The Green Card is issued within the 48 countries covered by the Council of (Motor Insurance) Bureaux, and is a document whose production may be required to prove that insurance cover is in place for vehicles travelling between these countries, where alternative legislative provisions are not in place.
All EU Member States are party to this system, but the EU does not require production of a Green Card when travelling between Member States. However, the default position is that Green Cards are required for vehicles entering the EU from Third Countries, unless the EU Commission declares otherwise.
If the UK were to exit the EU without a deal, the default position would be that Green Cards would be required for EU-registered vehicles entering the UK and for UK-registered vehicles entering the EU. While the Government remains of the view that the best and only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU - including avoiding the necessity for Green Cards - is the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement reached between the EU and the UK, the Government recognises that it is prudent to plan for the possibility of a 'no deal' exit.
The motor insurance industry is therefore behaving prudently in being prepared for the possibility that Green Cards will be required, even though this is not a desirable outcome. In line with the current expected Brexit date of 29th March 2019, insurers and insurance brokers have indicated that they will begin issuing Green Cards to policyholders from March if no agreement has been reached between the UK and the EU on Brexit or the process has not been further delayed. At that point anyone who plans on driving their Irish registered vehicle in Northern Ireland or Britain should contact their insurer or insurance broker one month in advance of their expected travel date to ensure they receive their Green Card in sufficient time.
