Understanding the Green Card System

In place to make it easier for drivers and their motor vehicles to travel freely across the borders of other countries, the Green Card System is overseen by the Economic Commission. It is designed to protect victims who are involved in accidents with drivers of foreign registered vehicles.

What is the Green Card?

Recognised in more than forty different countries in the EU and elsewhere, the Green Card offers proof that the driver has met the minimum requirement of owning third party liability insurance for each of these countries. The law requires that the driver obtain the Green Card to show that he is covered with the minimum amount of motor vehicle insurance cover for each of the countries for which the Green Card is considered a legal document. This document does not offer any type of insurance cover, but is simply a statement that insurance cover is owned by the driver.

Obtaining a Green Card

Typically, drivers receive their Green Card from their insurer. If for some reason your insurer does not wish to provide you with a Green Card, you might want to consider using a different insurer. This is an unlikely situation. If it does occur, you should question your insurer for the reasons behind it. If you have questions about your Green Card and its use, contact your insurer. Another option that you have in place of the Green Card is to obtain border insurance for the country that you are planning to enter.

Even though it is not required to carry your Green Card with you at all times, it is often a good idea to do so when crossing borders. The Green Card is recognised as a legal document in all of the countries that call for the minimum requirement of third party liability insurance for all drivers. Therefore, this card can be produced by a driver to show proof that he does have motor vehicle insurance cover.

Using the Green Card

A Green Card is usually not required to enter certain countries or a country within the EU. Primarily, this is because all of these countries require that drivers obtain the minimum requirement of third party liability insurance for each of these countries. Therefore, it can safely be assumed that the driver has this insurance cover. However, there are a few exceptions to this guideline.

A Green Card must be carried into the following countries: the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, and the Ukraine.

A Green Card does not need to be carried into the following countries: Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, Romania, Portugal, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Malta, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, Italy, Ireland, Iceland, Hungary, Greece, Germany, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Croatia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Austria, and Andorra.

Whether or not you have an actual Green Card in your possession, it is always a good idea to check with your insurer before crossing the border into another country. Simply ask the insurer whether or not your UK motor vehicle insurance cover is in force for travel abroad. In most cases, it should be.

Intro: If you drive in the UK, then you know about the Green Card and you most likely have one. Do you understand how it works and where it is needed?

Steven Hoggard is a keen writer about car insurance and home insurance products.

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