Car insurance for non-uk residents

Many non-UK residents struggle to find affordable car insurance when driving in the UK. This is because most UK insurers treat drivers from outside of the UK as high-risk. They don’t care if you’ve built up years of experience of careful driving overseas. So you may pay a higher premium than most UK drivers.

At Insure 2 Drive, we believe in giving careful drivers comprehensive cover at a reasonable price. We offer specialist car insurance for non UK residents.

 

No Claim Discount for Non-UK Residents

If you’ve moved to the UK or are returning from living abroad, it pays to get covered by an insurer that truly understands your needs.

Many UK insurers assume that all non-UK drivers will be unfamiliar with UK roads. So when calculating your premium, they’ll ignore your existing no claims discount. As far as they’re concerned, all those years you spent driving carefully on overseas roads don’t count. So you’ll end up paying a higher premium than most UK residents, and you’ll have to start from scratch in building up your no claims discount.

But at Insure 2 Drive, we’ll consider your existing no claim discount if you are one of the countries listed below and if you aren’t using your no claim discount elsewhere.

We will accept your no claim discount from:

  • A country within the EU
  • Andorra
  • Australia
  • Gibraltar
  • Monaco
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • South Africa
  • Switzerland

So with Insure 2 Drive you can get a no claims discount immediately, and you’ll be able to drive fully-covered on UK roads.

Accepted International Licences and Permits

Our specialist Car Insurance for Non-UK Drivers is available to all international driving licence holders.

 

How Does Car Insurance for International Drivers Work?

Many temporary visitors to the UK either rent a car, or bring their own car from overseas. If you rent a car for driving in the UK, insurance should be included as part of your rental agreement. And if you bring your own car to the UK, your existing insurance should at least cover you for third party damage when driving in the UK. But these are just temporary solutions.

 

Long term Insurance for International Drivers

If you’ve moved to the UK, or if you’re returning to the UK having spent time living abroad, you’ll need long-term car insurance cover before you can legally drive on UK roads. Your car will also need to have UK number plates and be registered in the UK.

For this, you’ll need to take out a car insurance policy from a UK insurer. UK insurers calculate insurance premiums on a driver-by-driver basis. They’ll take your unique circumstances as a driver into consideration when working out how much to charge you for cover. And unfortunately, many UK insurers view international licence holders as inherently high risk – even if you’ve never had an accident before!

That’s why it pays to choose from an insurer who offers specialist car insurance for international licence holders like Insure 2 Drive and where your existing no claim discount will be taken into consideration if you are from one of the countries listed above. This specialist type of insurance is essentially identical to standard UK car insurance so you can get all the cover of a standard UK comprehensive car insurance policy at a more affordable price.

 

What’s Covered by Car Insurance for Non-UK Drivers?

Car insurance for drivers from outside of the UK provides the same level of cover that you can expect from a standard UK car insurance policy. So you can choose from three levels of cover:

  • Third Party Insurance Cover
  • Third Party, Fire and Theft
  • Comprehensive Car Insurance

If you’re involved in a collision, third party insurance covers you for any damage suffered to other road users. You’ll pay less of a premium, but it’s important to remember that you will be responsible for paying for any repairs your car might need.

Third party with fire and theft offers the same level of cover, but with added cover for if your car is stolen, destroyed, or damaged by fire.

Comprehensive car insurance premiums cost more, but they’re the most cost-effective choice for most drivers. If you’re involved in a collision, comprehensive car insurance will cover you regardless of who caused the accident.

With third party cover, you’d always be personally responsible for covering repairs to your own car. Car repairs never come cheap, so it’s always worth paying more for comprehensive cover. Indeed, with the amount you could save on repairs, comprehensive cover can end up costing you less than third party cover in the long-term.

 

Can I Drive in the UK on an International Licence?

You can drive in the UK on an international licence for up to 12 months. If you plan on staying in the UK for the long-term, you’ll eventually have to either exchange your international licence for a UK licence, or pass a UK driving test.

  • If you have a full, valid EU or EEC driving licence – You can drive in the UK until this licence expires, which will either happen when you turn 70, or three years after you become a full-time UK resident – whichever is longer.
  • If you have a full, valid licence from a “designated country” – You can drive in the UK for up to 12 months, after which you’ll have to exchange your international licence for a UK licence. There’s no need to retake your driving test if you do this within five years of becoming a UK resident.
  • If you have a full, valid licence that was not issued in an EU, EEC or designated country – You can still drive in the UK for 12 months on your existing licence. But then you’ll have to apply for a provisional UK driving licence. To be able to drive on your own you will need to pass the UK driving test to legally drive on UK roads.
  • US licence holders – If you are a US licence holder you are also able to drive in the UK for up to 12 months. After those 12 months if you wish to continue to drive in the UK, you will need to apply for a provisional UK driving licence and pass the UK driving test.

Get Affordable Comprehensive Car Insurance for Non-UK Drivers

It’s illegal to drive on UK roads without at least third party car insurance cover. If you want to drive while living in the UK, you will need car insurance. But don’t let other insurers take you for a ride. Instead, choose specialist cover from an insurer who understands and respects your experience.

If you’ve moved to the UK or are returning from living abroad, we offer car insurance for non-UK residents who are looking to drive in the UK. For the countries listed above, we will even take into consideration your existing no claim discount, so you can get a considerable saving immediately.

Get a free quote on your car insurance for non-UK drivers cover.