Advice for motor customers following Brexit

Yes. We’ll continue to provide the legal minimum motor insurance cover for travel to EU countries, as well as to some non-EU countries. So if you’re a UK motorist, you won’t need to buy an extra third-party motor insurance policy to travel to these countries with a UK-registered vehicle. In other words, you’ll have the same third-party cover that you do now.

Yes. There’s documentation you’ll need to have in place for your trip too – click here to find out more.

With AXA, you already get 90 days foreign travel free as part of your policy, so you won’t have to tell us. But if you’re travelling in the EU after Brexit, you’ll need a green card. Find out more about the documents you'll need here.

Yes – you’ll need physical copies of your green card, certificate of motor insurance and unless you’re only visiting the Republic of Ireland (ROI), an international driving permit.

A green card is an international certificate of insurance to prove you’ve got the necessary third-party motor insurance cover for the country you’re travelling to. They’re guaranteed by an agreement between the countries that issue them – and the UK will still be part of this agreement even in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

As your insurer, we’ll issue you with a green card when you let us know about your travel plans. Rules around green cards are strict. During your trip, you must carry the physical version we send you – you can’t use an electronic copy or email version, or print another version at home.

Your personal UK driving licence won’t be valid for driving in the EU, except for the Republic of Ireland (ROI), after Brexit. Instead, you’ll need to apply for an international driving permit (IDP).

Depending on which countries you’re planning to visit, you might need a different version – so check this before your trip. You don’t need an international driving permit for driving in the ROI, UK-issued driving licenses will still be valid.

Unlike green cards, this document is not issued through your insurer. To find out more about international driving permits, visit the Government website. Or visit the Post Office website to apply for one.

You only need to apply once in each period of insurance, and we’ll send your green card. This card covers you for the length of your personal car insurance policy, until renewal or cancellation, wherever you’re insured to drive. And it means you don’t need to apply for one with every trip you take.

To request a green card, call us on 0330 024 1158, at least seven days before your trip. It’s likely we’ll receive more requests around bank holidays or school holidays, so please make sure you’ve left as much time as possible to request your green card in case of any delays.

Your green card only proves that your insurance policy provides the minimum legal cover and is only valid for the insurance policy it relates to.

If your policy ends (e.g. because you’ve cancelled it) before its expiry date, you must destroy your AXA green card immediately before requesting a replacement from your new insurer.

If your policy is due to expire less than 15 days after the date that you travel, you’ll either need to make sure you’ve renewed your AXA policy before you travel, or you have a green card from your new insurer to cover the period after your current policy expires.

If you’re not carrying a green card when it’s required, you can’t legally drive in an EU member state. If you attempt to drive in the EU without one, you could be accused of driving without insurance, resulting in a fine, having your vehicle seized or prosecution.

Legally, you could choose to purchase insurance locally when you arrive in another country (often known as ‘frontier insurance’). In practice however, this could be quite difficult and might cost a lot more than a UK-issued policy.

Travelling to EU member states only (including the ROI)

Green cards are designed to be used in the same way across every EU member state. When you receive your green card, it’ll specify which countries you’re allowed to drive in – currently all EU member states. This might change in the future, so we’ll still need to know which countries you’re planning to visit when you request your green card.

Travelling to a green card country that’s not an EU member state

You’ll need to tell your insurer which countries you’ll be visiting as you may not be automatically be covered for driving in any country outside the EU, even if they are part of the green card system.

No. The green cards we issue are only for your own, UK-registered vehicle. If you want to rent or borrow a vehicle while you’re abroad, you’ll need to arrange separate insurance.

You might need to show your green card at the border when entering the EU and if you’re travelling between other EU member states, so make sure you’ve got the physical document with you. You might also be asked for it by the police at any time, in the country you’re visiting. If you’re involved in an accident, you’ll be expected to have it to hand.

Authorities in EU member states recognise green cards and will be familiar with them. Green cards issued by AXA use a standardised format agreed by all EU member states and the UK.

As long as you’ve got a valid green card with you, you won’t need to buy additional local insurance for any countries covered by the green card. 

No, we don’t charge for green cards.

Yes. You’ll need a separate green card for any trailer you plan to take with you on your trip. Depending on the size and type of trailer, you might need to register it with the DVLA so they can issue a separate registration number for it before you travel outside of the UK. Find out more on the DVLA website.

If your trailer has been issued with its own registration number, it’ll be shown on the green card. If it doesn’t have a registration number, the green card will show the trailer’s serial number or chassis number instead.

Yes – get in touch with us as soon as you can.

Remember to ask for the insurance details of any other drivers involved and gather as much evidence as you can, including taking photos if possible. You might be asked for your green card, so make sure you’ve got it to hand.

Through the green card arrangement, the UK has well-established relationships with motor insurers in each EU member state. This means that we’ll still be able to settle a claim when you’re not in the UK, as long as you’ve got your green card.

Currently, there’s also a ‘visiting victims’ arrangement for any UK citizen injured in a car accident in an EU state. If the UK exits the EU without a withdrawal agreement, this will no longer be in place. So if you need to make an insurance claim against an EU-registered insurer, you will be subject to the local legal system and your claim may be treated differently to how it would be in the UK.

No. All our UK-issued policies include the minimum level of third-party cover specified in the UK Road Traffic Act. We don’t expect this legislation to have changed by the time the UK leaves the EU.

There’ll be changes to driving rules and licensing requirements that you’ll need to comply with. If you don’t comply with the law, your insurance might not be valid.

The Department for Transport has a series of guides on how Brexit will impact driving and transport. Visit their website for more information.