What's a Green Card Insurance?
The "Green Card Insurance" essentially is a simple third-party liability insurance valid in most of the European countries.
It's the legal requirement to drive on European roads and therefore mandatory for both European and Non-European registered vehicles to create a seamless insurance coverage. When a damage occurs, caused by a third party, it's covered by their insurance and same way around when you cause damage to a third-party.
The Green Card insurance coverages are: EUR 2.500.000€ for bodily injuries, EUR 1.000.000€ for property damage and EUR 50.000€ for financial damage. There is no coverage/compensation for a claim against other drivers in the same travel group.
However, damage that you cause on your vehicle by yourself e.g. by crashing, theft or causing an accident with a third-party is not covered. You can additionally get a "Full Comprehensive" insurance to cover those damages.
Adding a Comprehensive Coverage
Choosing the "Full Comprehensive" coverage includes the Green Card Third-Party Liability insurnace but also covers the damage you cause by yourself, theft and fire damage. Since the self-participation/deposit and the exact coverage amount for cars and motorcycle differs, you will receive those specific information after your personal inquiry.
Please notice that none of these two insurances are or act like an insurance for personal damage, medical travel insurance nor a breakdown roadside assistance insurance. Please make sure you are covered sufficiently before flying to Europe and starting your trip.
To inquire for Comprehensive Coverage for a car, we need the value and manufacturing year of the car first.
Coverage throughout Europe
Both the Green Card liability insurance and the Comprehensive coverage have limited coverage in the former Eastern Bloc countries. Please find the list of covered/not covered EU countries below and inquire to confirm the coverage of your desired travel countries, if you are planning to purchase an insurance.
Complete List of covered and not covered EU-countries
Insurance for an EU-registered/plated vehicle
If your motorcycle or car is registered in the EU, the green card insurance will not be valid in the country of registration for example: If you have a motorcycle registered in the U.K., we can provide you with a Green Card, that is valid in all other regularly covered European countries except the U.K.
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Can I get insurnace for a motorcycle or car that is registered NOT in my name?
Please note that the Green Card will be in the name of the person on the registration and you will be added as an additional driver.
We need a written statement of permission from the registered owner to drive the vehicle during your trip to ensure its a mutual agreement.
We also highly recommend that if you are not the person on the registration, you carry the statement with you while traveling, since police might ask you about your relation to the bikes and its owner and you may face difficulties without it.
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How long do I need insurance coverage?
As long as your vehicle touches European legal roads, you have to have insurance. You don't need coverage e.g. if your bike is stored in a facility over winter.
You can get a Green Card Insurance in periods of 30/60/90 days up to one year of coverage.
There is no shorter period of coverage possible than 30 days.
For example: Should you require a Green Card insurance for 41 days, you need a 60 day policy to cover you sufficiently. Each period is 30 days and starts whenever you want to ride on European legal roads. If you run out of coverage while traveling, we can easily issue you a new insurance policy.
Once an insurance card is active and the coverage period has started, it can't be canceled, cut short or edited anymore. This is a policy of the insurer, not Knopftours. Whether a refund for a cancelation of a policy is possible or not has to be decided from case to case.
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How much does a Green Card insurance or Comprehensive policy cost?
Since prices may vary from customer to customer, insurance coverage, duration or vehicle specs, we hope you understand that it's best if inquire directly with us to get a personal insurance quote based on your application.
When should I apply for an insurance?
We genuinely suggest you inquire with us as early as possible and start the application process prior to your travels to ensure that there is enough time. Of course we try to help you out as well, when the insurnace is needed very urgently. The insurnace documents are fully digital now, so there is no need to wait on paper documents being mailed to you anymore. We send out the insurnace papers via email as soon as the insurance is issued, so that there is no delay on your side.
Since there are still some old-fashioned police, customs or border officers around in Europe (especially the more East you go), we highly recommend still printing out the actual insurance card twice to carry with you on your motorcycle/car when traveling.
Is there a minimum age for the insurance?
Yes, your age is important for applying for an insurance.
The minimum age for receiving an insurance coverage is 21 years. Between 21 and 25, there is a +25% surcharge on the insurance cost.
Applying with 65 years old or above, anything I have to pay attention to?
If you are 65 years or older, you can still get insurance coverage but the insurance company needs a medical note from your physician that you are fit to drive. This can be a very basic statement and doesn't have to be fancy. If you meet the age group 65+, please let us know when inquiring about insurance, so that we send you an exemplary formulation.
Without this letter we can not issue any insurances. It is very hard to receive a medical note abroad from a physician abroad, so please take care of this prior your travels.
How do I apply for an insurance?
To start the process of obtaining an insurance through us, ideally you write us an email with your travel plans. The Dates, countries you want to visit, rough vehicle information, etc., the more precise you tell us about your endeavor, the better we can get an understanding of what insurnace coverage you need or qualify for.
Feel free to ask any questions you might still have about the insurance or else.
We need a completed application form from you to give you a personal quotation for the insurance coverage you've selected and to proceed with the insurance. You can receive the application form by email or you find it above.
After our quotation we will wait for a direct confirmation from you about the insurance coverage, the total quote and the starting date/duration of the insurance before we proceeding with any credit card payment or issuing the insurance. So feel free to send us a completed application form early on, to safe time when the insurance is more urgent.
The insurance will only be issued with prior successful payment.
Payment can only be done by VISA or Master Card credit card. No bank transfer.
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Disclaimer
It is absolutely crucial to fully and honestly complete the application form and sign the
form on the bottom where it's indicated in order to validate the policy coverage.
Please make sure to either type or write very clearly and legibly. We don't take any
responsibility for any errors on the insurance card resulting from ineligible handwriting
or a mistake on the application. In the case of a claim/accident, please remember
that Knopftours is not the claim office.