The Best Car Insurance for Students
23 October 2025 | 
Student life can be expensive. Between rent, food shops, travel, and everything in between, keeping costs down is a constant priority. Car insurance often feels like a luxury students can’t justify – especially if you’re not driving every day.
But what if you do need to get behind the wheel now and then? Whether you’re heading home for the holidays, helping a mate move house, or running errands during reading week, you still need legal cover to drive. That’s where temporary student car insurance comes in.
It’s often the best insurance option for students: flexible, affordable, and designed for people who don’t drive regularly. You only pay for the time you need – whether it’s an hour, a day, or a few weeks.
Why Traditional Car Insurance Isn’t Always Student-Friendly
Most insurers see students as high risk. Age, limited driving history, and postcode are all factors that impact insurance – that means annual policies can be expensive, even if you’re hardly using the car. Worse still for students, car insurance policies in the UK must run continuously unless the vehicle is declared SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification). So keeping a car back home that hardly gets used can feel like quite the financial drain.
So, if your car is parked at home while you’re at university, you’ve got two choices:
- Keep paying insurance year-round (even when you’re not driving),
- Declare the car SORN and stop using it altogether.
Obviously, if you have taken your car to university with you and drive it regularly, you’ll need to keep it continuously insured as usual.
And if you don’t have your own vehicle? That opens up a whole new set of challenges – like borrowing someone else’s car, which still requires you to be fully insured for every journey. For many students, being added as a named driver doesn’t make financial sense, but with temporary car insurance, you can take the pressure off your bank account and still get behind the wheel whenever it suits you.
What’s the Best Type of Car Insurance for Students?
The best car insurance for students isn’t always an annual policy. While traditional insurance might suit students who drive regularly or own their own car, it’s often overkill for students who only drive now and again – or who don’t even keep their car at uni.
Temporary insurance gives you a way to drive when you need to – and skip the cost when you don’t. It’s fully legal, quick to arrange, and perfect for the way many students typically drive: occasionally and on a short-term basis.
It’s one of the best ways to get insured as a student as you can:
- Get covered in minutes. It only takes a few taps with our new temporary insurance app.
- Only pay for what you need – from 1 hour up to 28 days.
- Borrow someone else’s car without affecting their no-claims bonus.
- Avoid paying to cover periods when you don’t actually need to drive. Remember, there must be at least one insurance policy running on your vehicle at any time unless it’s SORN.
It’s the smart choice if you’re looking for cheap car insurance for students without a long-term commitment or cost.
When Might a Student Need Temporary Insurance?
Temporary insurance is a smart, flexible way for students to stay covered only when they need to drive. Whether you’re back home from uni or sharing driving duties with a mate, short-term cover means you’re not tied into a costly annual policy. Here are a few real-life examples of when temporary insurance can come in handy:
Heading home for the holidays: Whether you’re driving home from uni for reading week, Christmas, Easter or the summer break, you could borrow a car and get temporary cover just for the days you’ll be using it. No need to rely on expensive train tickets or lifts. Make a road trip out of it and share the drive with friends who live close by – it will make the return home a lot less sad.
Moving between home and uni: Got a car full of clothes, bedding or a bike to bring? You might want to check out temporary van insurance so you can get all your stuff moved down in one go.
Driving at uni without owning a car: Some students don’t have a car at uni, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. If a mate’s happy to lend you theirs, a temporary policy means you can drive it legally – even just for a one-off trip to IKEA or a big supermarket shop.
Sharing the drive on a road trip: Planning a group road trip during term or a long drive back home with a friend? Temporary insurance lets you legally take turns at the wheel in their car, helping split the journey (and the fuel costs).
Temporary student insurance gives you the freedom to drive when you need to, without the financial strain of owning and insuring a car full-time. It’s fast, affordable, and designed to work around student life.
Can Students Get Cheap Car Insurance?
Cheap car insurance for students is possible – but you’ve got to be realistic about what you need. While comparison sites can show you annual policies, the cheapest deal might still run into the thousands or require hefty upfront payments. Plus, you’ll pay for the full year even if you’re only home at weekends or during the summer.
That’s why temporary insurance is often the most affordable option if you only drive now and then. You can get a quick quote in seconds – no long forms, no long commitments. Check out our tips on how to get cheaper insurance if you want to find out how to get the best deals.
What Happens If I Drive Without Insurance as a Student?
Driving without insurance is illegal – being at uni doesn’t exempt you from the rules of the road. If you’re caught behind the wheel without valid cover, you could face:
- A fine of up to £300.
- 6 penalty points on your licence.
- Seizure of the vehicle – even if it’s not yours.
- Higher insurance costs in future.
If you need to borrow someone else’s car or you’re lending someone your car, always insure the correct cover is in place; otherwise, you could be facing some serious consequences.
Can I Insure a Car Just for the Holidays?
Yes – that’s one of the biggest advantages of temporary cover. If you only need to drive during the Christmas, Easter or summer holidays, a short uni placement, or a weekend visit home, you can take out insurance just for that period, and avoid wasting money on unused cover. Want to save time? Download the app and get insured even faster.
Final Thoughts: What’s the Best Car Insurance for Students?
For many students, owning a car and paying for year-round insurance just isn’t realistic. But that doesn’t mean you need to miss out on driving altogether.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer – but if you’re a student who doesn’t drive daily, temporary insurance is almost always the most cost-effective and convenient choice.
If you want to keep your independence, without committing to a full annual policy, temporary insurance could be your ideal fit.
Whether you’re borrowing a car, driving home for the weekend, or using your own car during the holidays, we can help you get behind the wheel quickly and affordably.
Get a student temporary insurance quote today – and stay covered on your terms.
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