International insurance card for motor transport
The international insurance card for motor traffic , colloquially known as the green insurance card because of its color , is part of an international, predominantly European system that enables the motor vehicle liability insurance policy of the country of origin to travel to different countries without insurance coverage that corresponds to the respective national law having to buy more.
Otherwise, this would be necessary because the liability regulations in road traffic and the associated insurance solutions are by no means standardized in the European Union . For example, different limits on the sum insured in motor vehicle liability insurance are common in all countries .
The card itself
Until 1965, a driver who crossed a border with his vehicle actually had to carry proof of insurance for the respective foreign country. This proof has been replaced by a uniform certificate in green in those states that have come together to form the so-called “Green Card Agreement” (hence “Green Card”).
In the meantime, this card is actually superfluous due to the license plate agreement. As a result, not every vehicle owner has it for a long time. With some insurers he only gets them on request. It is always present in rental cars. Carrying this international insurance card for motor traffic with you can, however, make processing the claim much easier in the event of an accident.
The green insurance card
- is valid as proof of insurance abroad and certifies insurance coverage in accordance with the provisions applicable abroad,
- contains the addresses of all foreign regulatory offices to which an accident victim can be referred.
For easier claims processing, a duplicate of the green insurance card for the accident victim should also be carried. Since damage abroad is often not replaced to the same extent as in Germany, it is important to check the insurance cover in the relevant foreign country before traveling abroad.
The international agreement
The origin is the UN Recommendation No. 5. This is the basis for the other agreements. The responsible organization is the Council of Bureaux based in Brussels . The green card system is limited to Europe and the countries bordering the Mediterranean. As of January 2016, 47 countries belong to the system, including some non-European countries.
Kosovo does not recognize the green card. A Kosovar car insurance must therefore be bought at the border.
In other regions of the world there are systems that work on a similar principle, such as the “Orange Card” for some Arab states.
States that want to qualify for the agreement must in particular be able to demonstrate that they have an efficient own insurance industry that is able to regulate damage far away from home. There is an international system of so-called correspondent insurers in order to be able to settle claims in distant countries. An insurer based in the country in which the damage occurred offers the partner company the complete settlement of this damage and the protection of the interests of the insurance company in a possible legal dispute against reimbursement of costs.
The insurers of a member state of the Green Card Agreement can appoint correspondents in all member states. These correspondents handle the claims in the accident country. If the insurer has not appointed a correspondent, the claims are handled by the green card office itself or by an agent.
In addition, insurers from less developed and poorer countries in particular are faced with the problem that the costs of a traffic accident (especially with personal injury) in western countries can in extreme cases far exceed the financial possibilities of this insurer. A serious personal injury accident in an industrialized country can cost many millions of euros. The settlement of such a damage can exceed the amounts available, since a foreign insurer calculates its premiums and capital requirements according to the possible damage sums in its home country. For this reason, many motor vehicle insurers pass their risks on to reinsurers in order not to get into financial distress in the example case and to ensure solvency even in the event of major damaging events abroad.
Member States
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The "Green Card Office"
As a rule, all insurance companies that offer motor vehicle liability insurance also offer cover for the Green Card. Only in newer, less developed member states are there exceptions. The umbrella organization of all insurers in a country that offer cover under the Green Card is the respective national “Green Card Office”.
The “Council of Bureaux”, based in London, is the umbrella organization for all national offices. It offers a forum for members' meetings that take place regularly at the level of the ministerial director or state secretary, where the organization's rules and regulations are constantly refined and adapted to new circumstances. It sees itself primarily as the guardian of the consumer-friendliness of the system: The primary (not yet achieved) goal is that every claim for damages after a traffic accident is covered by liability insurance with the person who caused it. To this end, the Council sets and monitors normative regulations, operates quality control, issues and withdraws licenses for national offices, insurers, correspondents and, if necessary, entire member countries. It also decides on the admission of new countries as well as on the granting of the status of a country as a full member (like most countries) or as a provisional member.
The “Rules of Procedure of the Council of Offices” (GOdRdB) is a multilateral guarantee agreement that regulates motor vehicles that have been temporarily abroad and have caused property damage or personal injury there.