When planning a trip abroad by your own car, you should take care of reliable insurance. Learn more about the Green Card insurance policy for safe travelling abroad

Issuing a policy Green card for traveling abroad by car

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When planning to travel abroad in your own car, it is important not only to prepare the necessary documents and check the technical condition of the car, but also to take care of insurance, because the Ukrainian insurance policy is not valid abroad.

How then to protect yourself from unexpected expenses? Before the trip, the car owner must issue a "Green Card" policy. We will talk about the benefits and the procedure for obtaining this insurance below.

Health insurance abroad: find answers to the most common questions here.

What is the Green Card insurance policy?

"Green card" is an international insurance policy for motorists. The document is mandatory when traveling abroad for all vehicles registered in Ukraine. Also, a policy is required to enter Ukraine on a car with foreign registration. "Green card" is issued exclusively for foreign trips.

The policy got its name because of the color of the paper on which it was printed. Now, of course, the policy is printed on ordinary paper, but the name has stuck.

Why do you need a Green Card?

Green card is an auto-citizen valid outside of Ukraine. Without a policy, you cannot cross the border by car, in particular, leave the borders of Ukraine or enter the territory of the state. When crossing the border, the employee of the border service will check the presence of the policy by scanning the unique QR code specified in the contract or on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

If you have a Green Card, if you get into an accident abroad, you can count on receiving compensation from an insurance agent.

It is not worth driving a car abroad without a "Green Card" not only because of significant fines (from 1,000 euros, deportation, ban on entering the country, seizure or arrest of the vehicle), but also because repairing the car at one's own expense abroad is expensive very expensive.

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How does the Green Card work abroad?

The insurance company indemnifies the damage that can be caused abroad by a car that has a Green Card policy. It is important to remember that damages caused to third parties are covered, and the coverage does not extend to the person responsible for the accident. This means that if you hit someone else's car abroad, the insurance will pay out to the other party to the accident, not you.

The amount of coverage for injuries and material damages under the policy depends on the host country. Read more about the limits of liability under the Green Card in different countries of the world in this article.

An insurance policy is drawn up for a car and its effect is automatically extended to all drivers who drive a car on legal grounds. That is, it is not necessary to add the data of other drivers, except the owner, to the document.

In which countries is the Green Card insurance policy valid?

The policy is valid in the territory of the member countries of the Green Card system, namely in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Spain, Malta, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Netherlands, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Hungary, France, Finland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Turkey.

What to do if you get into an accident abroad?

If you were involved in a road accident abroad, in order to cover the losses at the expense of the insurance company, you must perform several of the following actions:

— record the scene of the accident with the help of a photo or video;

— call the police;

— get a certificate from the police about the circumstances of the traffic accident (traffic accident);

— give a copy of the insurance certificate to the victim;

— within fifteen days to notify your insurance company about the occurrence of an accident.

It is important to always have the insurance company's contacts at hand in order to contact a support specialist in case of an emergency. It should be noted that the data for contacting the insurer is always indicated on the insurance policy form.

How much does a Green Card cost?

You can buy a "Green Card" both abroad and in Ukraine. However, insurance will cost much more abroad. For example, in Poland, the cost of a "Green card" for 1 month is 50 euros. In Germany, the price of an annual policy starts from 900 euros, and for a month from 150 euros.

In Ukraine, the price is lower, as of July 2024: a 1-month policy can be purchased for UAH 1,841 (EUR 42), and an annual policy costs UAH 12,849 (EUR 295).

List of documents for Green card

In order to issue a "Green Card" policy, you need:

● Foreign passport or driver's license;

● Technical passport of the car;

● TIN code.

Where to issue a Green Card insurance policy?

It is better to buy insurance online, because it is quick and easy. You can take out a Green Card policy from a licensed insurer on the Visit Ukraine portal. Packages are available for different periods from 15 days to 1 year for cars and trucks, trailers and semi-trailers for trucks, as well as motorcycles and scooters.

Registration procedure (all information is filled in Latin):

● Select the period you are interested in, the type of vehicle, then select the date the insurance starts.

● Enter information about the car: license plate number, car make and model, year of manufacture, city of registration, VIN code and country of destination.

● Enter your contact details: full name, contact number, passport details, date of birth, residential address, TIN and email address.

● Confirm the entered information.

● Pay for the insurance policy in a way convenient for you. 

In 10 minutes, a policy that will cover all damages caused to the life, health and property of third parties is already in your mail. In addition, we are currently running a special offer on our portal - when you buy a policy for a period of 6 months or more, you are guaranteed to receive fuel as a gift. So don't hesitate and take out insurance with benefits!

Please note! The issued policy must be printed out, as each country currently has its own requirements, and some may refuse to accept the electronic form. However, the situation will change from January 1, 2025, as the General Assembly of the Motor Insurance System (MIS), in order to adapt modern technologies, has adopted a decision that will allow the use of the international Green Card insurance policy in electronic format in all member countries starting next year.

It is also important to take out a policy in advance, as it comes into force at midnight, the day after the contract is concluded. If the insurance period has expired and you are still abroad, you can also renew it online, which is very quick and convenient. 

Now you can go on a safe trip!

We remind you! When applying for a Green Card insurance policy, drivers often face the question of how to check the validity of the certificate. Read this article to find out how to do this through the MTIBU's Centralized Database.

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

Darya Rogova is the head of the Visit Ukraine insurance department

A Green Card is not only a mandatory document for traveling abroad by car, but also a guarantee of financial security and safety for the driver and passengers. To avoid risks and fines, take out international insurance on the Visit Ukraine portal. We cooperate only with reliable insurance agents.