Every export insurance policy we arrange comes with a green card, the international motor insurance card. It is the document a police officer or border guard wants to see when you drive a Dutch vehicle on white export plates through Europe. Here is what it is, what it covers and how to use it.
Drivers often speak of green card insurance, but the card is not a separate policy: it is the internationally recognised proof that a vehicle has third-party liability insurance. It shows the registration number of the vehicle, a letter for the vehicle category, the insurer, the policyholder, the period of validity and the codes of the countries in the green card system. The name comes from the colour of the old paper version; today you receive it as a PDF that you can print on plain white paper, keeping the file on your phone as a backup.
For an export from the Netherlands the green card is linked to the Dutch registration number that is printed on the white export plates. Plates, green card and RDW export document therefore all carry the same number, which makes roadside checks straightforward.
The vehicle category follows the type of vehicle you insure: a car is insured in a different category from a motorcycle, a lorry or a trailer, and within its category the price of the export insurance then depends on the empty weight and the year of manufacture. The green card uses these category codes:
| Code | Vehicle category |
|---|---|
| A | Car |
| B | Motorcycle |
| C | Lorry or tractor |
| D | Moped (cycle with an auxiliary engine) |
| E | Bus |
| F | Trailer or semi-trailer |
| G | Other |
Once a vehicle is reported for export at the RDW, its Dutch registration is ended and the seller's insurance does not cover your drive. A policy from your insurer at home is normally linked to a registration in your own country, which the vehicle does not have yet. In between lies the drive home, and for that drive the vehicle must be insured. The temporary Dutch export insurance fills that gap, and the green card is the proof you carry. This export insurance is third-party liability cover, which allows the vehicle to be driven legally on public roads in the EU and in the other countries on the green card. Without it, a roadside check abroad can quickly become a problem, because third-party motor insurance is compulsory throughout the EU. Read how plates and insurance go together on the page about Dutch export plates with insurance.
The policy is third-party liability insurance, the legal minimum for driving on public roads. It pays for damage you cause to other people and their property with the vehicle during the 14 days of validity. It does not cover damage to the vehicle itself, theft, fire, breakdown or your own belongings. If that matters to you, arrange additional cover with your own insurer as soon as the vehicle is registered at home, and drive carefully in between. What the cover costs for your type of vehicle is shown on the price page.
The green card of our export insurance is valid in 43 countries. All EU and EEA countries are included, so a drive to Sweden, Lithuania or Croatia is covered from start to finish, including every country you pass through. Beyond the EU, the card also covers Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland and Andorra, the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia), Turkey, Ukraine and Moldova, as well as Morocco, Tunisia and Azerbaijan. Driving to Ireland through Britain, or to Greece through Serbia and North Macedonia, is therefore covered all the way.
Two limitations are worth knowing. For Cyprus and Serbia, the cover stops where the national government's control ends: Northern Cyprus and Kosovo are excluded. Russia, Belarus and Iran are not covered at all, even if their codes still appear on the card: Russia and Belarus were suspended from the green card system in June 2023 and Iran on 1 January 2024, so separate frontier insurance has to be bought at their borders. The overview below lists every country where you are insured, with the code shown on the green card.
The green card of the export insurance is valid in the following countries. The letters are the country codes as printed on the card.
** Cyprus and Serbia: cover applies only in the areas under the control of the national government, so not in Northern Cyprus or Kosovo.
Russia (RUS) and Belarus (BY) have been suspended from the green card system since June 2023, and Iran (IR) since 1 January 2024. Even if their codes still appear on the card, you are not insured there: you need separate frontier insurance at the border.
The green card is sent as a PDF to your e-mail address as soon as the policy has been issued, after payment. Print it before you leave and save the PDF on your phone as a backup. At a police check or at a border you show the green card, the RDW export document and your purchase invoice, together with your driving licence and ID. Officers compare the registration number on the plates with the number on the documents, and the dates on the card with the day of the check. A tip from experience: keep the documents in one folder in the glove box, not in a suitcase in the boot. Checks happen at the roadside, sometimes in the rain.
Buyers often ask whether their insurer at home can cover the drive from the Netherlands. A home policy is usually linked to a registration number from your own country, which the vehicle only receives after it has been registered there. During the drive, the vehicle carries its Dutch registration number on the white export plates, and the Dutch export insurance is tied to exactly that number, which is what officers check on the road. After arrival you arrange your own insurance and register the vehicle, and the export cover ends when its 14 days are over. Any questions? Send us a message via the contact page.
from €100 Including 2 white export plates
Send your details via WhatsApp, e-mail or the form. You receive the green card as a PDF by e-mail; the white export plates can be collected in Hengelo or sent by DHL Express.
Requested on a working day (Monday to Thursday)? DHL Express then delivers the plates within 1 working day, with track & trace. Surcharge: €50 per shipment.
How delivery by post worksOffice visits are by appointment only, including Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00. Book ahead so your insurance and white export plates are ready. The standard-rate period for RDW export deregistration is 09:00 to 17:00.
We send it as a PDF by e-mail after payment. Print it and keep the printout in the vehicle, and save the PDF on your phone as a backup. A printout on plain white paper is accepted; the green colour of the paper is no longer required. Make sure the printout is complete and readable, including the country list and the dates.
No. The export insurance is a third-party liability policy: it covers damage you cause to others, which is the legal minimum to drive. Damage to or theft of the vehicle you bought, breakdown and your belongings are not covered. If you want that cover for the drive home, ask your own insurer what is possible, and arrange comprehensive cover as soon as the vehicle is registered in your country.
In 43 countries: all EU and EEA countries plus Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, the Western Balkans, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia, Azerbaijan and Andorra. In Cyprus and Serbia you are only covered where the national government is in control, so not in Northern Cyprus or Kosovo. Russia, Belarus and Iran are not covered, even if their codes are printed on the card. The full list with country codes is on this page.
The green card, the RDW export document, your purchase invoice or contract, your driving licence and your identity document. The officer checks that the registration number on the white plates matches the number on the green card and the export document, and that the date of the check falls within the 14 days of validity. Keep all documents together in the glove box, not in your luggage.
Usually not for this drive. A home policy is normally linked to a registration number from your own country, and the vehicle only receives one after it has been registered there. The Dutch export insurance is tied to the Dutch registration number on the white export plates, so the plates, the green card and the documents match at a check. If you want to be sure, ask your own insurer whether it can cover the drive.
Make the scene safe, call the emergency services if anyone is hurt, and fill in a European accident statement with the other party if possible. Note names, registration numbers and insurance details, and take photos. Report the accident to the insurer named on your green card as soon as possible, and send us a message so we can help you with the contact details. The policy covers the damage you caused to others; damage to your own vehicle is not covered.
Request the export insurance via WhatsApp, and the green card arrives in your inbox as a PDF after payment.
Last updated on . The information on this page is based on our own rates and working method and on these official sources:
Government rules and fees can change. If in doubt, check the source and ask us for advice on your situation.
