Will I need a Green Card when renting a car in the EU if the UK leaves with EU with No-deal Brexit?
In short, no. UK residents renting cars in the EU will be covered by the insurance of the rental agent for their particular rental. However if a UK resident were to r
ent a car in the UK and plan to take that rental car into the EU, for instance, anyone
renting a car in Northern Ireland wanting to drive across the border into
Ireland then it could be an issue. Equally, any UK resident renting a car in the UK and planning to take it into mainland Europe, into
France or
Spain for example could face a similar situation. In these cases however, you are required to notify the car rental agent of your plans who will arrange the necessary insurance documents on your behalf.
It is unknown at this stage if in the case of a no-deal Brexit, UK car rental agents will permit cross border travel at all. The lack of clarification from the European Commission on the issue to date, despite European insurance authorities agreement to waive the need for a Green Card leaves uncertainty for UK drivers. According to the Association of British Insurers, Green Card applications can take up to a month, so if you are planning to take your own car to Europe after the 29th March, you need to apply for the card before 28th February 2019.
What is a Green Card?
A green card is an internationally recognised document confirming that a drivers domestic car insurance policy is valid abroad. Hundreds of thousands of Brits travel to France every year in their own cars and should seek clarification from their insurer that EU travel is permitted. The majority of policies cover travel to mainland Europe but you should always check. European insurance authorities permit domestic insurance policies throughout member states, however non-EU citizens require a Green Card.
Driving without insurance, or indeed proof of insurance in Europe will likely lead to an on the spot fine at best, or having your car confiscated in a worst case scenario.
Related Articles;