Don’t forget short term insurance when making your travel plans

Have you considered the option of short term vehicle insurance before your international trip? Car insurance is a legal requirement in European countries such as the UK. There are a number of providers which can help you with your insurance cover, ranging from large insurance comparisons websites to independent specialists such as Dayinsure.

DayInsure-LOGO-TempCarInsurance
Short term car insurance providers Dayinsure

Is short term car insurance for me?

With increasing numbers of people travelling between the UK and the rest of Europe, here’s a reminder of a few scenarios where temporary vehicle insurance which might be able to help you:

  • You have a UK licence or an EU licence and you want to take your UK-registered vehicle to Europe for a few days and then return back to the UK with it. For example, Dayinsure can provide comprehensive cover in the UK and in the EU, as long as your journey starts and finishes in the UK.
  • You have a UK or EU driving licence and want to visit family or friends in another part of the UK. In particular, if you are a student, you might not want to own a car and instead of hiring a car, there might be a cost benefit to borrowing a car and arranging short term insurance on it in your own name.
  • You have family/friends visiting you in the UK and you want them to be able to use your car for a few days. You could try speaking to your annual insurer to see if they are prepared to add a temporary additional driver to your policy – but it might well be quicker/simpler/cheaper to buy a separate short term policy for the visitor.
  • In the event of a claim, the No Claim Discount (NCD) on the annual policy is unaffected by incidents involving the short term policyholder.

How long does it take to buy short term car insurance?

Dependent on the insurance provider, short term insurance can be bought online in a couple of minutes, with the insurance certificate emailed to your inbox.

For example with Dayinsure, policies are added daily to the Motor Insurance Database (MID), and all cover is comprehensive and underwritten by Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer.

Am I eligible for short term insurance?

Generally cover is available from 1 day to 28 days, to give you maximum flexibility and ensure you only pay for the cover you need.

The minimum age is 21 and the maximum is 75 – unless you have a provisional UK licence, in which case you’re eligible for other policies for example a Dayinsure Learner policy from aged 17 and over, to get additional driving practice before you take your test.

Stay legal and learn here more about the motor insurance directives in Europe

About Aleksej Heinze

Passport to Trade 2.0 project leader. My research interests are in the area of disruptive innovation using information technology (IT) and the use of IT in business management. Topics include: enterprise 2.0; web 2.0, international business culture, search engine optimisation, and social media marketing.