Can I drive my UK-registered car in Spain on my normal insurance?

Your UK policy usually includes the legal minimum cover for EU travel, which is often third-party only and limited to a set number of days per trip. For longer stays or living in Spain, you need a dedicated European motor policy that gives you full cover.

Do I need a Green Card to drive in Spain?

No. Since May 2022 UK drivers no longer need a Green Card to drive in Spain or any other EU country. Your insurance certificate is sufficient. If you are driving on into a country that still requires one, we can issue a Green Card for you.

Can I insure a UK car in Spain if I live there full-time?

Yes. We arrange motor insurance for UK nationals living in Spain who have kept a UK-registered vehicle. Standard UK insurance is not designed for residents of another country, so an expat policy is the correct cover.

European Motor Insurance for UK Vehicles in Spain

Q: What equipment do I legally need to carry when driving in Spain?

Spain requires a warning triangle, a reflective jacket kept inside the car, and a spare set of bulbs. If you wear glasses to drive you must carry a spare pair. Police can issue on-the-spot fines for missing items.

If you are taking a UK registered car to Spain, your standard UK insurance probably will not cover you the way you would expect. Most UK policies include the legal minimum requirement for EU travel, which is usually Third Party only and often capped at 90 days in total per year. For a long stay, a second home, or full-time living, that is not enough.

Stuart Collins has been arranging European motor insurance since 1969. Spain is one of the countries we are asked a lot about, partly because of the size of the British community there. We can arrange the level of cover you actually need, whether you are driving down for a few months or living there all year round.

Who this is for

There are two situations where you will want a specialist Spanish motor policy. The first is the regular visitor. Someone with a holiday home or who spends extended periods in Spain and wants full cover rather than the bare minimum their UK insurer provides abroad. The second is the ex-pat who has moved to Spain permanently but kept a UK registered vehicle. Standard UK insurance isn’t built for residents of another country, and driving on it once you have moved can leave you uninsured without realising.

Driving in Spain: what to know

Spain drives on the right. Speed limits are 120 kph on motorways, 90 kph on main roads, and 30 to 50 kph in towns depending on the number of lanes. The drink drive limit is lower than the UK at 0.5 grams per litre, and stricter still for drivers with less than two years’ experience.
You are legally required to carry certain equipment. That includes a warning triangle (two is safer, one for the front and one for the rear), a reflective jacket that must be kept inside the car rather than the boot, and a spare set of bulbs. If you wear glasses to drive, you need to carry a spare pair. Police can issue on the spot fines for missing items, so it is worth checking before you set off.

Do you need a Green Card for Spain?

Whilst this is no longer required to drive in Spain or any other EU country, we still issue the Green Card for our clients peace of mind as some EU countries still ask for it.

Why use an FCA-regulated broker

Stuart Collins is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 1013445. That gives you protection most ex-pats do not get if they buy insurance through a local broker abroad. You’re covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and you have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service if a claim ever goes wrong. When you’re insuring a car a thousand miles from home, that backstop matters.

To get a quote for cover in Spain, use the quote form or if you have any queries, call us on 01792 655562. We can usually turn quotes around quickly and we are happy to talk through which level of cover suits your needs.