Those traveling abroad in their own car are required to purchase a Green Card car owner's liability insurance policy, similar to the Russian OSAGO policy. The policy "Green Card" saves the perpetrator of the accident from paying the victims the damage caused. This insurance does not cover the car of the person responsible for the accident, i.е. this is not CASCO. According to the laws of the Russian Federation, it is forbidden to drive without an OSAGO policy. Similar laws apply in Europe and many other countries around the world. To simplify road trips, the Green Card insurance was invented. It operates on the territory of 48 countries (Europe, Israel, Morocco, Tunisia, Iran and Azerbaijan). Without it, you would have to buy an OSAGO-type policy in each individual country when crossing the border. From Europe, the Russian "Green Card" does not cover only Kosovo.

This article will highlight the most common questions regarding the Greencard insurance policy, as well as cross-border insurance of the Baltic States and Poland.

Camping gear in Europe

It is impossible to enter the European Union without valid Green Card insurance. The availability of insurance is checked at the border without fail, the customs officers enter the policy number into the computer. Often the Green Card is also checked at the exit from the Schengen area. If the validity of the insurance policy has expired, a fine will be issued.

Due to the migration crisis in Europe, cars are sometimes randomly checked when crossing borders inside the Schengen area. In recent years, documents have been checked at internal borders 3 times. I wrote more about it. Accordingly, in the absence of insurance, a fine is issued, in this case the car is placed in a fine parking lot, because it is forbidden to continue driving without valid insurance. The fines in Europe are many times higher than in the Russian Federation, parking in a fine parking lot will also cost a penny. When leaving Poland without insurance, the fine is about 3,700 PLN (≈860 €). You need to pay right away.

If an accident occurs even through no fault of yours, you will also not be able to avoid presenting a policy.

The cost of insurance Green card

Prices for Green Card for cars registered in the territory of the Russian Federation are set by the Russian Bureau "Green Card" in agreement with the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. Prices are the same in all insurance companies. Dumping is prohibited under pain of losing a license, so it is pointless to look for where to buy cheaper. The maximum that you can count on is a 10% discount due to the commission of a particular insurance agent. If some people offer to buy a "Green Card" for 20 percent or more cheaper, it is most likely a fake insurance and you need to run away from such an office.

The cost of the Green Card insurance depends on:

1. From the current euro exchange rate, since damages will be paid in euros and are adjusted every month on the 15th.
2. From the type of vehicle. For trucks, insurance is more expensive than for cars, which is natural.
3. From expiration dates. The "Green Card" can be purchased for a period of 15 days, 1 month, 2 months ... up to a year with an interval of 1 month. Buy a card for 1 day to the great regret of the residents of the border areas is impossible.
4. From the included countries, there are only two options:
   1. The action applies to Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova - 840 rubles. for 15 days (October 2018)
   2. The action extends to 48 European countries, including the above mentioned, as well as Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Morocco and Tunisia. — 2700 rub. for 15 days (December 2018)

Check the current price on the website:

Differences between the Green Card and our OSAGO policy

The "Green Card" is issued to the car and it does not matter who will be driving. The policy does not include the name and surname of the driver, but of the policyholder.

The limits of liability under the Green Card are much higher than in the minimum OSAGO policy. There are limits for each victim, for each vehicle, for all victims and for all vehicles. In most EU countries, the limit of payments for all vehicles is about 1 million euros, and in Belgium 111 million euros. The "Green Card" is able to cover the damage even in a severe accident involving expensive cars.

Liability limits in poor countries such as Iran, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Tunisia, Ukraine are lower than in developed countries. The anti-record holder here is Iran with a limit of 1725 euros.

Where to buy a Green Card policy for a car

Licensed insurance companies

In light of the very large payout limits, not many Russian companies have expressed a desire to trade Green Card policies. A complete list of licensed insurance companies is published on the website of the Russian Union of Motor Insurers. If you buy a Green Card at the offices of other insurance companies, then in this case they act only as agents. If the policy contains an insurance company that is not included in the official list, we are talking about a fake.

You can buy a "Green Card" only on the territory of the Russian Federation. It is impossible to purchase insurance for a car registered in Russia abroad due to international agreements.

At the entrance to the border

At the entrance to the border in abundance there are mobile points selling the "Green Card". At each border gas station there is a kiosk offering to buy car insurance. At such points, the largest percentage of errors in filling out the policy and the maximum risk of running into scammers. As a rule, employees of mobile points work daily in uncomfortable conditions, attention in such circumstances suffers in the first place. There may be temporary failures in the Internet connection and, as a result, not timely entry or not entry of the sold insurance into the database.

In stationary offices of insurance companies or with home delivery

It is best to buy a policy at the stationary offices of insurance companies in your city or order it with home delivery in advance, so it will definitely have time to get into the database. You can buy a "Green Card" a maximum of 30 days before the trip, you need to order it with home delivery at least 2-3 days before the trip. We ordered the "Green Card" on the website with home delivery. Last time on December 28, 2018, they issued an Alfa Insurance policy, attached a memo in case of an accident. Everything went perfectly, the courier brought the policy at the agreed time. Polis812 sells Green Cards from the German insurance company ERGO or Alfastrakhovanie, which has all the necessary licenses.

What to look for when purchasing a Green Card

The policy "Green Card" is issued on a special form, protected by watermarks, having an individual number. Accordingly, it is impossible to buy a policy online and print it on a printer. You can check the authenticity of the policy on the Insured event website or simply by calling the phone number indicated in the policy.

The insurance policy must be filled out on a printer; filling out by hand has been prohibited since 2014.

It is necessary to check the correct spelling of the registration number, the name and surname of the insured and the compliance of the terms of insurance with your wishes. The insurance is only valid during the specified date range. If you want to spend 45 days abroad, you can buy one policy for 15 days and another for a month. If you plan to make more than 9 trips abroad per year, it will be more profitable to purchase a policy for a year at once. It is also necessary to check whether a particular insurer is included in the list of licensed companies indicated above.

In total, two documents are required for the purchase:

1. Passport or foreign passport

Border insurance of the Baltic States and Poland

Border insurance purchased in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, as well as the Green Card, give the right to travel by car in Europe, but it is impossible to buy them officially on the territory of the Russian Federation. It is forbidden. Insurance in Finland (€100 for 15 days) and Estonia is more expensive than Russian Green Cards, so it makes no sense to contact them.

There are groups on social networks and even sites through which border insurance can be ordered with home delivery or pickup in St. Petersburg and Moscow, but this is pure gray scheme beyond the law. There are rumors on the net that most of these insurances are fake, i.e. You can cross the border with them (but this is not certain), but the damage in the event of an accident cannot be compensated. If you still took a chance and ordered this dubious product, immediately call the number indicated in the policy and ask if this insurance is in the database, if not, then this is a kid.

There are many points of sale of border insurance immediately after crossing the border with Poland or the Baltic countries. It is safe to buy insurance abroad in the Russian Federation at official points. Those. you can buy a "Green Card" for 15 days, and then buy additional border insurance immediately abroad, the farther to Europe, the less likely it is to find a selling office.

The border insurance will be issued in the local language with the insurance terms translated into English. Liability limits are different there, you need to read each specific policy for what is included. In the event of an accident, you will have to resolve the situation with a foreign insurance company, possibly in a foreign language. In the Baltics, you can hope for service in Russian.

Border insurance includes only EU countries, the list of countries must be specified in each case. The CIS countries are not included, that is, for Belarus or Serbia, for example, you will have to buy other insurance. The cost of border insurance in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland is 2 times cheaper than the Green Card. You can buy it for a period of 15 to 90 days. With a tourist visa, you can only stay in Europe for 90 days within 6 months.

Here you need to think about whether all these risks are worth the money saved. Everyone decides for himself.

What to do if the Green Card is over, and the car is still abroad

There are three ways out of this situation:

1. Ask friends or relatives to buy a "Green Card" in Russia and order delivery by DHL or any other suitable service.
2. Buy a local OSAGO type policy. If you plan to stay in one country for a long time, this will be fully justified. Again, you need to study the terms of insurance. They will be different than in the Green Card policy. This purchase does not remove the issue of returning home if you have to travel through several countries. Buying a local OSAGO every time at the border can be much more expensive than one Green Card.
3. Buy border insurance. It can only be purchased in countries bordering the CIS, the farther to Europe, the less likely it will be sold.

The first method is the easiest in terms of communication, in other cases you will have to make inquiries in a non-native language. There is always a possibility of checking documents on the road, it increases several times when crossing the internal borders of the Schengen countries, and when leaving, the probability of checking an insurance policy is about 90%.

Green card refund

Refunds are possible only before the start of the policy. They will not pay the entire amount, but about 70%. The insurers keep the rest for work.

It is possible to return the money if it is possible to prove the complete destruction of the car for which the insurance was issued and not leaving it abroad.

It is impossible to return the money after the start of the insurance, even if the trip did not take place.

If you have sold the car for which the Green Card was issued for a long time, you can renew the insurance for your new car. ERGO allows such a move. I did not inquire about other insurance companies.

Getting a refund from an insurance company

Insurance companies are always looking for an opportunity not to pay their obligations, so it is necessary to draw up all the papers in accordance with their requirements so that they do not undermine. Let me reiterate that it is on payment of damages to the injured party through your fault. You will repair your car at your own expense or under other insurance.

I recommend throwing a memo in your glove compartment in case of an accident, you can download it, you can also save this pdf-document in your smartphone. This is an official document of the Russian Union of Motor Insurers, containing the most correct instructions.

If the accident is not serious and the participants have come to full agreement on understanding the circumstances of the accident, then in many European countries it is not necessary to call the police. It is enough just to draw up the Accident statement and sign it for all participants in the incident. In some countries, calling the police is paid at the expense of the perpetrator. The rules for filling out the protocol are indicated in the above memo. This is enough for European insurance companies to make payments.

If the accident is serious or the participants have significant disagreements, the police are required. The police are obliged to call an interpreter for you, this may take time. Never sign any papers that you don't understand the meaning of. If everything is bad, then you have the right to call the consul.

International car insurance, better known as green card, has been in operation for over 60 years. It was created in order to quickly and legally resolve disputes arising from road accidents involving drivers from different countries. In 2009, Russia, which signed the relevant agreement, was among its participants. The convenience of insurance lies in the fact that the injured party is guaranteed to receive payments on the green card from the insurance company (IC), whose client is the culprit of the accident.

The green card is designed to compensate for damages when its holder has an accident while abroad. In this case, the insured event will be considered a situation in which the owner of the policy is the culprit of the accident. If it was committed by the other party, then under such circumstances, obtaining insurance on a green card is not provided.

In Russia

In the event of an accident on the territory of the Russian Federation, green card payments are made in the following cases:

• if the car of the owner of the green card crashed into another car and damaged it;
• As a result of the incident, the people sitting in that car were injured.

In Europe

The legislation of some countries provides that persons who are a third party may apply for green card payments. For example, it can be passers-by who happened to be at the scene of an accident and suffered from it. Also, the European green card will have to cover the damage if nearby buildings are damaged.

In the event of an accident, in order to expedite payments on the green card, the injured party should immediately present the policy to the arriving police officers so that they record its presence in the protocol of the inspection of the scene.

What determines the amount of compensation

There is no single payment rate, and in each country this issue is resolved in its own way. In many states, the amount insured on a green card is limited, and if the damage exceeds it, then the policyholder will have to cover the difference on his own.

Often, Russian citizens who have been in an accident believe that after presenting a green card, their functions have been exhausted, and in the future, the insurance company that sold them the policy will deal with compensation for damage. Indeed, this can be done in case of a minor accident, when the amount of damage is small. If, as a result of an accident, the injured party was seriously injured, then you need to carefully monitor its accrual, since if the green card limit is exceeded, you will have to pay the rest of the amount yourself.

Maximum payout

The upper limit of compensation is determined by the law of the country where the accident occurred. So, if the accident occurred in the Russian Federation, then the maximum amount of insurance payments on a green card will be 500 thousand rubles. At the same time, in Poland, the injured person can count on compensation of 1.5 million euros. In some countries, its maximum limit is not limited at all.

Registration procedure

Not all motorists traveling abroad know what to do and where to go if the person responsible for the accident has a green card. The person whose actions caused the collision should remain at the scene of the accident and take the following actions:

• to call the police;
• obtain from her a copy of the protocol of inspection of the scene;
• give the injured party a copy of the green card and take their contacts;
• if possible, take a photo of the place of the event;
• inform the green card bureau in the country where it occurred by telephone about the accident.

Traveling abroad in the modern world is a common thing. People use both the services of carrier companies and their own vehicles.

If the journey is carried out over a short distance, then it is profitable and comfortable to do it by car.

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During this period, vehicles also require insurance, because the fact of the occurrence of an insured event is not excluded.

Each country has its own requirements, its policies, which apply only to a certain territory.

Therefore, there is a "Green Card" - an insurance policy valid in European countries and the Russian Federation.

In this article, we will talk about the subjects of insurance, the terms of the contract, the validity of the Green Card, the liability of the parties, the possibilities of terminating the agreement between the insurance company and the insured, reissuing.

We will also analyze a sample contract for issuing an international autopolis "Green Card".

Between whom can

Since the beginning of 2009, our country has joined the international vehicle insurance system "Green Card".

Thanks to this, Russian citizens can receive financial compensation if they become participants in an insured event on the territory of a participating country.

Nowadays, you can apply for a "Green Card" in almost every insurance company, as well as familiar to everyone and.

It can be purchased both separately and as an additional option in the list of services and conditions for the listed policies. In the latter version, it expands the territory of classic insurance.

An agreement is concluded between the beneficiary (usually the owner or driver of the car), as well as a company that has a license for this type of activity.

That is, the insurer and the policyholder under the terms of the contract are the same subjects as in conventional insurance.

Essential and Additional Terms

An agreement is a document that regulates all the terms of the relationship, the rights and obligations of the parties to the transaction.

The purpose of its conclusion is the regulation of such a partnership. As a rule, it contains several sections with essential and additional conditions.

All conditions of the "Green Card" are considered by the "Insurance Rules". To draw up a document, the insured is required to provide only his own passport and technical documentation for the car.

If you choose a "green card" as an additional option to your OSAGO, then additional documents will not be needed.

This is enough to verify the identity of the insured, as well as to obtain information about the vehicle.

You can also provide copies certified by a notary. Responsibility for the accuracy of the information lies with the citizen in whose name the policy is issued.

Consider a number of prerequisites:

• in order to conclude an agreement, the beneficiary is obliged to fill out an application for such services;
• The representative of the insurance company undertakes to familiarize his client with the rules of insurance beforehand. The certificate then makes a note that the driver has received the required information;
• the policyholder has the right to apply to change certain aspects of the Green Card insurance - the names, addresses of the policyholder, vehicle and / or body numbers;
• if the insurance certificate is lost, the insurer issues a free duplicate to him, but after receiving the relevant application;
• the parties have the right to terminate the agreement ahead of schedule (we will discuss this later);
• The minimum insurance period is 15 days.

Additional conditions are provided directly by the insurance company itself, they may relate to the services provided, the number of beneficiaries and other points.

Timing

The contract, as an official document, must necessarily contain a clause regulating the duration of the international Green Card policy.

The policyholder should pay attention to the section on the procedure for concluding and the terms of the agreement. The standard period is: 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.

The buyer counts on the terms of his stay abroad, based on this, chooses the duration of the contract.

Now insurance companies are increasingly making concessions to attract a client base, therefore they allow policyholders to choose the terms of validity of insurance at their discretion.

For policyholders, this is quite profitable, because they will not overpay, and their vehicles will be protected exactly as much as they need. The minimum period is 15 calendar days.

Responsibility of the parties

Like any other contract, this document contains a mandatory clause regulating the rights and obligations of the parties.

It is designed to regulate the relationship between the parties to the transaction, guarantee their implementation, and in cases of violation of obligations provides for punishment.

The policyholder undertakes to make timely payments at the cost of the policy, provide up-to-date information on insured events, assist in their investigation, and submit data on changes in the technical condition of the vehicle.

If the client violates these rules and obligations, the insurer may refuse to compensate him partially or completely after the occurrence of the insured event.

In turn, the insurance company also has its obligations to clients: to consider applications in time, respond to them, objectively assess the insured event and make payments.

If this is not carried out, then the insured may even sue for unfair performance by the insurer of his obligations, terminate the contract.

And such actions negatively affect the image of the company, scare off potential clients.

Given that the "Green Card" is an international policy, the parties are liable regardless of the place of residence of the insured and his vehicle.

Sample agreement Green card

The Green Card agreement has a set of standard details, although insurers have the right to add their own clauses there, set conditions, and so on.

As a rule, this document is provided in the form of a printed form with all the components, fields for confirmation with signatures and seals.

The Green Card policy agreement contains the following elements:

1. Document's name.
2. The name of the authorized body issuing the insurance policy.
3. Duration of insurance (exact start and end dates).
4. The international code of the country where the policy is issued.
5. Vehicle license plates.
6. Vehicle type.
7. Territory of relevance "Green Card".
8. Information about the policyholder (name, address, contacts).
9. Details of the insurance company.
10. Validation field.
11. Supplement with the terms and conditions of international motorist liability insurance.

Contracts, namely, its key provisions, are drawn up in two languages ​​- Russian and English, because this is required by international laws.

When does it take effect

The Green Card insurance contract does not contain a validity period that starts later than 30 days from the date of issuance of the certificate.

The term is counted from 00:00 local time, and the policy ends at 23:59 local time. These data are indicated in the insurance certificate in the appropriate columns.

Reasons for termination

Can the Green Card agreement be terminated? You can legally terminate the Green Card agreement, but only for objective reasons provided for in the Green Card Insurance Rules.

In this case, each of the parties to the transaction can exercise this right. But upon termination, the client of the company can receive back only a certain part of the money from the value of the contract.

The insurer counts 30% of the amount for the expenses of doing business, the past days of the validity of the certificate.

You can legally demand termination of the contract in the following cases:

• if there is no need for insurance (there is no possibility of an insured event, the trip was postponed or canceled);
• if the UK has lost its license to carry out its activities or there is no right to issue a Green Card policy;
• if the vehicle decided to sell;
• if one of the parties does not fulfill its own obligations.

Early termination of the contract does not release the insurer from the obligation to make insurance payments in cases that occurred before the time of the contract.

Some ICs threaten clients that if the contract is terminated, they will not receive compensation. Payment is made within 14 days from the moment the motorist submits the relevant application.

The date of termination of the contract is considered the moment of receipt of a written request to terminate the policy from their client, and the remaining period for the return of the cost of insurance is considered from the next day.

Is it possible to re-register if the dates of the trip have changed?

In cases where the motorist's plans have changed dramatically, the train is postponed or canceled altogether, and before that the Green Card policy has already been purchased, it is required to change the terms of the previously concluded contract.

The issue of changing conditions worries many insurers. In fact, such adjustments cannot be made to the document, especially regarding the validity of insurance.

But there are other mechanisms to regulate this provision.
The "Green Card" is an international analogue of OSAGO, only unlike the classic autocitizen, there is a single database containing up-to-date information about the contracts available at that time.

Now insurance companies work with the server in on-line filling mode, so the information immediately enters the database. For the reduction and extension of terms, the insurer may be subject to sanctions.

And international documents in this area do not provide for changes in terms. But until the information is updated in the database, the insurer can “correct errors”, for which no penalty is provided.

Note that there is little time to make changes, so the timing of the trip and the validity of the Green Card should be thought out as accurately and carefully as possible.

There is a second option to change the validity period of the policy, but it will allow the beneficiary to lose 30% of the value of the concluded contract.

Prior to the expiration of the insurance period, you must:

• terminate the concluded policy so that the insurance company returns 70% of its value back (30% is RIA). In this case, you need to contact the branch where the transaction was concluded.
• buy a new Green Card policy with the conditions necessary for a motorist.
  The second option is legal. But policyholders are reluctant to use it, because they lose a fairly large part of the money.

Motorists should remember that green card insurance is inherently an international OSAGO, not a CASCO insurance.

Updated: 2019-7-27

Oleg Lazhechnikov

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To travel to Europe in your car, you need to take out an insurance policy Green Card (GreenCard) or our Green Card, which will work abroad. The Green Card insurance policy, in fact, is an analogue of our OSAGO (not to be confused with CASCO). That is, it saves the culprit of the accident from paying for the repair of those machines that suffered through his fault. In this scheme, no one pays anything to the culprit of the accident.

I collected as much information as possible on green cards in one place, from purchase to accident.

The cost of the Green Card is assigned by the Russian Union of Motor Insurers (RSA) and it is the same for all insurance companies. RSA publishes tariffs on its website and they are freely available. To ensure that the price was the same for everyone, they carefully monitor. So do not look for any promotional codes and discounts - they are not and cannot be.

For example, a Green Card for 15 days in July-August 2019 costs 2450 rubles (depending on the euro exchange rate).

The price changes every 30 days on the 15th. In 2018 and 2019, the price fluctuates around 2450 rubles for 15 days, but rose to 2830 rubles. .

Where can I buy

Buy a green card online in Moscow and St. Petersburg

Since you will need the original Green Card, then you cannot travel abroad with an electronic policy. But you can buy it online with delivery to your home or office in Moscow and St. Petersburg, after all, the 21st century is already in the yard. It is much more convenient than going to the office on your own. Save a lot of time. The price is exactly the same.

I have already bought insurance a couple of times from accredited Alfa Insurance through , and once at Liberty's office. Yes, Liberty is an intermediary, but when everything is official, then what's the difference. But I don’t want to go to the office anymore, there’s no point when they just bring me home.

If the trip was canceled or rescheduled to other dates, then the money can be returned only before the start of the policy. returns 100% back without problems. Accordingly, when transferring a trip, you need to return the policy and then buy it again.

Purchase at the office in the regions

There are only 8 officially accredited insurance companies that can issue a Green Card. These are the companies that have entered the Green Card system. Some companies refused this, because the Green Card has a large liability limit. The rest speak on behalf of one of these 10 or sell fakes.

1. AlfaStrakhovanie OJSC (most often everyone buys here)
2. JSC IC "Twenty-first century"
3. SPAO RESO-Garantia
4. PJSC IC Rosgosstrakh
5. LLC "SK "Consent"
6. CJSC "ERGO"
7. CJSC "VSK"
8. JSC SG Spasskiye Vorota

There is no difference in which company to issue a policy. Since this is OSAGO, and not CASCO, in case of any problems, you will not deal with your insurance, but the injured party in an accident (and since this is Europe, then most likely his lawyer). Therefore, it does not matter to you how well or poorly your insurance company performs.

Buy insurance at the border

You can buy a Green Card at one of the points at the entrance to the border on the Russian side, spending time on it. I don't know why it's necessary, but people do it. Maybe the trip was very spontaneous, that the courier with the policy could not be expected, and the insurance offices were already closed. Of course, you need a valid one to go so spontaneously.

Points near the border are usually either mini-offices of specific insurance companies, or small points at gas stations, cafes, or minibuses parked along the road. There is a chance in this case to buy a fake than when buying online or at the office. There is also a chance to purchase a policy, which will then be “forgotten” to be entered into the database. That is, I kind of bought insurance, but during the check or during an accident it turned out that it was not valid.

Since 04/01/2014, the Russian bureau "Green Card" has banned hand-written registration of policies, all policies must be drawn up on a computer and immediately entered into the database.

Why you need Green Card insurance

If you don't want problems and hassle, immediately buy a Green Card in Russia before your trip. Or study all the nuances and prices so as not to get stuck in history.

• Insurance is always asked at the border when entering Schengen. If it is not there, then you will not be allowed into the country and may even be fined. If you are going through Belarus to Poland, then the Belarusian border guards will not let you out of Belarus and you will have to go back to Russia to buy a green card.
• To cross Belarus, you also need insurance, either their local or Russian green card. Based on the previous paragraph, you still have to buy a Green Card.
• If you do not have a green card at the border with some countries, you will be forced to buy border local insurance at a specified price. And its price is far from always low, a pre-purchased Green Card would be cheaper. For example, in Finland such insurance will cost ~100-130 euros.
• A green card will also be asked upon return from Europe. If it has already ended, then there will be a fine. At the border of Poland, they take 3,700 zł (~ 850 euros) with payment on the spot. If there is no money, then the parking lot is in the nearest town. To the fine will be added the cost of a tow truck (150 euros) and for each day of parking. Then you will have to buy Polish border insurance, another 20 euros. Therefore, it is better to make a Green Card for all days of your stay in the EU, and not just for the first 15 days, as some do to save money. You can “save” so much that it won’t seem like a little.
• Very bad advice: “I was driving back, they didn’t ask for insurance.” Yes, there are cases when they did not ask for insurance, but you risk getting 1000 euros.
• Sometimes in Europe they stop to check documents. Especially if you broke something. And in this case, they can ask and check the insurance. Of course, the probability is small, but if there is no insurance, the consequences will be unpleasant.
• In the event of an accident, of course, the Green Card is simply necessary, otherwise you may have to pay damages out of your own pocket.

Do not forget that in order to apply for a Schengen visa, you will need travel medical insurance. I have a separate detailed one, read it. There, and about the choice of medical insurance, and about how to save money, and about all the nuances.

What you need to know when buying a green card

Documents and expiration dates

Green card insurance is issued for a car and the policyholder is indicated in the policy, not the driver. That is, anyone can drive a car and he does not need to be recorded in the policy. It is very comfortable!

In general, buying a green card is an extremely simple procedure. For this you will need:

1. Passport or international passport
2. Certificate of registration of the vehicle (or PTS).

The policy can be issued for a minimum of 15 days, a maximum of a year, but in increments of a month - for 1 month, for 2 months, and so on. If you are going to spend 16 days in Europe, you will have to buy a green card for a month.

The insurance is valid on exact calendar dates, starting from the date indicated on the policy. That is, if you issued a policy from January 1 for 15 days, then it will be valid for exactly 15 days from January 1 to January 15, regardless of when you entered, when you left and whether you entered at all.

Which countries are included in the Green Card

The Green Card system includes 46 countries: Russia, all of Europe, Israel, Tunisia, Morocco and Iran. For Russia, there are two categories of green cards:

• All countries of the Green Card system
• Cheaper category operating on the territory of "Ukraine, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Moldova"

How not to get scammed

There are several main types of Green Card fraud.

• An agent may sell an outright fake, that is, just a well-made copy printed on a printer. The green card has a degree of protection, like a banknote, but it is difficult to check it without special equipment. As well as a banknote, in fact.
• The agent can sell the buyer a policy for a year, and in the copy of the policy that he gives to the insurance company, indicate that the policy is for 15 days. It is necessary to carefully check what is written on the part of the policy that remains with the insurance company.
• The agent may forget to give his part of the policy to the insurance and register it in the database or do it late.

What to check at the time of purchase

When buying a Green Card, you need to check 2 things:

• Firstly, the insurance company from which the policy is issued - it must be a company from an accredited list.
• And secondly, check the policy for errors, whether the registration number of the car is correct. Often the question arises whether there will be problems if the transliteration of the name in the policy (as in the passport) differs from the transliteration of the name in the rights. There shouldn't be any problems with this.

FAQ

How to get a Green Card earlier than 30 days

This is only necessary if the consulate requires a green card when applying for a Schengen visa. It doesn't happen often. The easiest way is to buy for a longer period than necessary, apply for a visa, and then return it with a full refund before the policy starts. Then buy again for the desired dates.

To travel abroad from Russia, you still have to buy a Russian green card, at least for 15 days. After all, the Belarusian border guards will not let you into Poland without a Green Card. And then it will be possible to buy “border insurance”. By the way, the Russian green card is also valid in Belarus, so there will be no need to buy separate insurance for Belarus.

Can the Green Card be extended?

What to do if the insurance is over, and business is forcing you to stay in Europe? In fact, solving this issue is not a trivial task. Basically there are only 2 options:

• Buy border insurance
• Ask your friends in Russia to go to the insurance office and then send it to you via DHL.

The option to let everything take its course - I do not consider. Traveling with a printed copy and not the original is a so-so idea. As an option, agree on social networks or on the forum with someone who will fly to your area. But IMHO this is much more difficult than sending via DHL or other transport companies.

What to do in case of an accident

A green card is an analogue of our OSAGO, the injured party receives money from the insurance party responsible for the accident. And as in any similar situation, the insurance company is looking for opportunities not to pay or reduce insurance payments. What should be done to increase the likelihood of receiving money from the insurance.

1. Together with the rest of the participants in the accident, you must fill out an Accident statement - a European form of notification of an accident. It can be either the second participant in the accident, if he is European, or one of the eyewitnesses. Or you can find it at a gas station or a roadside cafe. or there is this form in Russian and English and the rules for filling it out.

   "Green Card", also known as Greencard or Green Card, is a policy of compulsory insurance of the driver's risks for causing damage to property and health of third parties when driving a car outside the Russian Federation. The insurance got its name because of the green color form used in the design.

   What is a "Green Card"

   The international auto insurance system "Green Card" has been operating for over 65 years and unites almost 50 countries, including Russia (since 2009). The insurance compensates the injured in an accident for the harm unintentionally caused by the insured using his vehicle on the territory of the countries participating in the program.

   For Russians traveling abroad in their car, this insurance is mandatory (Article 31, Clause 1 of the current version of the Federal Law No. 40-FZ of April 25, 2002 “On Compulsory Insurance of Civil Liability of Vehicle Owners”).

   A Green card policy obtained for a vehicle in the Russian Federation does not replace

   • OSAGO policy in Russia;
   • CASCO policy abroad.

   The Green Card Agreement does not limit the list of persons allowed to drive the insured vehicle, although only the policyholder is included in the policy.

   The presence of the Green Card policy does not exempt the driver guilty of an accident from criminal liability, if such is provided for by local legislation.