What does my motorcycle insurance cover for me abroad?
- What does my motorcycle insurance cover for me abroad? You must obtain the International Certificate of Civil Liability Insurance (CIS)
- You have to check what our insurance covers depending on the country through which we are going to circulate
- In all EU countries, it is mandatory to have a road insurance
In addition to luggage and everything you need for a comfortable and pleasant trip, to travel abroad on a motorcycle you have to know what coverage the insurance offers. According to a study carried out by the online insurance company AMV, six out of ten motorcyclists are not clear about what their policy covers when they travel outside of Spain.
In addition to the mandatory ‘papers’ to drive everywhere: driving license, circulation and ITV card, it is very important to know what the insurance covers in the countries we are going to visit, because it may be limited in some way.
For this reason, before starting a motorcycle trip outside of Spain, it is necessary to make sure if the modality of our insurance is valid for the said trip and what incidents it covers. According to AMV, normally, in most foreign countries, “third party” insurance is valid and also, logically, “all-risk” insurance. Although there can always be ‘small print’ in our contract.
In addition, if we do not already have it, it may be interesting to add coverage for the driver’s accident and roadside assistance service with a tow truck for this trip.
In the European Union, and also in Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, “third party” and “all-risk” insurance are valid in the same way as they are in our country. As they are in Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland, Montenegro, United Kingdom, Serbia and Switzerland, Vatican City, Gibraltar, Monaco, and San Marino.
Remember that having traffic insurance is compulsory in all the countries of the European Union.
Civil Liability
In the same way, before leaving on a motorcycle -also by car- abroad, you must obtain the International Certificate of Civil Liability Insurance (CIS), which is a digital format and can be printed. This certificate replaces the one known as the ‘green card’, which ceased to be in force in 2021.
You must bring the International Certificate of Civil Liability Insurance (CIS), which will be given by our company.
The CIS, which is valid for between 15 days and one year, is included in all types of insurance. It means that with it you can demonstrate that we have a policy. This certificate is also valid, in addition to the countries already mentioned, in those adhering to the Interbureaux Agreement, which are: Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iran, Israel, Macedonia, Morocco, Moldova, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
In addition, the CIS certificate protects us when we are guilty of a traffic accident in which other vehicles or people have been damaged. So our insurance company will take care of the damage.
To obtain the CIS we must go to our insurance company. In many cases, it is included with the policy and you only have to renew it if it has expired. If you do not have CIS to travel abroad, you can hire Border Insurance. This is a temporary International Insurance Certificate that can be obtained from the Network of National Insurance Offices. This only contemplates the mandatory Civil Liability guarantee. That is, to third parties. This means that it does not cover roadside assistance damage to our vehicle or legal defense, for example.
An important fact to keep in mind is that abroad it could be mandatory to carry the motorcycle insurance receipt, although in Spain it is not.
Mandatory elements
Another piece of advice that comes to us from AMV is to know what are the security elements that must be available when we go outside our borders, in case we have a mishap.
In Spain, it is not mandatory for motorcycles to have warning triangles, a reflective vest, a first aid kit, or the new V16 light signal, but in other countries, they could be. For example, in France, you have to wear a reflective vest when you stop, or in Romania, where in addition to the vest, triangles and a first aid kit are also mandatory. Therefore, learning about the legislation regarding this before leaving can be vital to avoid problems.
A motorcycle trip outside of Spain is undoubtedly a very fun adventure. But to be able to do it in the best conditions it is essential to have good insurance on our motorcycle. We must also know exactly what we are going to find at our destination, and know the specific rules and obligations. The adventure will be more fun and less risky in this way. boost your Facebook
