At GoShorty, we offer temporary insurance to drivers from overseas if they have a UK or EU driving licence. UK driving licence holders resident overseas can get covered straight away for a trip back to the UK. Great news if you’re an expat coming home for the holidays!
For EU licence holders, you must have been resident in the UK for at least 12 months to get cover. Unfortunately we don’t currently offer temporary insurance for other overseas licence holders.
Short-term car insurance for non-UK residents is designed to provide temporary cover for UK licence holders living overseas and EU licence holders, resident in the UK for 12 months or more. Temporary car insurance lets you drive in the UK for both leisure and business reasons with complete peace of mind that you are protected in the event of anything going wrong.
UK expats with a foreign car who are visiting family and friends might not be covered by their existing insurance policy when driving abroad, so it’s important to get temporary cover in place if you’re planning to drive in the UK.
Whether you’re planning on driving your own car or someone else’s car, it’s a legal requirement to have valid insurance before getting behind the wheel. It doesn’t matter if it’s only for a few hours when helping out a relative or for several weeks when on vacation, driving without the appropriate cover in place could land you in serious trouble.
When you’re in the UK, foreign insurance policies will typically provide third-party fire and theft cover only. This means that international drivers won’t be covered for any damage to their own vehicle or any injuries to themselves in the event of an accident.
Whether you need insurance for just one day or for several weeks, we offer a wide range of policies with cover levels to suit your individual needs. Use our easy online quoting system to find car insurance at an affordable price from trusted UK providers.
What is and isn’t covered by your short-term car insurance policy will depend on the type of cover you purchase.
Even though comprehensive car insurance premiums are more expensive than third-party insurance policies, it’s always worth spending the extra if you can afford it. This is because anyone who isn’t familiar with UK roads – foreign citizens and expats living abroad – is statistically at a higher risk of being involved in a collision or accident.
Short-term insurance is a fantastic way for eligible non-UK residents or EU licence holders to get the best of both worlds; the peace of mind that comes with comprehensive insurance without the high prices of annual policies.
Different factors can impact the price of temporary car insurance premiums for non-UK residents. These include your age, your address in the UK, where you’ll be parking your car overnight, and the journies you plan to be doing in the vehicle.
To get more affordable car insurance as a foreign driver, the following things are advisable:
If you are a licence holder under the age of 25 or have a limited no-claims discount you will probably be classed as a high-risk driver. This means that any insurance provider will charge a higher premium to ensure that you are covered in the event of any accidents causing damage or injury.
Short-term car insurance for non-UK residents is available from a number of different UK insurers, so it might be worth comparing quotes to make sure you’re getting the best deal. It’s always best to get comprehensive cover if you can afford it, though, as this will make sure that you and your vehicle are insured in the event of an accident.
*It’s important to note that some UK insurers don’t recognise international no-claim discounts, so check with the provider before purchasing a policy.
If you have an international licence you can drive in the UK for no longer than 12 months. If you want to drive in the UK permanently or for any length of time over 12 months then you’ll have to apply for a full UK driving licence. If you already have a European or exchangeable driving licence then you should be able to swap it for a UK licence by paying a £43 admin fee. Other international licence holders will have to retake their driving test in order to obtain a UK driving licence.
If you do need to retake your driving test to drive on UK roads, getting temporary car insurance enables you to practice in someone else’s vehicle. You can get comprehensive cover for several days or weeks whilst you brush up on your driving skills ahead of sitting your UK driving test.
If you have a driving licence or international driving permit from a non-designated country or territory, you’ll need to apply for a provisional UK driving licence. After you have been in the UK for 6 months you can take the UK driving test and apply for a full UK licence.
If you’re a non-UK resident and you are planning to keep your vehicle in the UK for longer than 6 months, you’ll need to register and tax it here in order to carry on using it. This doesn’t just apply to continuous 6-month periods, however, as you’ll also need to register and tax the vehicle if you plan to drive it in the UK on separate occasions that, when added together, amount to more than 6 months within any 12-month period.
Many UK insurers will insure drivers for temporary periods as long as they have a valid driving licence. You might want to compare temporary car insurance quotes before choosing the one that’s right for you so you know that you are getting the type of cover you need.Here at GoShorty, we offer car insurance for international licence holders in durations ranging from just 1 hour to 28 days, meaning you can purchase a short-term policy for the precise amount of time you require. Use our easy online quote form to get UK car insurance for non-UK drivers today.
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