Can UK car insurance be extended to provide cover in France?
Standard policies last for 90 to 180 days
Drivers may also need to fulfil additional requirements
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Reader Question: Is there a way to extend our UK car insurance beyond 180 days in France? We will be visiting our second home for an additional two months.
It is possible to find insurance policies for UK cars in Europe (not just France) for longer than the standard 90 or 180 days offered by most policies – but you will need to use specialist brokers.
An example is Swansea-based Stuart Collins, which has worked out a one-year deal with French insurance firm AXA, for either third party fire and theft, or fully comprehensive packages.
To qualify, your car has to be street legal in the UK, with up-to-date taxes and MOT, which might mean a special trip back during the year to sort out the car.
Read more: What are the risks of not carrying your licence when driving in France?
Rules when driving in France
There are also restrictions on who can drive – the driver must have held a licence for at least two years.
The car and driver must be legal in the European country too – make sure your headlight beams are set for driving on the right-hand side of the road, for example.
As for prices, expect to pay more. A range of factors including the car and claims history are taken into consideration, and some customers end up paying double the amount they were paying for standard insurance policies.
It may be less stressful and cheaper to buy a French car and keep it at your second home in France. To purchase a car, two documents must be provided: a valid proof of French address (less than three months old, and a valid driver’s licence.
Read more: Sales of small, no-licence, cars are booming in rural France
For the former, this can come from any of the usual sources (utility bill, phone bill, etc) and be for a second home in the case of non-residents. For the latter, this can be a valid driving licence from another country.
