BREXIT: Important Information for Brokers

***The European Commission has agreed that from 2 August 2021 UK motorists won't require a Green Card to prove they have valid motor insurance when driving in most European Countries. Please check the most up to date list of countries here.***

Your customers need to carry a Green Card when they use their vehicle outside of the UK from the 1 January 2021 to 1 August 2021.

Currently, a Green Card must be a paper document and not a digital version. You can request a Green Card for your Private Motor & Commercial Motor customers from us. Please ensure that you have their travel dates available, and give us 2-3 weeks’ notice to ensure that your customer receives their Green Card in the post in good time. We are able to email the Green Card to you or your customer, but it will have to be printed.

If your customer intends to travel to the EU when their policy falls due for renewal, please ensure that that they have adequate insurance in place that covers them for their full trip.

***The European Commission has agreed that from 2 August 2021 UK motorists won't require a Green Card to prove they have valid motor insurance when driving in most European Countries. Please check the most up to date list of countries here.***

If you believe your customer still requires a Green Card, then please follow these instructions to order one.

For private motor and CV customers, simply call our Personal Lines Underwriting Support team on 0345 122 3288 and give them the following information: 

• Policyholder name & policy number
• Confirmation of the vehicle make and registration they'll be driving
• The dates they plan to drive their vehicle outside of the UK
• Names and ages of all drivers they would like covered
• The countries they intend to drive in
• Registration and/or chassis number, make and model of anything they intend to tow (e.g. a trailer or caravan)

For commercial motor customers, please complete this form (updated June 2021) and return it to motorfleet@ageas.co.uk

For commercial motor schemes, please speak to your dedicated lead underwriter.

Please note that our offices are open 9am-5pm, Monday – Friday.

Once our team have confirmed all the details, they’ll get things moving and your customers' Green Card will be with them as soon as possible. We’ll keep a record that your customer has been issued a Green Card, should you wish to call us back to check on our progress.

***Your customers don't need an IDP to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein if they hold a valid UK photocard driving licence. If you are unsure when an IDP is required, please check here.***

An IDP is a permit that allows the holder to drive in countries where a UK driving licence alone is not sufficient.  Some countries have confirmed that UK licence holders will not need an IDP to drive when visiting from the 1 January 2021, but some will require you to have one.

There are three types of IDP issued by the Post Office to UK Licence Holders resident in the UK and it may be necessary to obtain more than one depending on the countries your customer intends to drive in.  More information about the requirements may be found on the Government’s website as follows: http://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/international-driving-permit.

An IDP costs around £5.50.  Please remind your customers to take their UK driving licence with them when driving in the EU.

Your customer should carry their vehicle log book (V5C) with them.  If the original has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, your customer will need to get a new one.  The Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will be able to assist them.

If the vehicle is rented or leased then they will need to hold the vehicle’s VE103 certificate.

***The requirements are changing with effect from the 28^th September 2021***

Currently, your customer must display a GB sticker on the rear of their vehicle when driving outside of the UK.  This requirement will remain in place until 27 September 2021.

With effect from the 28 September 2021, if your customer intends driving outside of the UK, they will need to display a UK sticker clearly on the rear of their vehicle.  The UK sticker will also be required if their number plate has any of the following:

• A GB identifier with the Union flag (also known as the Union Jack)
• A Euro symbol
• A national flag of England, Scotland or Wales
• Numbers and letters only - no flag or identifier

If the number plate includes the UK identifier with the Union flag (also known as the Union Jack), they do not need a UK sticker.

If your customer is driving in Spain, Cyprus or Malta, they must display a UK sticker no matter what is on their number plate.

Your customer does not need a GB or UK sticker to drive in the Republic of Ireland, no matter when they are driving.

Remember, on or after 28 September 2021, if your customer does have a GB sticker, they will need to cover or remove it.”

The Green Card system has existed for over 50 years and traditionally, has always been printed on green paper.  However, in July 2020, the law changed to allow Green Cards to also be valid if printed in black text on white paper.  Therefore, it is now acceptable for a Green Card to be printed on white paper and Ageas Green Cards will be issued on white paper. This change will also enable you or your customer to easily print their Green Card, if required.

Once you have your Green Card, you will be covered for driving in the following countries:

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

A Green Card is evidence that your customer has valid Insurance that covers them in the event of an accident while driving in that country.  If your customer isn’t carrying a Green Card when it is required, then they will not be able to drive legally in the EU.  If your customer does attempt to drive in the EU without holding a Green Card, they may be accused of driving without valid insurance and could be subject to a fine, having your vehicle seized or be prosecuted.

All drivers named on your policy, who hold a full UK/EU Licence, are covered and will be named on the Green Card.

You will need to provide us with the registration and/or chassis number of their trailer or caravan as this may require a separate Green Card.

The Green Card will become invalid from the date of cancellation and they should either return it to us or destroy it.  They will not be able to use this Green Card to drive outside of the UK if the policy has been cancelled.

It will be valid for the period that you have requested - as stated on the Green Card. It won’t be possible to generate a Green Card which falls outside the start and end dates of your customer’s current period of cover. 

This will depend on the nature of the negotiations and the deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU.