International Car Insurance (2024)

International auto insurance is a broad term for car insurance that protects drivers abroad. If you’re an expat or work abroad and are planning to use your vehicle in another country, often your domestic car insurance policy won’t cover this due to territory restrictions. International car insurance has different levels of coverage, depending on the policy you choose. Our Third-Party Liability Insurance covers property damage and bodily harm to others, and physical damage (our Worldwide Car Insurance policy) keeps your vehicle protected from collision, theft, or other damage.

Excess liability supplements the local compulsory liability coverage you are required to carry in each county you are traveling in.

This means, in the unfortunate event that your vehicle is damaged or stolen in another country, if you get into an accident, or if your local compulsory third party liability coverage is not enough to cover third party bodily injury or property damage, you can file a claim on your international auto insurance for physical damages and excess liability.

All three coverages—Third-Party Liability, Worldwide Car Insurance (which covers physical damage), and Excess Liability—can be combined to maximize your protection.

If your personal car insurance policy doesn’t cover you abroad, you need to make sure you have an international auto insurance policy in place before you drive in another country.

At Clements, our international auto insurance policies work around you, so you can select the exact coverage you need.

You can choose

• Third-Party Liability Insurance (offered in select countries),
• Worldwide Car Insurance (protects the driver’s vehicle from physical damage), and/or
• Excess Liability coverage (covers costs that exceed your third-party liability insurance).

Combine all three for maximum coverage.

Required information varies from country to country, but most policies require personal details, including driver’s license info, and vehicle information. You may be asked to provide additional information depending on each country’s regulations. For example, in Italy, the policy follows the car instead of the driver. Each country also has varying legal limits, and even with those limits, customers may need to supplement their insurance based on local factors. While some information is required, you do not need any documentation to get a policy for international car insurance.

Because of the complex nature of international car insurance, it’s important to speak with a knowledgeable advisor to ensure you are adequately covered. Clements provides coverage in more than 170 countries, and we have been insuring expats since 1947.

If you’re moving to another country and taking your car with you, or buying a car there, you’ll definitely need local car insurance. Your domestic insurance will most likely not cover you, and driving without insurance is illegal in most countries.

Research the insurance requirements and options in the specific country you’ll be in. Our Personal Insurance team can help guide you and explain our coverage options. Some key things to keep in mind:

• Legal requirements: Different countries have different mandatory car insurance requirements. Make sure you understand the minimum coverage you need to drive legally.
• Coverage differences: Insurance coverage and types can vary significantly between countries. Some countries might have unique risks or driving styles that your home insurance wouldn’t cover.