Last updated: 29 September 2020

Every UK car insurance policy will provide minimum third party cover to drive in other European Union (EU) countries, but this will only cover other drivers' costs, so you should consider extending your cover to get the best protection.

Extended European car insurance

Many car insurance policies let you extend your European cover so you will get the same protection as you have in the UK.

So, if you have a fully comprehensive policy, you will get comprehensive cover when you drive in Europe too.

However this is not always offered as standard you will need to compare car insurance to see which insurance policies include European full comprehensive cover.

Here is more on the cover you need to drive overseas

Get the right length of European car insurance cover

Most will European car insurance policies will include the following terms and conditions:

A maximum period for the term of the European car insurance policy: this is normally a total of 180 days a year.

A maximum length of each individual trip: this is normally between three and 90 days, depending on the insurer.

  • If you are planning to be away in a foreign country for three months during the year, make sure you get cover for at least 90 days.

  • Make sure each trip made during those 90 days does not exceed the single trip limit.

Unlimited cover in some cases: some insurance companies offer unlimited annual European cover, which means you will get the same cover at home and abroad for trips of any length during the policy.

You should also make sure the policy you choose covers everything you need, not just driving in Europe. Here is everything car insurance can cover you against.

Short term car insurance can cover any trips to Europe but check your level of cover first.