What type of insurance do I need?
 

Very sorry if this has been covered but I don't understand what policies I need.

Since I'm about to ride around the world, no UK insurer will cover my bike out of EU for 90+days. I'm sure I need to prove vehicle insurance whilst I'm on the road though (e.g when I get to India and USA, cross a border etc?) As I technically don't have a residence - what country does it need to be from? Technically I don't live in the UK any more.

The navigator insurance that I read on the other sticky thread, says that its personal cover and does not cover the bike.

I'm clear that I need medical traveller cover and that's fine, but I want to know where I can get my bike covered for legality's sake. Many thanks

Insurance
 

Hi

I've driven my 4x4/car through the middle east and africa. I've picked up insurance at the borders, which you will find is mandatory. It is 3rd party coverage...I've never worried about the coverage for my vehicle so have no information about that.

In 2017 I'm planning to drive to Europe where I'll need to produce my green card on entry. There is an insurance company in Switzerland that will issue that. I've sent them all my details and they are happy so all I have to do is send the money and give them the activation date. I shall purchase 90 day coverage.

For Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco I shall purchase my insurance at the border. My 4x4 will be shipped to Senegal from RSA.

Happy Trails

In every country the police will ask you for a document titled "Insurance" with some stamps but no insurance will actually cover you out there. As a forreigner you will have to pay in advance anyway or you wil end up in jail. Afterwards when your back home in Europa you can try to get your money back from a insurance company in Afrca HAHA

Enjoy your trip!
Adventure experience - motorcycle trip riding across Africa

Thanks for the reply. When you say "Insurance" doc, can this be from another country or domestic. For example I am going to be riding in Cyprus (still in EU) and the local insurer will not insure my UK registered bike.

So when traveling around the world, is a UK insurance doc a mere box ticker to satisfy regulations, when in actual fact it doesn't really cover anything, just satisfies customs and police.

What do you mean by "As a forreigner you will have to pay in advance anyway or you wil end up in jail."

I'll look in to that further - thanks. I just want to ensure I have what I need.
Like I said Cypriot insurer refused me so I don't know what will happen when I get to borders further afield.

So am I right in that there is no real global motor insurance, just for the country you are in and then the next one you got to (so lots of little ones). The only global policy is the personal medical one e.g navigator travel or similar?

That means that outside of Europa it usuarly dont matter if you have a real insurence or not. If you have an accedent you will have to pay anyway...

I presume that your bike registration and any other documents will have a UK address so as far as any foreign official is concerned you are a UK resident, do not confuse or complicate things with anyone by saying you are not. Your UK insurance will cover you in the EU and after that you can get it at the border when entering a new country, it may or may not be worth the paper it is written on but it will satisfy police and make you legal there.

So am I right in that there is no real global motor insurance, just for the country you are in and then the next one you got to (so lots of little ones). The only global policy is the personal medical one e.g navigator travel or similar?



Aye, there is no global motor insurance, you purchase the insurance on entry to each country.

I had a letter from my RSA insurance company saying that I was insured in the bordering countries but when I entered Moz or Bot I still had to purchase their insurance. The only multi country insurance I know is the 'green card' for the EU.

Haha true i payed 10$ bribe to a police when they found out i did not buy a insurance for 50$ at the boarder :D

There is the comesa if you go a little further north, I bought one in Zambia and used it all the way to Egypt.
Home

Many thanks - all clear now :)

This topic always produces more ammunition for the "can't fix stupid" stories. You can pick them because they invariably have haha every second sentence, or lots of silly emoticons.

Police do not always check at borders whether you have insurance or not. Often no police there but they are down the road waiting for you to turn up and contribute to their christmas party fund.
Aduana and customs also don't always check because it is not their job.
Yes, you can pay a few dollars when you get caught without mandatory liability insurance, PROVIDED the reason you had to stop wasn't because you were involved in an accident causing injury or death. In that case prison is the likely destination and there you will stay until liability is assessed by the courts. Mexico is a good example. Nobody asks if you have insurance. Only companies authorised by the government can offer it. You can get it on-line or at or before most border crossings. Any accident, whether involving injuries or not, that can't be resolved by the parties involved, will invariably result in major hassles with police and the courts. It is said to be highly illegal to move any vehicle after an accident without the direct authority of the police. Smart travellers take out the "legals" option which guarantees payment of legal fees required to get you back out on the streets while liability is being assessed.
Many borders not not have any insurance seller so it is up to you to either buy it well before you arrive, or take the real risks involved in traveling uninsured. Sometimes these borders will prevent you from passing until you have insurance.
If your vehicle complies with the requirements of the Vienna convention then getting the mandatory liability insurance for every country or group of countries (as applies in say South America) does at least afford you some legal protection, but doesn't of course stop the locals from beating you to death if you get unlucky. If your vehicle doesn't comply or if you have fake papers, then you will soon find that third-world fine print is even more devastating than first-world fine print.

Have fun.

Thanks for that information Mark. I'll use comesa the next time I'm that way. Can comesa insurance be purchased in Ethiopia or Djibouti? I may return to SA via roro to Djibouti and down the East side.