Millions of UK drivers will need 'Green Card' to travel in EU in case of no-deal Brexit

Drivers will need extra documentation to cross between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Millions of British motorists have been warned that they will need a “Green Card” to drive in the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) today said that holidaymakers and businesses would need to organise the extra insurance documentation a month before taking their vehicle into Europe, if the UK crashes out of the EU on 29 March without a deal.

The trade body also advised that drivers crossing from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland would be required to carry this Green Card. Around 110 million journeys a year are made across the border, according to the NI Department for the Economy.

Drivers who take their vehicle to Europe without the proper documentation risk breaking the law, the ABI said. The same requirement would apply to EU motorists travelling to the UK.

Millions of drivers will be affected by this new guidance. Eurotunnel, which runs between Folkestone to Calais, carried 1.6 million trucks and 2.6 million cars in 2017 in both directions, while official statistics show that 2.4m HGVs travelled from Great Britain to Europe in 2017.

An agreement was made in May 2018 to waive the need for Green Cards in the event of a no-deal Brexit, but is has not been confirmed by the European Commission, said the ABI. On that basis, insurers are expecting Green Cards to be required for British motorists.

“As it looks increasingly possible that a no-deal Brexit may happen, we want all insurance customers to know the facts about what this means for them,” said Huw Evans, director general of the ABI.

“If you live in Northern Ireland and drive to the Republic of Ireland, or if you plan to drive your vehicle to mainland Europe after a no-deal Brexit, you will need a Green Card to prove you are insured. You should contact your insurer before you travel in order to get one. This advice applies to businesses as well as individuals.

“It remains the case that insurers do not want a no-deal Brexit; it would be bad for the economy and bad for our customers. We continue to hope these arrangements are never needed and urge the Government, UK Parliament and EU27 to agree an orderly way forward.”