shaunc89

Hey everyone,

I'm finally making a trip back home next month and my dad has offered to lend me one of his cars. The problem I'm finding is that it seems next to impossible to get insurance for me to use it. I had a full UK license for 15 years before moving to Canada but obviously exchanged it for an (in my case ontario) license when I moved here. My dad called his insurance company (not sure who that is) and got the run around, with one person saying it was fine, then another person saying the system wouldn't process a canadian license and they'd look into it, and then he called back and got a different answer. I tried myself using a bunch of stuff thrown up on google search and all of them just said they couldn't offer coverage at this time.

I looked into renting a car too, but there seems to be very little stock available during the time i'm back

Has anyone successfully managed to temporarily insure a car in the UK on a canadian license?

Siouxie

This thread may be of use to you Getting 'temporary' UK car insurance with Canadian licence?

You will probably need to get an International License to get insured.. https://www.caasco.com/travel/travel...driving-permit (there are other sites)

May offer temp insurance with an international license (link within webpage) https://www.moneymaxim.co.uk/short-t...seas-residents

Farmer on a bike

No, last time I was there had to rent a car. Only way to drive on a BC license in UK.

My UK license made no difference to using a relatives car as I was not a UK resident. No insurance company would cover. Many years ago it was not a problem, more recently seems impossible.

spouse of scouse

In 2018 while living in NW England, our Australian pet sitters were added to our vehicle insurance. They were a couple in their 60s and both had International Drivers Permits (IDP). The insurance company was Aviva and we needed to provide them with copies of the pet sitters' IDPs as well as their Australian drivers licenses.

Atlantic Xpat

I had this same problem back in September. I wanted my Dad to put me on his insurance for a week but no dice without a UK licence.
Another way to do this might be checking with your Canadian insurer as to whether they might cover you. Most insurance here covers you to drive another car in this country at least.

HGerchikov

My parents have managed to put me on their insurance a couple of times, but that was some years ago. Then it got really expensive to do so I hire a car now.

Twitcher1958

I haven’t had any luck with this either for the last three or four years and ended up hiring a car - but I have a British friend, who lives in Ottawa, staying with me at present who did manage to get on her father’s insurance when visiting in September, for a fairly nominal amount.

GermanytoCanada

Has anyone been to the UK recently and found an insurance company that will accept their Canadian licence?

I was last in the UK in December and was able to be added to my parents’ car insurance with Direct Line, but apparently they have changed their rules and I can no longer do that for my trip back in April.

TIA

Tommyboy17

Hello,

Were you able to find a provider?

Thanks

GermanytoCanada

We switched my Dad's insurance to Churchill, who will cover for 90 days in a policy year. The 90 days doesn't need to be consecutive, so you can cover multiple trips back to the UK within that year.

Churchill were a fair bit more expensive than Direct Line who he was with before, but the extra insurance cost was a drop in the ocean compared to renting a car.

Hope that helps.
Thanks

Tommyboy17

That's very helpful, thank you !

I am trying to get on my brothers insurance and he's coming up for renewal anyway so I'll point him towards Direct Line as like you mention rentals are astronomical at the moment.

GermanytoCanada

Direct Line didn't cover it. Churchill is the one you want to check.

Tommyboy17

.......Yep..........This is why I need help to find coverage when I cant even read a thread properly........

Thanks

Lichisadave

My sister in law has just put us on her insurance using Canadian license she had no problem and was only £32 for a whole month.

Twitcher1958

Which company was that with? Useful to know as so many won’t. In fact the friend I mentioned earlier on this thread who was able to do it last year found that the same company refused this year.