Which countries are included in the Green Card system?

Green Card is the same OSCPV or, more simply, "Autocivilka" for other countries. This is insurance of the driver's liability on the road. If a road accident occurs due to his fault in another country, the insurance company will pay the damage to the injured party. But, since the Green Card is issued for departure from Ukraine, the rules / nuances of insurance are different and you need to understand them. We tell you:

• The Green Card system and which countries are included in it
• How is the damage paid under the Green Card
• What should a paper Green Card document look like
• Conclusions: how to apply for insurance in the right country

The Green Card system and which countries are included in it

The policy is valid in the territory covered by the Green Card system. It includes more than 40 countries, including Ukraine. This is the entire Schengen zone and some CIS countries. From Ukraine, you can get to almost every one of these participating countries by your own car. The system exists to make roads safer in countries where drivers from other countries often travel. 

Because if each country has its own insurance policies and laws, then in the event of an accident involving two drivers from different countries, difficulties may arise. To prevent this from happening and to ensure that the car owner injured by a car from another country can receive compensation, there is the Green Card system.

Without a Green Card, a car will not be allowed into these countries. Among those that are connected to Ukraine by borders, all are included in the system: Hungary and Poland, Russia and Belarus, Slovakia and Moldova. So, in order to leave the country by car, obtaining a Green Card is a mandatory condition.

Of the tourist countries popular among Ukrainians, the system includes: Turkey, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Greece. And also Spain and Italy, France and Germany.

The document is also needed to travel to Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark, Latvia and Lithuania. In the direction of: Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia.

To countries such as Estonia and Finland, Norway, Iceland. To Ireland and the United Kingdom. To Sweden and Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Liechtenstein.

Croatia is popular for car travel, as well as Andorra, Slovenia, Morocco. In addition, Azerbaijan, Israel and Tunisia, Iran and Malta.

How is damage paid under the Green Card

Insurance payments for damage are made according to limits. In each country that is a member of the international insurance system Green Card, these limits are different. But whatever they are - the insurance company covers the amount and this does not affect the client in any way. Moreover, in some countries there is no insurance limit. 

For example, in Belgium, Israel, Great Britain, France or Finland. So, if the court ordered the perpetrator of the road accident to support the victim's family for life (fatal case), then the insurance company will be obliged to make these payments.

What should a Green Card paper document look like

To avoid forgery, you need to look at the MTIBU website for the names of insurance companies that have permits to issue this policy. The policy is a paper form consisting of 4 pages. The first, second and fourth remain with the vehicle owner, and the third is taken by the insurance company. It is important to check that the information on the company's sheet and yours completely match.

There should be no stamps on the document, it is usually simply filled out by hand. Its main value is This is an original form issued by a reliable insurance company. 

Important: When purchasing a Green Card policy for the first time, drivers may be confused by the fact that the UA mark is crossed out on the form (where the countries in which the document is valid are listed). But that's how it should be, because the Green Card is activated in all countries except the one where your car is registered. And in our case, it is valid in all other 47 countries, except Ukraine.

Conclusions: how to apply for a policy in the right country 

Let's analyze the steps when buying a policy in sequence:

• Go to the website of the Motor Transport Insurance Bureau of Ukraine. There is a list of companies — full members of MTIBU, who have the right to issue green card for cars policies. Then find these companies on the Internet.
• On the official website of the company or insurance aggregator, calculate the cost of the policy and compare prices. The price depends on the period for which you are issuing the policy (from 15 days to 1 year) and the type of transport.
• Choose the countries you plan to travel to. The price also depends on this. For example, it is cheaper to go to Poland or Belarus than to all the countries of the European Union combined.
• Order a Green Card. Pick it up at the office or wait for the courier. Check the policy for all the necessary details and prepare for the trip. 

How to prepare? You need to look at the requirements for the car equipment in the countries you are going to visit. As a rule, there should be: a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, tools, a spare tire, a towing rope, maps in the navigator or paper ones.
Also, we recommend that you study the instructions and actions in case of a possible accident, so that you can use the policy if it  is really needed. This knowledge will help you not to get confused and behave correctly at a crucial moment.