Where is the green card required?
After buying a car insurance policy, the insurer sends you a green card. It is proof that your car is insured. In the Netherlands it is not obligatory to always take the green card with you when you go out with the car. Still, it can be handy to have it with you. There are also a number of countries where it is compulsory to carry your original green card. The original card is really green, so a copy is not allowed. Which countries they are, you can read on this page.
What is the green card?
The green card is an international certificate of insurance. It allows the police anywhere in the EU to check in the central registers that you are insured. The green card also contains all kinds of practical information such as phone numbers to call in case of a breakdown, accident or theft.
It seems logical that it should actually be green, otherwise the card would have had a different name. Insurers are increasingly working with a digital certificate of insurance. This is no longer a document, but a pdf on your phone, for example. Still, it is advisable to print the card on green paper. Especially to avoid confusion. It was also initially agreed to print the international insurance certificate on green paper. So just keep it green.
Why green card?
No matter what language is spoken in the country, it is clear what the information on the map means. About 70 years ago, this card was developed to protect victims of traffic accidents when the perpetrator was a foreign car. The certificate was mandatory for motorists to carry during car trips abroad. It was also convenient for the motorist because it contained all the necessary information about car insurance. The green card is still there, but is usually no longer mandatory. Read more about what a green card is here.
Are you required to carry the green card?
Within the EU, you no longer need the international certificate of insurance. There is often confusion about whether or not this card is mandatory in Belgium. The Belgians themselves do require it. The obligation may not exist, but it is better to have the certificate with you in case of an accident. Outside the EU, the green card is also not mandatory in:
- Norway
- Andorra
- Iceland
- Switzerland
- Liechtenstein
There are many countries where the card is mandatory
Especially further afield, there are still many countries where the card is mandatory. These include the following countries:
- Albania;
- Bosnia (and Herzegovina);
- Israel;
- Iran
- Morocco;
- Moldova;
- Montenegro;
- Ukraine;
- Russia;
- Republic of Serbia;
- Tunisia;
- Turkey;
- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia;
- Belarus.
Some insurers no longer provide a physical green card with car insurance, but the authorities in these countries do not agree to that. The pdf printing on paper is better done on green paper. It is better to let the insurer do it, because there are requirements for the quality of the card. After all, it has to be an official document.
In summary, the green card is not required in green. But if you have the document in writing, you better make sure it is printed on green paper. Different conditions apply to the caravan. Keep this in mind when you go on vacation with the caravan.
Apply for new green card
If you have not received a new green card or you have lost your green card, you can apply for a new green card very easily and completely free of charge.
Related pages about the green card
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