Temporary car insurance

This depends on the type of driving licence you have:

Provisional licence

If you’ve got a provisional licence, we can’t help you find temp cover but a learner driver insurance policy might be more suited to what you need.

Full licence

If you’ve passed your test and have held a valid full UK licence for at least 6 months, you need to be aged between 17 and 78 to get a policy.

You can get a quote and buy cover online in just a few minutes. You should get the documents emailed to you straight away so you can quickly hit the road.

Short-term cover shouldn’t impact your existing policy. That’s as long as the details you provide are correct and you’re driving within the arranged policy start and end date. If the policy is valid, any accidents that happen should be covered by the temporary car insurance policy.

Any existing no-claims bonus you or the car owner hold shouldn't be affected.

You can normally get cover on your existing car insurance policy to cover you while driving in Europe. Some insurance providers will only provide the minimum level of cover for certain countries in Europe, so it’s important to bear that in mind.

If this is the case, you can always take out temporary car insurance to drive in Europe. It’s worth remembering that now the UK has left the EU, you need to carry a green card when driving in Europe. For more information, take a look at our guide on driving in Europe.

No. As long as you have the car owner’s permission, you’re good to go.

Exact restrictions can vary between insurers. Generally, to be a driver you must confirm that you:

• Haven’t been disqualified from driving or had your licence cancelled in the last 2 years
• Have never been refused insurance or had a policy cancelled or voided
• Have no criminal convictions or pending prosecutions
• Have had no more than 7 penalty points on your licence in the last 3 years
• Have had no more than 2 accidents, claims or losses in the last 3 years regardless of blame

You also need to confirm that the car:

• Has a valid MOT, unless you’re using the policy to attend a pre-booked MOT - and hasn’t been declared as SORN
• Hasn’t been modified, unless designed to aid disabled drivers
• Is taxed, unless you’re using the policy to buy the car tax immediately after taking out a policy

Yes, you can tax a vehicle with a temporary car insurance policy. You do it the same way as you would with a 12-month policy, either online through the DVLA website or through your local Post Office.

To get a quote we need to know:

• The vehicle registration or, if you don’t know that, the make and model
• How long you want cover for, between 1 hour and 28 days
• When you want the cover to start
• Details of the driver – date of birth, postcode, type of driving licence and how long you’ve held the licence
• How much the car is worth. The minimum you can enter is £1,500
• The email address and mobile number you want your insurance documents sent to

You should be able to get temporary car insurance cover for most vehicles. We also offer temporary van insurance if you need cover for something slightly bigger.

Policies cover you to use your vehicle for social and domestic use, as well as commuting to and from a permanent place of work.

Some policies may include additional cover such as class 1 business use or travelling to multiple places of work. Once you get your quote, check the insurer's declaration to see what is and isn’t included, as exact cover varies depending on your insurance provider.

Yes, but you need to have held a full UK licence for a minimum of six months to get a temporary insurance policy and be aged between 17 and 78.