G
Guest
Guest
Renate's recent insurance query has reminded me that I did not update
the list on my 12 month green card insurance as originally promised,
for which I apologise.
Briefly for those new to the list. I have an offshore registration
which makes it easy for me to live and travel between former
socialist countries in east and south east Europe, as well as go home
to see the in-laws in Minsk, Belarus. I used to have a local Bosnian
car registration but the requirements to qualify annually for local
residence registration just to enable me to then acquire a car
registration got too onerous and personally intrusive. (We also had
an office in Kosovo that was having trouble with vehicles travelling
outside the country with the locally issued UN protectorate plates,
so needed an alternative). The local MoT is also laughable for people
like me with well maintained vehicles who are put through the hoops,
when locals come along and pay a backhander for a certificate for an
obviously unsafe car.
Being locally registered in Bosnia it was no problem to have a green
card along with my locally issued insurance. For those registered
with British companies, a request for a green card valid longer than
3 months is closely questioned, whereas those insured in Europe
expect a long-term green card as crossing borders is so commonplace
on the continent.
When I changed my registration I maintained my local insurance, but
the local law prevented them issuing a green card whatsoever. I
therefore had to buy a pink card 'frontier insurance' certificate
every time I crossed the border. Not only tedious but despite
international agreements about this, only the larger border crossings
have an insurance office, and then the opening hours can be limited.
(On a sunny Sunday last April I drove across both Croatia and
Slovenia un-insured as even their major crossings had no staff at the
insurance offices. In each case I had already passed the border guard
and was then theoretically in the country when I parked at the
insurance office to buy a pink card. Even the Austrian office closed
at 5.00pm but they usually impound the car 50 metres before the
border until you hand-over a valid insurance).
I have since insured the 80 with third party insurance including
unlimited 12 month green card cover. The policy covers all Europe to
the Russian Federation border, that is all the 25 EU members states
(incl Malta & Cyprus) plus - Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Albania,
Andorra, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Belarus, Croatia, Moldova, Macedonia,
Romania, Serbia/CrnaGora, and Ukraine.
This is via a brokerage and insurer in Vienna who follow the old
Austrian tradition of helping those who need to be resourceful when
dealing with cross border regulations to the east of Europe. The
insurance is legally issued against the VIN (or chassis number in my
case), and apart from the name of the insured, the address is given
as c/o the broker's office. Thus making it nicely neutral, and at the
same time 'official looking' to keep sometimes dumb border guards
happy. An Austrian address is also universally non-controversial,
i.e. nice people who don't offend any other country. That may sound
dramatic but once one gets outside EU Europe these things count.
My 1992 80 is valued at euro 10,000 and as it is older than 10 years,
the company can only insure it for third party (not a big problem in
my situation, and its has a good alarm/immobiliser and steering
immobiliser and always carefully parked out of harm's way). I do
have insurance for 4 passengers within the policy. The premium also
includes access to a multi-lingual telephone help line open 24/7.
They also allowed me 30% discount on proof of previous insurance -
from Bosnia. The total premium was euro 651.41. Being the sort of
business they are, they do not have on-line payment facilities. I
paid via a euro CHAPS transfer from my bank.
The insurance company is -
Generali Versicherung AG, (Generali Gruppe), Landskrongasse 1-3, 1010 Wien.
The very sympathetic broker who arranges all this is -
All Risk Insurance Service (ARIS), A-3400 Klosterneuberg, Wienerstrasse. 134.
<www.aris.at>
Romana Memic is the very helpful lady who handled my policy and can
be mailed directly at <[Email address removed]>
All they need to know is your VIN number, production date, vehicle
value, number of seats, and power of engine. They are not interested
in any modifications like lifted suspension or bullbars etc. Neither
are they bothered at your travelling habits, especially your length
of stay within any one country.
I hope that helps any of you who need to find such flexible insurance
for extensive continental travel. It is not for those living in
UK/Eire who make occasional trips abroad covered by their UK
insurer's normal green card scheme.
Jon
'92 HZJ80 ex UN Bosnia surplus
the list on my 12 month green card insurance as originally promised,
for which I apologise.
Briefly for those new to the list. I have an offshore registration
which makes it easy for me to live and travel between former
socialist countries in east and south east Europe, as well as go home
to see the in-laws in Minsk, Belarus. I used to have a local Bosnian
car registration but the requirements to qualify annually for local
residence registration just to enable me to then acquire a car
registration got too onerous and personally intrusive. (We also had
an office in Kosovo that was having trouble with vehicles travelling
outside the country with the locally issued UN protectorate plates,
so needed an alternative). The local MoT is also laughable for people
like me with well maintained vehicles who are put through the hoops,
when locals come along and pay a backhander for a certificate for an
obviously unsafe car.
Being locally registered in Bosnia it was no problem to have a green
card along with my locally issued insurance. For those registered
with British companies, a request for a green card valid longer than
3 months is closely questioned, whereas those insured in Europe
expect a long-term green card as crossing borders is so commonplace
on the continent.
When I changed my registration I maintained my local insurance, but
the local law prevented them issuing a green card whatsoever. I
therefore had to buy a pink card 'frontier insurance' certificate
every time I crossed the border. Not only tedious but despite
international agreements about this, only the larger border crossings
have an insurance office, and then the opening hours can be limited.
(On a sunny Sunday last April I drove across both Croatia and
Slovenia un-insured as even their major crossings had no staff at the
insurance offices. In each case I had already passed the border guard
and was then theoretically in the country when I parked at the
insurance office to buy a pink card. Even the Austrian office closed
at 5.00pm but they usually impound the car 50 metres before the
border until you hand-over a valid insurance).
I have since insured the 80 with third party insurance including
unlimited 12 month green card cover. The policy covers all Europe to
the Russian Federation border, that is all the 25 EU members states
(incl Malta & Cyprus) plus - Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Albania,
Andorra, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Belarus, Croatia, Moldova, Macedonia,
Romania, Serbia/CrnaGora, and Ukraine.
This is via a brokerage and insurer in Vienna who follow the old
Austrian tradition of helping those who need to be resourceful when
dealing with cross border regulations to the east of Europe. The
insurance is legally issued against the VIN (or chassis number in my
case), and apart from the name of the insured, the address is given
as c/o the broker's office. Thus making it nicely neutral, and at the
same time 'official looking' to keep sometimes dumb border guards
happy. An Austrian address is also universally non-controversial,
i.e. nice people who don't offend any other country. That may sound
dramatic but once one gets outside EU Europe these things count.
My 1992 80 is valued at euro 10,000 and as it is older than 10 years,
the company can only insure it for third party (not a big problem in
my situation, and its has a good alarm/immobiliser and steering
immobiliser and always carefully parked out of harm's way). I do
have insurance for 4 passengers within the policy. The premium also
includes access to a multi-lingual telephone help line open 24/7.
They also allowed me 30% discount on proof of previous insurance -
from Bosnia. The total premium was euro 651.41. Being the sort of
business they are, they do not have on-line payment facilities. I
paid via a euro CHAPS transfer from my bank.
The insurance company is -
Generali Versicherung AG, (Generali Gruppe), Landskrongasse 1-3, 1010 Wien.
The very sympathetic broker who arranges all this is -
All Risk Insurance Service (ARIS), A-3400 Klosterneuberg, Wienerstrasse. 134.
<www.aris.at>
Romana Memic is the very helpful lady who handled my policy and can
be mailed directly at <[Email address removed]>
All they need to know is your VIN number, production date, vehicle
value, number of seats, and power of engine. They are not interested
in any modifications like lifted suspension or bullbars etc. Neither
are they bothered at your travelling habits, especially your length
of stay within any one country.
I hope that helps any of you who need to find such flexible insurance
for extensive continental travel. It is not for those living in
UK/Eire who make occasional trips abroad covered by their UK
insurer's normal green card scheme.
Jon
'92 HZJ80 ex UN Bosnia surplus
