Some more info on Insurance while abroad.

CiniO

I wrote about it before.
I remember there were some discussion about that subject earlier.

Anyway - I approached an EU directive 2009/103/EC about obligatory third party insurances over EU.

Full text available here: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:263:0011:0031:EN:PDF

Just few interesting things from it.

(6)
A prohibition of systematic checks on motor insurance
should apply to vehicles normally based in the territory
of another Member State as well as to vehicles normally
based in the territory of a third country but entering
from the territory of another Member State. Only non-
systematic checks which are not discriminatory and are
carried out as part of a control not aimed exclusively at
insurance verification may be permitted.

(7)
The abolition of checks on green cards for vehicles
normally based in a Member State which enter the
territory of another Member State can be effected by
means of an agreement between the national insurers’
bureaux, whereby each national bureau would
guarantee compensation in accordance with the
provisions of national law in respect of any loss or
injury giving entitlement to compensation caused in its
territory by one of those vehicles, whether or not
insured.
A prohibition of systematic checks on motor insurance
should apply to vehicles normally based in the territory
of another Member State as well as to vehicles normally
based in the territory of a third country but entering
from the territory of another Member State. Only non-
systematic checks which are not discriminatory and are
carried out as part of a control not aimed exclusively at
insurance verification may be permitted.

Above pretty much means, that no green cards are required for anything. And checks of your certificate while abroad might only be occasional.

(24)
All compulsory motor insurance policies should cover
the entire territory of the Community.

(25)
Some insurance undertakings insert into insurance
policies clauses to the effect that the contract will be
cancelled if the vehicle remains outside the Member
State of registration for longer than a specified period.
This practice is in conflict with the principle set out in
this Directive, according to which compulsory motor
insurance should cover, on the basis of a single
premium, the entire territory of the Community. It
should therefore be specified that the insurance cover is
to remain valid during the whole term of the contract,
irrespective of whether the vehicle remains in another
Member State for a particular period, without prejudice
to the obligations under Member States’ national legis*lation
with respect to the registration of vehicles.

It pretty much means, that your third party part of policy is valid in the whole EU for the whole term of policy.
I remember discussion recently about someone moving to UK and willing to remain with his Irish reg car and insurance policy.
According to this directive, his policy (third party part) is valid to the end of the policy contract.

coylemj

Sounds good in principle but if you actually moved to some lawless part of the EU (France say!) then the insurance company would regard a change of address as a 'material' change in your circumstances so they could validly say that as you didn't notify them, they could rescind cover and deny a claim. The issue here would be not so much that you changed country but that you moved address, the same as would happen if someone moved from rural Mayo to Dublin city and didn't tell the insurance company.

I'm covered by Axa and checked their rules on foreign travel a few years ago because I was taking the car to France for a fortnight, I couldn't get through on the phone so I downloaded the policy which said that I could go abroad for a continuous period of not more than 30 days in which case I'd be covered. The unwritten rule seemed to be that if I was going abroad for more than 30 days then I would be considered to be moving address so they would want to know about it.

slimjimmc

Under Irish law an insurer must formally notify you in writing of their intention to cancel at 2 weeks (I think) before cancelling any policy, they can't just immediately remove cover. Until that cancellation date you are still legally covered for 3rd party liability and therefore they cannot deny a 3rd party claim which arose prior to or during that period.

Max Power1

slimjimmc wrote: »

Under Irish law an insurer must formally notify you in writing of their intention to cancel at 2 weeks (I think) before cancelling any policy, they can't just immediately remove cover. Until that cancellation date you are still legally covered for 3rd party liability and therefore they cannot deny a 3rd party claim which arose prior to or during that period.

Not if you failed to notify of a material change they dont. They wont cancel the policy, just refuse to pay out when/if needed