Border Motorcycle insurance for Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina
 

Hi all, anyone here with experience crossing into Montenegro and Bosnia, just trying to find a quote for the insurance I need, as my current doesn't cover either country. Also, can I get them at the border? Thanks! beerbeerbeer

I bought at the border in July this year. Straightforward and not expensive.

Hello Carlos:

Welcome to the HUBB. As Tim noted, you buy at the border - every MAJOR border crossing will have insurance kiosks. If you cross the border in the backwoods somewhere, there might not be a kiosk.

See this post, it's an older post, but it explains everything and nothing much has changed except perhaps the prices: Balkans Insurance - Here's the story, with details & sample documents.

Michael

The insurance kioks at the main border between Croatia and Montenegro have gone, I was there a few weeks ago. Montenegro ( and Bosnia) have signed up to the uninsured drivers scheme in Europe so no more checks on your insurance status, just a stamp in your passport. As a result the vendors have gone so the only alternative now is to find a broker in the first town and try and arrange some or ride uninsured.

I'd take that with a pretty big grain of salt - meaning, I would not rely on that advice.

The easiest way to determine if your existing insurance covers you for any given country is to look at the "green slip" and see whether or not that country's symbol is crossed out or not.

If it is crossed out, then you need to get a policy specific for that country. If it is not crossed out, you are covered in that country.

Michael

what "green slip"?

The insurance document that you receive from your home country insurance provider, and/or from any other motor vehicle insurance provider in Western & Central Europe.

In most of Western & Central Europe, that is a green-coloured piece of paper, hence the many references you will see here in the forums to a "green card".

There's a picture of one at this link: Balkans Insurance - Here's the story, with details & sample documents - look at the very first picture at the top of that discussion. Take note that at the very far left edge of that document, the box containing the letters 'BIH' (meaning Bosnia and Herzegovina) has an X drawn through it, which indicates that the insurance policy is not valid in that country.

Be aware that that image of the green insurance slip is from 2016.

Michael

Can anyone confirm whether it can still be bought at the border? We're Canadians on UK registered bikes. In southern Croatia and about to cross tomorrow...

From Red Lake? Wow, you are a long way from home.

First thing to do is to check the insurance slip ("green card") that you have for your UK registered motorcycle to see if your existing coverage covers the country you plan to enter (presumably that is B & H). Look for a small box on the slip with the letters "BIH" and confirm that that box is NOT crossed out. If it is not crossed out, then you have coverage in B & H.

If you find you do not have coverage, ask the border official you meet when you enter the country to tell you where you can go and purchase insurance. They will know. Border officials in the former Yugoslavian countries are generally quite pleasant people and recognize the importance of tourism to their country's economy... I'm pretty sure they will give you good advice.

Michael

If your UK registered bikes are insured in the UK then you have minimum third party cover, go to gov.uk website where you will find

Driving abroad

If you’re driving in most European countries
All UK vehicle insurance provides the minimum third party cover to drive in:

the EU (including Ireland)
Andorra
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Norway
Serbia
Switzerland

If you want a higher level of cover then you will need to find an insurance agent.

Enjoy Bosnia!

Paco:

I have doubts about whether your statement above is correct. I think you have confounded the need to carry a green card with whether a UK vehicle is insured in certain countries.

The website you referenced - https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad makes two separate statements.

The first statement is that a vehicle registered in the UK carries the required minimum liability insurance for EU countries. Bosnia & Herzegovina is a member of the Council of Europe, and a candidate for EU membership, but they are not yet a full member.

The second statement on the gov.uk website says "You do not need to carry a green card when you drive in the EU (including Ireland), Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia, and Switzerland. You still need valid vehicle insurance." Note that that statement does not indicate that you are insured in all those countries - it just indicates that you don't need to carry a green card (on the presumption that you are in fact insured). Note that many, if not all of the countries mentioned after the words "(including Ireland)" are NOT EU member countries.

Michael

The first statement is crystal clear, if you have UK insurance you have third party insurance in the countries listed. The second statement is also crystal clear, you need valid insurance, this does not contradict statement one, it merely reminds people they have to have valid UK insurance to benefit from statement one. The fact that the countries listed are not in the EU is completely irrelevant, they are signatories to the arrangement over insurance.
So it is quite simple, the UK gov categorically states you have minimum cover in those countries as long as your UK insurance is valid.
I suggest you have a look at this it explains the Montenegro situation as well which I mentioned in a previous post above.......
Starting 2 August 2021, vehicles registered in Montenegro and the UK, except for the military ones, will no longer be checked for the existence of a valid MTPL insurance when crossing the borders of EU states, the recently adopted Implementing Decision of the European Commission no. 2021/1145 of 30.6.2021 provides.

On 30 May 2002, the national insurers' bureaux of the Member States of the European Economic Area and other associate States concluded an agreement under which the settlement of claims arising in respect of accidents occurring in their territories that are caused by vehicles normally based in the territory of the other parties to that agreement, is guaranteed, irrespective of whether such vehicles are insured (the 'Agreement').

On 6 January 2021, the national insurers' bureaux of the Member States and those of Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom signed an addendum to the agreement by which the Agreement was amended to include the national insurers' bureau of Montenegro. The addendum provides for the practical arrangements to abolish insurance checks in respect of vehicles normally based in the territory of Montenegro and which are subject to the Agreement.

The national insurers' bureau of the United Kingdom was a signatory to of the Agreement of 30 May 2002. The withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union did not change the situation as regards the commitments of its national insurers' bureau towards the other national insurers' bureaux concerned.

Therefore, all the conditions for the removing of checks on motor insurance against civil liability, in accordance with Directive 2009/103/EC, in respect of vehicles normally based in Montenegro and the United Kingdom are fulfilled.

So Montenegro isn't checking for insurance at the border now as I found out, the insurance kiosks at the Croatian border on the coast road have gone, again as I found out (2022 ) so you have to go and find a broker at the nearest town or ride / drive through without insurance other than legal minimum , unless you have arranged insurance beforehand. I am mentioning this again just in case people who are not from countries which are signatories to the arrangement turn up and expect to be able to get insurance at the border, as it may no longer be available as the vendors have gone.

Having just crossed both borders on a bike, I can confirm: nobody was even remotely interested in my insurance.

1: Main road crossing from Dubrovnik towards Kotor. Croatian border guard didn't look at my papers at all, Montenegrin border guard stamped my passport but did not ask for bike registration. There is an insurance seller on the Montenegro side.

2: Small border crossing back into Croatia in Vitaljina, detour through the little peninsula (strongly encouraged!): both border guards asked to see my passport and bike registration, my guess is they were just bored. :) Did not see an obvious insurance seller.

3: Small border crossing into Bosnia, between Dubrovnik and Mostar in Trebimlja (make sure you stop at Vjetrenica cave after the border!): combined single post, Croatian border guard checked my passport and registration, Bosnian border guard was just hanging out next to a portable container kiosk and only took my passport to check. No obvious insurance sellers.

4: Main border crossing on the highway from Mezhugorje into Croatia (stop at the Kravica waterfall on the way, bring a towel and swimsuit): both sides checked passport and bike registration, and the crossing is in the shape of highway toll booths, did not see a place to buy insurance, but that may have just been inattention.

In every case I pretty much did not need to get off the bike or take off my (modular) helmet. But I was an EU citizen traveling on an EU-plated bike; two guys in a UAE-plated Landcruiser ahead of me got pulled over for the full treatment. :D

Further to the above friends have just done Bosnia.....no agents at the border, not asked for insurance riding uk bikes . They found a broker in a nearby town and managed to get cover as their UK insurer covers Eu Only plus Switzerland.....not Bosnia, Serbia etc and they weren't prepared to extend cover .
This is exactly the opposite of my insurer who covers all the above , it's on my certificate together with translations on the rear . I'm also fully comp in each country as well .
Best read your policy before u travel me thinks