Temporary car insurance for non-UK residents

Hello! Gemma here from Lawyer Destroyer. I would be happy to help you with this.

The short answer is yes, temporary car insurance is absolutely available for non-UK residents visiting England and Wales.

Under UK law, anyone driving on a public road must have at least third-party motor insurance. Because of this, several insurers offer short-term cover specifically designed for people visiting from abroad, whether you are bringing your own car over, an expat back for a holiday, or a tourist borrowing a friend's car.

Here is a quick look at how it works and what you will need.

What insurers usually ask for

Valid driving licence: Insurers will need to see your current driving licence. Most UK temporary insurers will comfortably accept licences from the EU, the EEA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the USA. If your licence is from elsewhere, or not printed in English, you might also need an International Driving Permit.

Age limits: Keep in mind that insurers often set higher age limits for drivers with non-UK licences. You will generally need to be at least 21, and sometimes over 25, depending on the provider.

Your record: You will usually need a fairly clean driving history with no recent driving disqualifications or severe penalties.

Practical options to get covered

Buy a standalone temporary policy: There are lots of specialist online brokers who provide cover from just one hour up to 30 days or more. You can easily search for temporary car insurance for non-UK residents online. Getting a quote is usually very quick and your cover can often start almost entirely straight away.

Get added to a friend or family member's policy: If you are planning to borrow a car from someone you are visiting, ask them to call their current current insurer. Sometimes an insurer will happily add a non-UK resident to an existing policy as a named driver for a few weeks. It is worth checking, as this can sometimes be cheaper than buying a separate policy, although some mainstream insurers can be a bit strict about non-UK licences.

Hire a car: If you are renting a vehicle from a standard car hire company in the UK, the legally required minimum insurance is almost always included in the rental price. You will usually just need to decide if you want to buy any extra fee waivers to reduce your excess payment in case of a bump.

It is always a good idea to shop around and compare a few specialist temporary insurers to find the best price. Just make sure the provider clearly knows you are a non-UK resident using a foreign licence before you purchase the policy, so you can be completely confident your cover is legally valid.

Please do let me know if you need any more help or if you have any other questions at all!