Looking to insure a van in Northern Ireland?
If your van is registered to an address in Northern Ireland arranging insurance could be a little harder than it is in the rest of the UK. Here’s what you need to know.
Challenges in finding competitive Northern Irish van insurance are rapidly becoming a thing of the past, here’s why.
Is van insurance in Northern Ireland more expensive?
There are numerous reasons why, in the past, van and car insurance was considerably more expensive in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK. One reason was that there were less insurers covering Northern Irish drivers and less competition meant higher prices.
Other reasons include a higher percentage of; young drivers, uninsured drivers and accidents, as well as a history of higher pay outs, all of which led to less money in the central pot and a requirement for insurers to push up premiums.
Thankfully over the years, these factors are changing, with more insurers providing cover to vehicles in Northern Ireland, leading to a more competitive market. Also, the overall driving population in NI is getting older and more experienced therefore representing less risk to insurers. Similarly as prices lower, more drivers are taking out insurance, meaning that the number of uninsured drivers on the road is falling.
Is van insurance in Northern Ireland cheaper?
Now that the insurance market it pretty much on an even keel across all of the UK, there can be circumstances where van insurance is actually cheaper in NI, however this is very much dependant on personal circumstances, for example the type of vehicle you are looking to insure, any modifications, where it’s kept, security arrangements and of course a positive driving history and no claims bonuses.
Insurance in Northern Ireland – Useful FAQs
Yes. Although if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, chances are you will need to acquire a Green Card to drive in the ROI.
Yes. Standard UK policies cover England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Yes
Previously many insurers refused cover to vans in Northern Ireland, meaning that calling individual brokers would get you the best deal. However today there are specific comparison sites available which only list insurers that extend cover to Northern Ireland.