Do I still need a Green Card? Yes, to drive abroad in eight countries: Albania, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Moldova, North Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine. In the EU, Switzerland, the UK, Serbia or Bosnia your number plate is enough. The card is free and your German insurer often sends it as a PDF. It is worth carrying even where it is not mandatory.
What the foreign travel add-ons around the Green Card cost in Germany, as of 2026.
Example
Typical range
Green Card from your own insurer
EUR 0
Foreign claims cover (Auslandsschadenschutz) as an add-on
about EUR 10 to 50 a year, often included in better policies
Breakdown cover (Schutzbrief) with help abroad
about EUR 10 to 30 a year
Validity of an issued card
usually 3, sometimes 5 years
As of October 2026, from information by the German insurance association (GDV) and publicly quoted
guide prices.
We do not give a price for border insurance without a card,
because we found no reliable source for it.
We check which add-ons your policy includes in the quote.
Worked example
Driving through the Balkans to Albania
A family drives from Germany through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro to Albania.
Austria, Slovenia, Croatia
number plate is enough
Montenegro
number plate is enough
Albania
Green Card mandatory, code AL must not be crossed out
Cost of the card
EUR 0
Without a printed card the family would have to buy border insurance at the Albanian border. A call to the insurer before the trip avoids that.
Where you still need it to drive abroad
The Green Card proves that your car has motor liability cover. Many European countries have an agreement under which the official number plate itself is the proof, so nobody checks a card at the border. This covers all countries of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In eight countries you have to show the card when you enter. If you do not have it, or the country code on it is crossed out, you have to buy border insurance before you may drive on.
Country or group
Green Card
EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein
not needed, the number plate is enough
Switzerland, United Kingdom, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina
not needed
Albania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Ukraine
mandatory at the border
Turkey, Azerbaijan
mandatory at the border
Morocco, Tunisia
mandatory at the border
Russia, Belarus
no longer valid there, border insurance needed
How to get the card
Your German motor insurer issues the card free of charge. Many send it by email and you print it yourself. Since July 2020 the paper no longer has to be green, and since January 2021 the card is issued on a white background.
The paper matters: abroad only the printed version is accepted as proof, a PDF on your phone is not enough. Before you travel, check the expiry date and that the code of your destination is on the card and not crossed out.
Why it belongs in the glovebox in the EU too
Even where the card is not mandatory, it holds everything the police and the other driver need after an accident: your insurer, the policy number and the plate. That saves time and misunderstandings, especially when nobody speaks the other person's language.
The card only proves liability cover. It does not say whether your partial or comprehensive cover applies in the destination country. For Turkey outside its European part, Morocco and Tunisia you usually have to agree comprehensive cover with your insurer explicitly.
When the card does not help
Russia and Belarus left the Green Card system at the end of June 2023, and Iran has been suspended since January 2024. The card does not help you there, you need local insurance.
Your own Green Card plays no role for a rental car abroad either, because it only applies to your own car. For the rental car, the rental company's insurance counts.
Step by step
List every country on your route, including transit countries.
Compare the list with the eight mandatory countries.
Request the card from your insurer if you do not have a valid one.
Print it and check that every destination code is there and not crossed out.
For destinations outside Europe, get comprehensive cover confirmed in writing.
Put the card in the glovebox together with the European accident report.
Checklist
Green Card printed, not only on your phone
Expiry date after the end of the trip
Destination country code not crossed out
Comprehensive cover for destinations outside Europe sorted
European accident report in the car
Common mistakes
Carrying the card only as a PDF on your phone
Forgetting a transit country such as North Macedonia on the way to Greece
Believing the card also proves comprehensive cover
Setting off with an expired card
Relying on the card in Russia or Belarus
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does the Green Card still have to be green?
No.
Since July 2020 it is valid on white paper too, so you can print it yourself.
Is a PDF on my phone enough?
No.
Abroad only the paper version is accepted as proof of insurance.
Do I need the card for Croatia, Italy or Switzerland?
No, your number plate is enough there.
It is still useful after an accident.
What does the Green Card cost?
Nothing.
Your motor insurer issues it free of charge.
What happens if I do not have it in Turkey?
You have to buy border insurance at the border before you may enter.
How long is the Green Card valid?
The expiry date is printed on the card.
It is usually valid for three years, with some insurers five.
