OFENET

FAQ OFESAUTO

Answers to the most common questions

Green Card
Questions

What is the green card?

The Green Card (so called for its color) is the Third Party International Insurance Certificate for road vehicle.

I need Travel Assistance! I had a problem with my vehicle abroad, who do I call?

OFESAUTO doesn´t provide services and assistance for this, each insured, have to contact your insurance company. To facilitate the work of finding what phone to call, We have made available a list of phones overseas assistance of the most common companies in Spain or , if foreigner visiting Spain, assistance in our country.

I’ve heard that you don’t need a Green Card to drive around Europe. Is that true?

Yes. The Law states that you don’t need a Green Card to Cross borders within the EU. That’s because all countries in the EU comply with the First Directive. The minimum insurance coverage required by each member state is covered by any motor insurance policy taken out within the Union.

The Green Card also isn’t necessary for certain countries such as Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Andorra, even though they aren’t in the EU.

You do need the Green Card to travel to the following countries:

  • Albania
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Belorrusia
  • Israel
  • Iran
  • Macedonia
  • Morocco
  • Moldovan
  • Montenegro (not needed from 02 August 2021)
  • Russia
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine

In these countries where you do need a Green Card don’t ever forget to carry one. The Green Card is your only way of proving you have Civil Responsibility coverage in case of an accident.

If you cause an accident out of Spain, identify yourself providing details of your vehicle and insurance. Show your Green Card to the victim and/ or the Emergency Services who attend the accident. Inform the Green Card Bureau of the country where the accident happened and your insurance company. Between them they will deal with your accident.

Try to use the European Accident Statement if at all possible.

I’m going to travel to one of countries where I’ll need the Green Card. Where can I get one?

By Law Spanish Insurers don’t have to supply a Green Card but most do.

So, your first option is to ask your insurer who will probably be able to help you. If not. Then your second option is to pay for Border Insurance at the border of the country in question.

Questions about accidents in EU

I had an accident in Spain caused by a foreign vehicle but I do not have the data of his insurance company. What should I do?

You must know at least the registration number, make and model of the vehicle. Send us as soon as possible this information because OFESAUTO can help you find the nationality of that vehicle, its insurance company and therefore its representative in Spain.

I have caused an accident to a foreign vehicle. What should I do?

If you have a valid insurance coverage, do not worry. Inform your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible, with all the details and they will deal with it.

I had an accident in Spain and the responsible was a foreign vehicle. I have the data of his insurance company. What should I do?

You should find the correspondent in Spain of that foreign company. In order to do that our web page includes a section in which you can easily find the correspondents and his contact details, so you can send him your claim.

The representative must give a reasoned reply to your claim within 3 months.

I have suffered an accident outside Spain in the Community territory, in which the responsible was a foreign vehicle. I have the data of its insurance company. What should I do?

You must address your claim to the Consortium for Insurance Compensations because it is the Spanish Information Body. These are its contact details:

Web: www.consorseguros.es

Email: iccs@consorseguros.es

Other

I’ve already been in touch with the insurer of the foreign vehicle which hit me and they are not replying to me. What should I do?

The representative has 3 months to reply to your claim. This reply can be an offer of compensation or a rejection of your claim. If more than 3 months have passed since you made your claim and the insurer hasn’t replied to you, or they have refused to pay without good cause, then you should get in touch with us providing all relevant documentation in your possession plus proof that you got in touch with their representative (on a date more than 3 months ago). We will proceed to process your claim.

What are the National Bureaux of Insurance and what are their functions?

Every country which forms part of the Green Card system has a Body that includes all the vehicle insurance entities and that has the obligation to guaranty the correct operation of the compulsory third-party motor insurance in the international circulation, that means the national vehicles in other countries and vice versa, vehicles of other countries in its own territory.

The obligation of driving with insurance and the protection of the victims are guaranteed, between States, through the National Bureaux,
which also organize the handling, liquidation and payment of the accidents in which there is an international element. Each Bureau has specifically two functions:

International function: To guaranty that the normally based (registered) vehicles in its territory, are correctly insured in order to take care of the damages they cause within other States.

Internal Function: To guaranty that the victims or the harmed people in their own country by vehicles, whose registered number belongs to another country of the system, are compensated by the insurer of this vehicle or by its National Bureau.

Looking for information about the International Motor Insurance Card

Solve your doubts if you are going to travel abroad with your car or want to know what the International Motor Insurance Card (formerly called Green Card) is.

Find answers about the formerly Green Card