Driving abroad is covered by most policies, but there are wide variations in the detail Analyst Defaqto compares some of the features.
At this time of the year most people are looking forward to their holiday and with the cheap cost of ferries to the continent, the car can be used for trips ranging from a one-day booze cruise to a month's tour around Europe.
Alongside a maintenance check for the vehicle, headlight modifications, obtaining continental breakdown cover and a decent map, the motorist needs to be sure that the cover provided by the motor insurance policy is fully adequate.
This involves checking the small print of their motor insurance policy.
One question to be considered at this time is whether foreign trips has been considered when purchasing the insurance. In the table overleaf Defaqto uses its Aequos database to see which companies offer foreign use cover and what details are in that cover.
All motor insurance policies will offer the minimum insurance as required by the laws of compulsory insurance within the EU or countries that have agreed to implement the European Directives. However, it is important to establish if the insurer offers full foreign use cover as standard or as an optional extension to the policy?
Most insurers will offer a period of free foreign use within their standard policy cover, but the total number of days provided throughout the policy year as well as the number of days allowed for each individual trip taken will vary.
Although a 'green card' is no longer required, as most certificates include European wording, some customers insist on receiving a green card both for reassurance when abroad and to prove that they have informed their insurers.
Green cards are still provided by insurers when the vehicle is taken to a country that is not normally covered within the foreign use territorial limits. The insurer will charge an additional premium for this cover.
Another area of cover, which should be considered, is customs duty. If the car is lost or damaged abroad, the insured may have to pay customs duty relating to the cost of repairing and returning the vehicle. Nearly all of the insurers selected will provide cover for customs duty within the foreign use cover provided.
Defaqto's Aequos database has shown that a number of insurers provide at least 30 days per year of free foreign use within the standard policy cover along with the same number of days for each trip. But there are a number of insurers that still do not provide free, full foreign use and charge an additional premium to provide own damage cover while abroad.
In summary, when choosing a policy the prospective insured who takes his car abroad should consider the details of insurers' foreign use policy to ensure the policy is adequate at inception.
Those insurers who provide free foreign use cover for the desired trip length and the necessary total number of days in the case of more than one trip, the option of being provided with a green card and cover for customs duty are best placed to provide a streamlined service.
