GREAT REASONS TO COMPARE SHORT-TERM CAR INSURANCE QUOTES
How long would you like to be insured for?
Short-term car insurance gives you the flexibility to only buy the cover you need from an hour to a day, a week or a month.
Hourly insurance
Temporary car insurance can cover you to drive a car for as little as one hour.
So it can be ideal for things like one-off trips, driving someone else’s car in an emergency, or for collecting a new car and driving it home.
One day insurance
If you’re using a car for multiple trips in one day, then day insurance gets you cover for the whole day.
It’ll cover you for the full 24 hours, no matter where in the UK you go, or how many times you get behind the wheel.
Multi day insurance
If you need cover for a bit longer, you can take out temporary cover for several days.
This can be useful for things like weekend getaways or moving house over a couple of days.
Weekly insurance
Car hire can be expensive, so it can be cheaper to get short-term cover and borrow a friend or family member’s car for a week or more.
Temporary car insurance can also be useful if you’re teaching a learner driver in your car.
How does short-term car insurance work?
Short-term car insurance covers you to legally drive a car for anything from one hour up to 28 days.
You set the duration of your policy when you take out your cover. Once that time expires, you won’t be able to drive the car on public roads anymore. If you need longer, you must ask the insurer if they can extend your cover for an additional premium.
Temporary car insurance is most suitable for covering just a few days or weeks of driving. Any longer than that and an annual policy may be cheaper and more practical.
What types of temporary car insurance can I get?
Short-term car insurance policies are usually for fully comprehensive cover, although some providers might be able to offer quotes for third party only, or third party, fire and theft.
Comprehensive
This is the highest level of protection.
It covers you and your car, even if an accident was your fault.
It also covers any damage you might cause to someone else’s car or property, and any personal injury claims made against you.
And it’ll cover your getting stolen, as well as any damage that might be caused by fire.
Personal business use
This will cover any damage you may cause to other people, their car, or their property.
But it won’t cover any damage to your car or the cost of any medical treatment you might need after an accident.
This type of policy will also cover your car if it gets stolen or damaged in a fire.
Third party only
This is the minimum level of cover you’re legally required to have.
It will cover any damage you may cause to someone else, their car, or property, but you’ll have to cover the cost of any damage to your own car and any private medical treatment you might need.
What’s covered by temporary car insurance?
This can vary between providers and will depend on the level of cover you choose, so make sure you check your policy documents. Typically you’ll find that most policies:
Will usually cover
- A flexible duration – Depending on the duration you choose, you can get cover from one hour up to several weeks
- Damage to your car – Accidental or malicious damage
- Theft or attempted theft – If the car is stolen or damaged in an attempted theft
- Fire damage – If your car is damaged or destroyed by fire
- Legal expenses – If you injure someone or damage their property, you’ll be covered for legal costs up to the policy limit
- Third party cover in Europe – Most policies will only provide third party cover as standard when you’re in Europe.
Won’t usually cover
- Keys left in the ignition – You won’t be covered if this causes damage to, or theft of, the car.
- Unnamed drivers – Losses caused by the car being driven by someone who isn’t named on the policy.
- Incorrect use – If you use the car for purposes not listed in the policy – like business use.
- The wrong licence – You won’t be covered if you drive a car without having the correct licence.
- Hiring a car – If you’re renting a car, you’ll need to get insurance from the hire car company instead.
Is anything else not covered?
There are also some other things that temporary car insurance might not cover. This includes the theft or damage of any tools and business-related goods that are kept in the car.
You’re also unlikely to be covered for the cost of your car’s tyres if they get damaged, or for breakdowns that are a result of an electrical fault.
Always check your policy wording carefully to understand what protection your temporary cover will provide.
How much is temporary car insurance?
The cost of short-term car insurance will depend on a few factors, including:
- Your age – Typically, the younger you are the higher the risk you pose to insurers
- The car – Premiums will cost more if you’ll be driving a car that falls into a higher insurance group
- Your location – Your address and the crime rate in the local area can impact the cost of your car insurance
- Your driving history – Insurers will consider any driving convictions or penalty points on your licence
How to compare short-term car insurance
To help find you quotes for temporary cover for your car, you’ll need to answer a few questions about:
1
About you and your car
Your name, address, date of birth and driving history. And information about the car you want to cover – like its make and model, for example.
2
The policy and length of cover
Choose how long you’ll need cover for, this can be from as little as one hour up to 28 days.
3
When your cover should start
You might want it to start immediately, or to arrange it for a specific time when you’ll be using the car.
Our expert says...
Temporary car insurance, also known as short-term insurance, is a great way to get on the road quickly and affordably. Typically Temp cover is a comprehensive policy that gives upgrade and ancillary options to meet your needs. It’s important to remember that temporary car insurance will only cover you for a maximum of one month, so if you need cover for longer than that, it’s likely to be better value for money to look at an annual policy.
Tom Banks – Car insurance expert
Car insurance expert
There are short-term insurance policies available that include business use but not all will, so it’s always best to check.
You’ll be asked how you’ll be using the car when you get a quote, so it’s important to tell your insurer that you’ll be using it for business.
Adding business use to standard car insurance can make it more expensive. This is because insurers will assume you’re spending more time on the roads during busy periods of the day.
So, if you only need a few days of business use, it might work out cheaper to take out a temporary policy instead.
Frequently asked questions
When might I need short-term car insurance?
Short-term car insurance can be useful for lots of situations, whether you own a car or not.
It’s handy if you need car insurance to borrow someone else’s car, drive one home after buying it, or for occasional use of a vehicle you keep off the road:
- Borrowing a friend or family member’s car – If you don’t have your own car, short-term car insurance lets you get behind the wheel of someone else’s
- Learner drivers practising before their test – You can get short-term cover for learners, so you can practice in your parent’s car without having to be added to their policy as an additional driver
- Collecting or delivering a vehicle – It’s a quick way to arrange cover to go and pick up a car you’ve just bought, for example, or take one to someone else
- Test driving a new car – If you’re buying from a private seller but don’t have cover to drive other cars, short-term cover will let you legally go for a test drive
- Splitting driving duties with friends and family on a long journey – You can all share the driving if you get temporary policies
- Occasionally driving a classic car or sports vehicle – If your pride and joy is usually kept carefully garaged, short-term cover will let you take it out just for special occasions
- In an emergency – You can borrow a car in a hurry by quickly arranging a temporary policy instead of having to be added to the owner’s annual car insurance
Will claiming on a short-term policy affect my no-claims discount (NCD)?
Your temporary insurance policy is entirely separate from your annual car insurance policy, so it won’t affect your NCD if you need to make a claim on the short-term cover.
If you’ve borrowed someone else’s vehicle, their NCD won’t be reduced either.
Can I insure a car multiple times in a year?
If you need to insure a car multiple times in a year, it’ll usually be cheaper to compare quotes for annual car insurance instead.
You’ll also build up a no-claims discount this way – something you’ll miss out on with short-term car insurance.
Can I drive a vehicle without insurance if I've just bought it?
No. Driving without insurance is illegal at any time.
If you need insurance to cover you while you drive the car home, you could take out a short-term car insurance policy. That would allow you to get the car home and arrange an annual policy when you have more time.
Learn more about the risks of driving without insurance.
Do I need temporary cover for a hire vehicle?
No – insurance will be included by the hire firm when you hire a car, but there’s usually a high excess, which you’ll have to pay if you’re in an accident.
Short-term car insurance could provide the opportunity to borrow a car instead of hiring one, paying for temporary insurance instead of the fees that come with car hire.
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