All island commercial insurance - north and south of border

Onthebus

Does anyone know if all island insurance is standard or if its something extra you have to pay for and specifically request?
Which insurance companies would do it?

I have had to pay for extra northern ireland insurance when hiring a car so Im sure the insurance companies will be charging extra for yearly

I was talking to a mechanic in Newry who said that in theory now a french insurance company could insure me if I am going north and south of the border - some european thing? im going to read up and report back ....

Del2005

AFAIK all insurance policys cover the whole of the EU. There are restrictions on the amout of time you can be out of the country, but if only driving between North and South there shouldn't be any issue. If you are going to the continent or UK you can call your insurance company and get a green card to show over there. The rental company are just making extra money.

I think the mechanic was incorrect, as if that was the case we could all be driving with insurance from the cheapest country. There is supposed to be free movement of goods and services within the EU, but goverments can do things to block it eg VRT!!

Onthebus

but they cant put vrt on insurance contracts!

Im not sure though if the market has opened up to europe wide competition

Del2005

I was using VRT as an example of where national governments can ignore EU laws where they want.

AFAIK there is a requirement for companies to have an office here to sell insurance, since there are only a hand full of insurers then most have an office here already.

Onthebus

Someone told me that there is an approved list of insurers for Ireland - i wonder who compiles it and where it can be found online?

Also how do northern ireland residents who need to drive to the south for personal or commercial reasons work it out with their insurer? It would seem obvious that northern irish insurers can insure cars in the south and therefore the reverse must apply for southern car/van insurers??

what do you think?

Richard

Onthebus wrote: »

Someone told me that there is an approved list of insurers for Ireland - i wonder who compiles it and where it can be found online?

Also how do northern ireland residents who need to drive to the south for personal or commercial reasons work it out with their insurer? It would seem obvious that northern irish insurers can insure cars in the south and therefore the reverse must apply for southern car/van insurers??

what do you think?

I think that for personal vehicles, your insurance has to be at your home address, i.e. where you spend most of the week. A number if years ago, I had an NI, car, had an address there, but spend most of the week in, and worked in, the Republic.

Legally, I had to re-register the car (at expense, as I'd only just bought it before I moved south) because I couldn't get it insured in NI as I didn't lived there. If I'd given an NI address, and subsequently had an accident in the south, I'd have had to have lied and said I was on holiday there. Legally, my insurance would have been invalid.

Mind you, I know several people living in the south who had NI cars and insurance.

ardmacha

I have had to pay for extra northern ireland insurance when hiring a car

This is just plain price gouging. This ripoff practice by car hire companies should be outlawed as it is the kind of thing that gives tourists a poor impression of this country more especially as websites etc often never clearly state what this charge is.

General motor insurance policies were obliged to meet the legal requirements in all parts of the country since the early 1960s and insurance is now valid throughout the EU.

Onthebus

When you look at what they charge you per day relative to what they would charge you for a car for a year it has to be a great money spinner for them. They advertise a hire price but then offer you all these add-ons when you get to the office to hire the car. And you have to take out insurance in Ireland.

In America its different where your personal yearly car insurance will cover you or else your credit card will cover you - both benefits are not offered by Irish insurance cos or Irish credit card companies