Giacomo you are correct!

I looked into this a little more and then spoke to my insurers. The guy there had to phone the underwriters to confirm, and the underwriters had to phone somebody else but it turns out I am covered with the minimum third party liability insurance of whichever country I'm in for the duration of my policy.
The problem I had is that the original person I spoke to several months ago at my insurance company told me once the 90 days european cover they provide has expired I wont be insured anymore. This is only the fully comprehensive cover and any other add ons which were with the policy.

On closer inspection of my insurance documents I found this statement on a seperate document to my certificate:

"This certificate of motor insurance takes the place of am International Motor Insurance Card (Green Card) and is evidence that the insurance extends to include the compulsory motor insurance requirements of:
- any member if the European Union
- Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Switzerland & Liechtenstein"

And as the certificate states the 12 months coverage in the UK, it also has the 12 months in the EU.

I learnt something new today... as did the guy at my insurance company!

Thanks again everyone - spring riding here I come

You have to wonder just who it is who trains and employs these people!!

Carole Nash went downhill, rapidly, when they sold out the original business as a specialist motorcycle insurance broker and switched into general brokering of motor (and other types of) insurance -now the people at the end of the phone are only interested in the targets that are set for them to meet; anything out of the routine is all too much for them.

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Dave

Ok, here's my experience.

I renewed my policy with Carole Nash last month. I told the agent I intended to travel in Europe for 6 months and would that be covered. He told me the standard cover was for 90 days but it wouldn't be a problem to extend it.

I didn't do it then as I still hadn't decided where exactly we would be going and he said he needed to know which countries we intended to visit.

Fast forward to today. I phone Carole Nash, ask about extending my policy and...nope, no can do, 90 days max. I referred to my conversation with the agent at renewal time and she says he should have checked more thoroughly before telling me I could extend as the underwriters just won't do it. Hmmm..!

I then quoted the Green card statement on the back of the certificate, same as waz_777:

"This certificate of motor insurance takes the place of am International Motor Insurance Card (Green Card) and is evidence that the insurance extends to include the compulsory motor insurance requirements of:
- any member if the European Union
- Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Switzerland & Liechtenstein"

And as the certificate states the 12 months coverage in the UK, it also has the 12 months in the EU.

This caused a bit of stir and ended up with her having to call her manager who had to call me back. And sure enough I'm covered, third party only, for the duration of the policy..! As stated previously, it's only the extras that expire after 90 days, the minimum legal cover is there for the length of the policy.


What a brilliant thread, thanks to all contributors.

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Beware the dark, mechanical bird.