Driving abroad on holiday: your car insurance and green card

What you need to know about car insurance abroad

When you drive your car abroad, your Dutch car insurance generally remains valid — but not always under the exact same conditions. The crucial difference lies in the coverage territory stated on your policy schedule. Many insurers use 'Europe' as their standard coverage area, but what that includes can vary subtly: one policy may cover only EU countries, another might add Norway and Switzerland, and yet another may exclude certain Balkan states. Moreover, while third-party liability cover (WA) is mandatory in virtually all European countries and therefore included as standard, additional casco cover can have restrictions abroad that you would not face in the Netherlands. Think of a higher deductible for foreign claims, or exclusion of theft in certain regions. Always check your policy schedule and terms before leaving. A quick look at the 'International Motor Insurance Certificate' — better known as the green card — immediately shows which countries you are covered in and gives you the emergency number to call. If you are not fully comfortable with understanding Dutch insurance terms such as 'eigen risico' (deductible) and 'dekkingsgebied' (coverage area), it helps to get those basics clear before diving into your policy documents.

Coverage territory and the green card

The green card is officially the International Motor Insurance Certificate and serves as proof that your car has at least third-party liability cover. It is issued by your insurer and recognisable by its green colour — hence the name. The green card lists exactly which countries your insurance is valid in, usually indicated by an un-crossed-out country number or code. Until recently, a physical, paper green card was mandatory in many countries to present at border or police checks. Since 1 January 2025, however, a paper green card is no longer required in most EU countries, as well as Andorra, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia and the United Kingdom, and digital proof on your phone is generally accepted. Still, it is wise to carry a current, printed green card: not all countries are equally advanced with digital checks, and with a flat phone or no internet connection, you are in a stronger position with a paper document.

The green card not only shows the coverage territory but also the claims number you can call after an accident abroad, the name of the insurer and the car's registration number. Before you leave, check that all the countries on your route are included in the coverage territory. During a road trip through the Balkans, for instance, Croatia might be covered while Bosnia and Herzegovina is not. If a country is crossed out on the green card, you are not insured there — not even for third-party liability. In that case, you can often buy a so-called border insurance policy at the frontier: a temporary WA policy valid only for that country. For countries such as Turkey, Morocco or Tunisia, which are not part of the European system, a separate policy or a green card extension is necessary.

• The countries in which your insurance is valid (ticked or not crossed out on the card)
• The emergency or claims-reporting number of your insurer abroad
• The car's registration number and the name of the insurer
• Any specific conditions or exceptions per country

Third-party liability and casco cover abroad

Third-party liability insurance (WA) is the safety net that covers damage you cause to others with your car. Because WA is mandatory across Europe, this cover is in force almost everywhere abroad — at least, within the coverage territory on your policy. The minimum insured amounts vary per country; in the Netherlands, the minimum is €7.6 million per event for personal injury and €1.3 million for property damage, but local legislation abroad may require a different minimum. Most Dutch WA policies offer an insured amount well above those local minima, so you are well protected against financial claims abroad. Even so, it is worth checking whether your policy follows local compensation law in the event of an accident: some only cover according to Dutch standards, while a foreign court may award higher compensation. In practice, most insurers apply 'foreign cover' that aligns with local legal requirements, but not every policy states this explicitly.

With casco cover, things get trickier. Limited casco (WA+) usually covers damage from theft, break-in, storm, hail, fire and collision with animals — both in the Netherlands and abroad, provided the country is within the coverage area. All-risk (fully comprehensive) goes a step further and also covers damage you cause yourself, such as bumping a bollard or misjudging a tight parking garage. But beware: all-risk policies often have a higher deductible for claims abroad than at home. Where you might pay, say, €150 deductible for an own-damage claim in the Netherlands, that could easily be €250 or €300 abroad. Authorised repair shops may also differ: your insurer might require you to have the car repaired at an approved repairer within its network abroad, rather than driving back to the Netherlands. These are nuances you do not want to discover while standing with a damaged car on a French motorway.

*Important: exact cover, deductibles and conditions differ per insurer and policy. Always consult your own policy terms and schedule before departure.

Breakdown assistance while travelling

Breakdown assistance is one of the most underestimated parts of a foreign road trip. Many motorists assume that breakdown cover is automatically included with their car insurance, but in reality it is usually a separate module you have to actively select, or a standalone policy you take out separately. Even if you have breakdown assistance in the Netherlands, that does not mean the cover applies abroad: you often need to explicitly choose European cover, which is reflected in a slightly higher premium. If you skip this, you pay the full towing costs, vehicle repatriation and any replacement transport yourself. Consider this: repatriation from southern France or Italy to the Netherlands can easily cost between €800 and €2,000, depending on the distance and the nature of the breakdown. This ties into a broader question many households face: which optional insurance modules are really useful and which could you drop?

• Towing and recovery costs after an accident or technical failure
• Replacement transport locally or repatriation of the car to the Netherlands
• Hotel accommodation if the repair takes longer (often up to a set maximum per night)
• Access to an emergency call centre that coordinates help in your own language

The car's age also plays a role. For older cars — for instance, over 10 or 12 years old — some breakdown modules limit cover, for example by only reimbursing repatriation up to a maximum amount or by charging a per-incident contribution. The type of breakdown also matters: a flat battery or puncture falls under standard breakdown assistance, but damage from an accident is usually the car insurance that is called upon first — and then you need to check whether your casco or WA+ covers the recovery costs. It can happen that towing costs appear to be covered by both the car insurance and the breakdown policy, leading to overlap disputes. Check your policy for phrases like 'if no other insurance covers the costs' to see who pays first.

Luggage, passengers and overlapping cover

A car accident abroad is not just about damage to the vehicle itself. Your luggage, camping gear, phones, laptops and other personal belongings can also be damaged, stolen or lost. The cover for this is a grey area: your car insurance generally does not cover luggage — at least, not as standard. Some all-risk policies offer limited baggage cover as an optional module, capped at, for example, €500 or €1,000 per event. But most damage to or loss of your holiday belongings falls under your travel insurance, specifically the baggage module. This immediately raises the question: are you doubly insured? To prevent that, it is useful to run through the checklist to avoid double insurance — especially if you have both a travel policy with baggage cover and a car policy with a luggage module. The risk of overlap is real and could mean you are paying unnecessary premium.

Watch out for passengers too. Personal injury to passengers in the Netherlands is usually covered by passenger injury insurance (SVI) — a separate module on the car policy, not to be confused with WA cover which only covers damage to third parties (not your own passengers). Abroad, SVI cover can simply remain in force, but again: the coverage territory must include the destination country. Moreover, the insured amounts per passenger differ per policy. In practice, you see that medical costs for passengers are primarily covered through the basic medical cover — especially within the EU — and that SVI only kicks in secondarily for what the basic cover does not pick up. This is exactly the kind of overlap you want to understand before travelling. A commission-free insurance review can help you sort this out without being tied to any specific insurer.

What to check before you depart

With all the theory in mind, it is time for action. Good preparation takes no more than half an hour but can save you thousands of euros and a lot of stress on your trip. It starts with having your policy schedule, green card and insurer's app to hand. Go through the steps below in the weeks before departure — not on the day itself, because you do not want to discover something still needs arranging at the last minute. You can also combine this check with your annual non-life insurance review to see whether all your policies still fit your current situation. That way, you avoid surprises on holiday and know exactly what to do in the event of a breakdown or claim.

When a policy review makes sense

Most foreign car holidays pass without incident, and with a good understanding of your cover you are already in a stronger position. Yet there are situations where a fresh look at your policies really pays off. If, for example, you have bought a new car and are unsure whether the all-risk cover applies throughout Europe, or if you are taking a camper or caravan — which often requires separate insurance as with camper insurance in the Netherlands — the conditions can vary considerably between insurers. Likewise, if you suspect you are paying too much premium due to overlapping modules across your car policy, breakdown cover and travel insurance, a review is worthwhile. A commission-free car insurance comparison can reveal whether there are policies that better match your travel plans. An independent adviser can think along without sales pressure about how your policies interconnect and where unnecessary overlap exists.

Through PolisMoment, you can request a free, commission-free non-life insurance check without any obligation to switch. The process is simple: you list which policies you have, and an independent advisory firm reviews whether the cover fits your situation and whether any doubly insured modules can be removed. This is especially useful around life events such as moving house, getting a new car, expanding your family, adjusting insurance after the death of a partner, or — indeed — a planned driving holiday abroad. Because the check is commission-free, there is no incentive to sell you unnecessarily expensive or unsuitable policies. Read more about how the free non-life insurance check works to see what to expect. It is not an obligation, just a low-threshold way to travel with peace of mind.