Taking your car abroad with Veygo

Planning a road trip? Festival with your mates? Or just heading to see family? Before you set off, it’s worth knowing where your cover applies and what you need to take with you, especially if you’re driving outside the UK.

Check where your cover applies

Where you’re covered, and the level of cover you get outside the UK, depends on your policy. Check your policy documents before you travel. If you’re not sure, contact our Customer Care team before you go.

What minimum legal cover means

Some car insurance policies only give the minimum legal cover in other countries. That covers damage or injury you cause to other people, but it usually won’t cover:

• Theft
• Damage to your car
• Vehicle recovery or getting your car back home if it’s not driveable
• Onward travel if your trip is cut short
• Getting your luggage or personal stuff back to the UK

So check exactly what you’re covered for in every country on your route. If your policy doesn’t cover a country at all, you won’t be insured to drive there.

Driving abroad: what to take with you

The rules for UK drivers changed when the UK left the EU, and they can change again. Always check the official GOV.UK guidance on driving abroad before you go. As a starting point, you’ll usually need:

• Your full, valid UK driving licence. Some countries also ask for an international driving permit (IDP), so check before you travel.
• Your vehicle log book (V5C). If the car is hired or leased, you’ll need a VE103 certificate instead.
• Your insurance documents.
• A UK sticker, unless your number plate shows the UK identifier and the country you’re visiting accepts it. GB stickers are no longer valid.
• A letter from the car owner giving you permission to take it abroad, if the car isn’t yours.

Kit you may need to carry

Each country sets its own rules on what you must carry in the car. Depending on where you’re going, that could include a warning triangle, reflective jackets, a first aid kit or headlamp beam deflectors, which stop your headlights dazzling oncoming drivers. Check the rules for every country on your route, including the ones you’re just driving through, to avoid a fine.

Rules of the road abroad

• Driving age. In many European countries the minimum age to drive is 18, so check first if you’re 17.
• Speed limits. Each country sets its own, and many enforce them with on-the-spot fines.
• Speed camera alerts. Sat navs that warn you about speed cameras are banned in some countries, so switch the feature off before you cross the border.
• Drink-driving. Many European countries have a lower drink-drive limit than England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The safest approach is not to drink at all if you’re driving.
• Driving on the right. Take extra care at junctions and roundabouts, and when you set off after a break, when it’s easiest to slip back into old habits.

Breakdown cover abroad

Check whether your breakdown cover works in the countries you’re visiting. Many UK breakdown policies only cover you at home, so you may need to add European cover or buy a separate policy before you go.

Staying in the UK?

There’s plenty to explore closer to home, from Reading Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe to the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) and the surf in Cornwall. Our guide to the best UK coastal road trips has some route ideas. And if you’re sharing the drive with a friend or family member, take a look at our temporary car insurance.

 
Ready to get covered before your next trip?