.

Mark

Serbian (and other Balkan) green card insurance is more complicated than most realize. Here's the situation based on actual experience June 2010.

1. Vehicles registered in most EU countries (e.g. Germany), and therefore insured domestically in those countries, 'automatically' include green card coverage for non-EU Balkan countries Croatia (HR), Bosnia (BiH), Serbia & Montenegro (SRB or SCG), Albania (AL), Macedonia (MK), etc.

2. Vehicles registered in the UK, and therefore insured by a UK underwriter, may--or may not--include Balkan coverage, depending on corporate policy of the specific UK underwriter. UK vehicle owners may be able to get that Balkan coverage for an extra fee from their UK underwriter/ broker, if it's not included in your regular policy.

3. Vehicles registered outside the EU and UK (US, Canada, AUS, etc) must of course buy a separate Green Card policy for vehicle use in Europe. Whether that separate Green Card policy includes the non-EU Balkans depends on the separate underwriter (source) of the policy:

3.1. Green Card policies brokered/ sold by
Motorcycle Express - Ship Your Bike in North America
and
TourInsure - the specialist for international automobile insurance in Europe
are both underwritten by AXA, and include non-EU Balkan countries,
but the monthly premiums are more expensive than

3.2 Green Card policies brokered/ sold by Mototouring,
How does the European Green Card Insurance work? in Milano
are underwritten by several Italian companies, and do NOT include non-EU Balkan countries;

3.3 Green Card policies brokered/ sold by Knopf
Green Card in Germany
or any office of the German auto club, ADAC - Ihr Partner in allen Fragen rund um die Mobilität. (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club)
are underwritten by www.arisa-assur.com, and do NOT currently include non-EU Balkan countries.

If you buy a separate Green Card from Mototouring, Knopf, ADAC, or direct from Arisa, your Green Card will show the non-EU Balkan countries, including Serbia, "blocked out." In theory, that means that you must and can buy separate vehicle Green Card coverage crossing the borders into each Balkan country.

Here's where it gets (even) more complicated.

Based on actual border crossings in June 2010, using ADAC/ Arisa Green Card on US-registered bike

Leaving Slovenia, entering Croatia (HR), at small border crossing Metlika, there was no vehicle paper check, therefore no separate HR Green Card was required, but also there was no border facility/ broker to buy HR Green Card if you wanted it; experience at that small border crossing may not be the same as at the major A2 motorway crossing between Ljubljana-Zagreb.

Leaving Croatia, entering Bosnia (BiH), at major border crossing, E71 between Dubrovnik-Mostar, there was no vehicle paper check, therefore no separate BiH Green Card was required, but also there was no border facility/ broker to buy BiH Green Card if you wanted it.

Leaving Bosnia, entering Serbia (SRB or SCG), at one major border crossing, E761 between Sarajevo-Belgrade, Serb Customs denied entry of vehicle into Serbia without separately-purchased Serb Green Card, BUT Serb Green Card was not available for sale at that crossing. Serb Customs directed us to closest smaller border crossing 30 km south, where Serb Green Card was purchased--after calling private broker to come to border station--for minimum one month = 60 Euros.
Note that it's possible--unknown--that Serb Green Card can be purchased at other major BiH-SCG crossings, Rte 19, or the A3 motorway between Zagreb-Belgrade.

Bottomline--if your non-EU Green Card is from Mototouring, Knopf, ADAC, Arisa, etc. you'll very likely have to pay an extra 60 Euros to enter/ drive through Serbia. That may still be cheaper than the higher premium charged by AXA-underwritten non-EU Green Cards (that include Serbia), but you also have to consider the extra hassle/ time lost in Serb border crossing purchase.

All that begs a separate question: if Croatia and Bosnia are not covered by a particular underwriter's Green Card, and you're "supposed" to get it at the border, BUT it's not available at the border, how do you get it, and what happens if you're libel for a 3rd party injury/ accident in those countries ?

HI

If you insure your car with the following Insurance Companies they will Include all the Balkan Countries ( Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia) in the Green Card, however if you want a Fully Comprehensive cover you have to pay extra depending on how long you plan on staying.

Firstalternative.com
ESURE.com
Sheilaswheels.com
Sainsburys.com
I think its Halifax.co.uk but not 100% sure
Please note all the mentioned companies are underwritten by Sansburys Insurace.

For 30 days based on a Mercedes C-class 220 CDI it cost ne £60.

Hope this helps