- Temporary car insurance
- Temporary van insurance
- Temporary learner insurance
- Back
Short-Term Car Cover
Durations
Short-Term Car Cover
Situations
- Back
Flexible Van Insurance for Short-Term Use
Durations
- Back
Before lending your car, check the borrower’s insurance.
Get your quote online.
The price shown in your quote is for the driver, vehicle and period you select. Compare the options available for the time you need, including any excess and optional extras. Temporary insurance may suit occasional use; an annual policy may be better value if you drive the vehicle regularly.
We’re specialists in short-term car insurance, built by people who’ve spent decades in the industry.
We’re specialists in lending a car insurance.
The premium you will pay for your short term car insurance will depend on things such as the drivers age, experience, where they live, when they need cover, the car they’ll drive and how long they need to drive it for.
If the lucky driver borrowing your car doesn’t drive often enough to justify purchasing their own annual policy, temporary insurance offers a simple, cost-effective alternative. They’ll get the coverage they need, only when they need it, without the expense and commitment of a full-time policy.
Choose enough time for the whole journey, including the return trip. Check the quoted start and end times rather than relying on a label such as ‘daily’ or ‘monthly’. If your plans change, make sure valid cover is in place before continuing to drive.
Have the vehicle registration and the driver’s details ready. Choose when you need cover, then review the price, eligibility and policy terms before buying.
Agree when the car will be used and returned, confirm the driver’s details and check the policy times. Keep your own vehicle insurance arrangements in place where required. A borrower having an annual policy on another car is not enough to establish cover.
Temporary cover is a separate policy for the named driver and vehicle. A claim under that policy is handled separately from the owner's annual insurance, subject to the policy terms. This does not mean an incident can never affect future premiums: drivers and owners must still answer insurers' questions accurately and meet any reporting requirements.
You decide when your cover starts and ends, providing complete control and flexibility.
Our short term car insurance protects you, your passengers, your car as well as other people, property and vehicles.
Get a quote quickly, with a minimal amount of questions for just the length of time you need to drive to keep costs to a minimum.
Your permission to use the car and valid insurance are separate requirements. The person borrowing it needs cover that names or otherwise explicitly insures them for the vehicle and journey. A temporary policy may be an option if the driver and car meet the insurer’s conditions.
Temporary business car insurance is designed for people who need occasional business cover, rather than a full-time commercial policy.
It’s well-suited to sole traders who only use a car for work from time to time, such as attending meetings, visiting clients, or travelling between work locations. Small business owners may also need short-term cover when their driving needs change temporarily or increase for a specific period.
This type of insurance is also ideal for employees who are temporarily using a car for work, whether that’s their own vehicle or a borrowed one, and need to make sure they’re correctly insured for business use. It can also support people between roles or contracts, covering short-term assignments, trial periods, or temporary work where business driving is required.
Temporary business car insurance is built for flexibility and short-term needs. It’s important to note that it’s not a replacement for permanent commercial or business insurance. If you drive for work regularly or rely on a vehicle as a core part of your business, a long-term commercial policy is likely to be more suitable.
Personal temporary cover for non-business use is also available – see our temporary car insurance page for all options.
Temporary car insurance is completely flexible, not only does it allow you to drive the car of a family member or friend, it allows you to choose the exact amount of time you need to use the car for.
You can insure a car for as little as one hour to 28 days.
Check acceptance before handing over the keys. Passing a driving test does not automatically meet the temporary policy’s minimum licence-holding requirement.
Temporary cover is a separate policy for the named driver and vehicle. A claim under that policy is handled separately from the owner’s annual insurance, subject to the policy terms. This does not mean an incident can never affect future premiums: drivers and owners must still answer insurers’ questions accurately and meet any reporting requirements.
Yes you can take out multiple temporary policies in a year, but there will come a tipping point that it would make more sense cost-wise to take out an annual policy.
Temporary car insurance is perfect for short term needs, but if you require coverage for a longer duration, an annual policy may be more cost effective.
It doesn’t cover you for driving a rental or hired car; you’ll need a specific hire car insurance policy for that.
Short term cover also is not suitable if you’re planning on using it to be a cabbie – you’ll need proper taxi insurance to do that. It’s also not to be used for deliveries or courier work.
Temporary car insurance is also not suitable for releasing a vehicle from a Police or Local Authority impound, learning to drive, driving outside of the EU/EEA and for importing / exporting cars; the vehicle must be in the UK at the start and end of the policy.
With annual insurance you pay for the full 365 days of cover on your car insurance, whereas with temporary car insurance you only pay for the time you need. That is why it’s worth checking to see if a short term policy is cheaper for you.
There are also a few ways that you can try and get the cheapest temporary car insurance.
– Don’t purchase add-ons you don’t need; for example, you may have breakdown cover with your bank account
– Have a choice of cars to borrow? It might be worth getting quotes to see which car produces the cheapest quote for you
– Build your experience; the longer you’ve held your licence claim-free, the better
Even if the vehicle itself is insured, if you’re not correctly insured to drive it you could be looking at penalties.