No Green Card necessary

UK drivers and hauliers will not have to apply or pay for ‘Green Card’ documentation from insurers when they travel in an EU member state after Brexit, the Department for Transport has confirmed in a letter to the ABI.

This is a significant development and means that drivers, haulage operators and insurers will not face the considerable administrative disruption associated with issuing Green Cards.

Following representations from the ABI, Motor Insurers Bureau and BIBA over the last 18 months, senior officials at the DfT wrote to the ABI stating that the Government has formally decided to keep the UK within the Motor Insurance ‘Free Circulation Zone. This decision is now subject to formal approval by the European Commission.

However, as the Department for Transport has secured the agreement of the Council of Bureau (the organisation that administers the international Green Card system) and has confirmed its ability to meet any cross-border claims involving UK drivers and haulage operators, the Commission’s role is only to confirm the timescales.

Huw Evans, director general of the ABI said, ‘This is good news for drivers and haulage operators who no longer face the prospect of doing reams of paperwork and paying admin charges every time they get on a ferry to Europe. It’s always encouraging to see common sense prevail and I look forward to the Commission concluding the formalities as soon as possible.’

Because of this decision, the UK’s status within the Green Card system will effectively be the same as three other non-EU member states who are part of the ‘Free Circulation Zone’ – Serbia, Switzerland and Andorra – where drivers can enter the EU using their domestic motor insurance policy and do not need to be issued with any additional documentation. The same will apply for any drivers and haulage operators from these countries who bring their vehicle to the UK.