Looking for Short Term Car Insurance?
Short term car insurance can be a simple solution to a number of situations, from borrowing or hiring a car, to holiday cover or temporary vehicle insurance for your business.
Looking for short term car insurance for specific use? This quick guide covers the basics of what you can and can’t get short term cover for, and the most beneficial uses of this type of insurance.
Why take out short term car insurance?
Short term car insurance is available for anywhere between 1 to 28 days. Some insurers will extend cover to 3 months if required. The benefit is that you only pay for the cover you require. Short term policies are designed to offer great flexibility and so are ideal for any of the following:
Maybe you need to borrow a friends 4x4, perhaps your friend’s car has more seats, or you need more or less room, or perhaps they’ve asked if you’d like to take their convertible away for the weekend. Whatever the reason, short term car insurance is a great alternative to being named on their policy, because if you do have an accident their no claims bonus is unaffected.
If your car is off the road and you still need to get from A to B, short term hire can be a great way to get you back on the road.
If you’re just home from university for the holidays and have access to a car, short term car insurance can be a good way to get cover, other than being added as a named driver.
If you have a lot of miles to cover and are planning on sharing the mileage with another driver, it can be sensible to get your own short term car insurance.
If you are planning on taking someone else’s car away on holiday, then short term car insurance is a great solution both within the UK and Europe.
Who can take out short term car insurance?
If you are looking to take out short term car insurance you will need to have held a full driving licence for at least 12 months.
It depends on the insurer which countries they will accept licences from, but the majority accept UK, EU, EEA and Swiss licenses and some will also consider licenses from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Insurers will expect you to have been resident in the UK for the past 12 months, although many make an exception for Expats returning to the country.
Young drivers and short term car insurance
Insurers are not allowed to refuse cover to a driver based on their age. However, drivers under 21 represent a significant risk and so for many young drivers temporary cover will be prohibitively expensive.
You will need to have had a full driving licence for 12 months to qualify for temporary car insurance cover.
Short term car insurance can be a viable option if you are looking to drive a vehicle whilst you are home for the holidays and don’t want to risk your parent’s no claims bonus as a named driver.
Top tips when taking out short term car insurance
As with any type of car insurance, it pays to shop around as not all short term car insurance policies are made equal
Insurers offer additional cover to drivers taking out short term car insurance, such as breakdown cover, insurance for gadgets or tools or cover for driving abroad.
It may be cheaper to buy an annual policy and cancel it when you no longer need it, rather than take out short term car insurance. If you’re thinking of doing this, check what the cancellation fee is first. An advantage to taking out continual cover and cancelling it when you no longer need it, is a lower excess and more comprehensive cover.
Short Term Car Insurance – Useful FAQs
Yes temporary cover is available for taxis, both for private hire and public hire.
Yes short term cover is available for vans and is a great solution to get back to business if your van is temporarily off the road. It is also an ideal way to cover new employees whilst you are arranging annual cover.
The weight of the van and your usage will affect the cover you can get, with many insurers only providing temporary cover for vans up to 3.5 tonnes, whilst others will cover up to 7.5 tonnes. If you are using a van for couriering services, hire and reward or to carry hazardous materials, then you will struggle to get temporary cover.
Yes, although it could be a lot more expensive. It is illegal to refuse to insure a person based on their age, however older drivers represent higher risk to many insurers. Depending on the insurer, if you are over 70 or over 75 you could find the cost of short term car insurance prohibitive.
Not necessarily. It used to be that drivers with fully comprehensive insurance would automatically have third-party cover to Drive Other Cars (DOC), but this is no longer the case. Although some insurers do still offer this, it is not standard practice. Many insurers will charge extra if this is something you want from your fully comp policy. Be sure to check with your insurer and read the small print before you drive other cars, as you may not be insured and could be prosecuted for driving without insurance.