Temporary car insurance

Will you be driving a car for a short period? Temporary car insurance is a flexible option that offers peace of mind while you’re on the road.

The majority of our policies are underwritten by Aviva, our key partner.

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What is temporary car insurance?

Temporary car insurance works like standard comprehensive car insurance. However, unlike regular car insurance, which covers you for a year, temporary insurance lasts for a limited period, giving you short-term cover on a range of vehicles.

It’s a flexible option that allows you to get a policy only for the time you need it for. With temporary car insurance from Dayinsure, you’ll be protected for anything from one hour to 30 days. This means you can take a 60-minute driving test drive or borrow a friend’s car for a few weeks safe in the knowledge that you’re insured.

It’s easy to set up this limited-period cover. Simply follow the steps and we’ll get you covered well within an hour – in certain cases it can take as little as 15 minutes.

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Want a quote?

We can help you get where you need to go, when you need to go. You’ll need:

  • your name and UK address, date of birth, email, phone, and occupation
  • the registration number of the car you want to drive
  • your GB driving licence number.
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What’s included with temporary car insurance?

Temporary car insurance from Dayinsure provides the same comprehensive cover that you get from a standard annual policy. So, whether you need cover for an houra daya week, or a month, you can drive on UK roads safe in the knowledge that you’re fully insured.

Unlike third-party cover, which, in the event of an accident, provides only basic protection against third-party damages and losses, a comprehensive car insurance policy also insures against your own damages. When you take out temporary car insurance with us, you’ll receive fully comprehensive cover against damage to yourself and, the car you’re driving, plus compensating the third -party involved in the incident.

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Additionally, this fully comprehensive cover means:

  • you are eligible to make a claim, even if the accident was your fault
  • you can make a claim if you have discovered that the car has been damaged but can’t prove who is at fault, for instance if it was parked on the street
  • we will pay for the car to be repaired or replace the car if it’s lost or stolen, along with paying the car’s legal owner cash amount that’s equal to the loss or damage.

If you’re planning to take out cover with us, you’ll see that you are fully protected for the duration of the policy. All policies are underwritten by Aviva, which is our key partner, or other insurers.

Should you have any questions about what fully comprehensive cover includes or the wording of the policy documents, take a look at our help and support pages or get in touch. Our team is on hand and happy to help you.

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What can temporary car insurance be used for?

One of the main advantages of temporary car insurance is that it’s a handy option if you unexpectedly need to drive a car or other vehicle you’re not covered to drive. There are several reasons why you might need this short-term protection. Some of the most common include:

Borrowing a car

There can be lots of reasons why you might need to borrow a car. You could be:

  • buying or selling a car and want to arrange a test drive
  • borrowing a friend or family member’s bigger car for a house move, holiday, or overnight stay in another part of the country
  • needing a motor so you can pick up the kids from school while your partner’s car is in the garage.

It’s most likely that you’ll suddenly need to borrow a car and it’s not planned. However, whether it’s an unexpected necessity or you’re planning to borrow your friend’s car for a little while, temporary car insurance will put your mind at ease while you’re behind the wheel.

Adding a temporary additional driver to your car

We can help if:

  • your annual policy doesn’t cover the policyholder to drive other cars
  • your annual policy doesn’t give you comprehensive cover when you drive other cars.

Did you know? It’s a common belief that all annual insurance policies cover you to drive other cars. This is not always true and it’s important that you check before you set off. If you do have cover, it will almost certainly be on a third- party-only basis. Take out a Dayinsure policy and you’ll be comprehensively covered. Any claims will not affect the car owner’s No Claims Bonus.

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Making a business trip

Whether you’re driving across town or across the country, you’ll need insurance to cover your journey. We can help if:

  • your annual insurance policy doesn’t cover a business trip to a new location.

Did you know? A common misunderstanding is that annual insurance policies that cover commuting allow business trips to any location – they don’t! Commuting use only covers journeys to or from your regular place of work, so this could exclude cover if you visit a client, attend a training course, or help at a local branch. Our temporary car cover insures you for full business use, apart from the carrying of goods or passengers for hire or reward.

24-hour car insurance is for any situation, such as:

  • when the annual policyholder gets taken ill and you need to take over the driving
  • needing to share the driving on a long journey
  • taking a SORN vehicle for an MOT (subject to underwriter)
  • when you’ll be driving a bigger vehicle to transport a piece of furniture
  • where there’s a short gap between one annual policy finishing and another one starting.

Whatever the reason for needing short-period car insurance, you can get cover quickly with Dayinsure. Simply follow the steps and you’ll be protected in minutes.

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How do I get temporary car insurance?

We know that you might need temporary car insurance in a hurry. Sometimes unexpected events happen and you need to make alternative motoring plans for a few weeks.

That’s why we’ve made it easy for you to take out temporary car insurance. The process only takes a few minutes. Just follow these three simple steps

Fill in our simple quote form

To complete the quote form, let us know your name, UK address and GB driving licence number. We’ll also need your date of birth, occupation, and the registration number of the car you want to drive.

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Mobile app quote

We'll give you a price

Decide the duration of the cover you need, when you would like the policy to start, and if you want any add-ons.

Buy and you’re ready to go!

To buy your temporary car insurance policy you’ll need to have your payment details (debit card or credit card) to hand. Once you’ve made your purchase, you’ll be on the road in no time.

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Am I eligible for temporary car insurance?

Most drivers aged between 18 and 75 can take out temporary car insurance from Dayinsure. This is subject to vehicle and underwriting criteria. Whether you need cover for an hour, a week, or a month, we can insure most UK-registered vehicles as long as you meet our underwriters’ specific conditions.

You could be eligible for temporary car insurance if you’re 17 and a learner driver. We have temporary learner driver insurance, which is a separate type of cover for drivers who haven’t passed their test yet.

Additionally, we offer temporary van insurance for those who need it. Again, this is a separate type of cover.

Please note: Our temporary car insurance is not available for impounded vehicles.

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How much does temporary car insurance cost?

Dayinsure offers some of the cheapest temporary car insurance policies on the market. Prices start at just £19 per day for one-day cover. We’ve made it easy for you to know exactly how much your insurance policy will cost. Once you’ve completed the quote form, you’ll see how little your temporary car insurance cover could cost.

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How long can I have temporary car insurance for?

The main advantage of taking out a temporary car insurance policy is that you have a choice of short-term timeframes, making it a flexible option if you need last-minute cover. Take your pick from the following timings:

Whatever the amount of time you need cover for, you can rest assured that you’re in good hands. Our temporary car insurance policies are underwritten by our key partner, Aviva, or other insurers. These policies are all available on a comprehensive basis.

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Other benefits include:

  • it’s convenient
  • it offers peace of mind
  • it’s simple to buy
  • it’s fast, with cover coming into effect in as little as 15 minutes after purchase.

Additionally, our temporary car insurance includes business-use cover. This makes it a useful option should you have a last-minute client meeting or business event to attend. The majority of our temp car insurance policies also offer a range of optional extras such as comprehensive European cover and daily breakdown cover.

Furthermore, we guarantee that we’ll update the Motor Insurance Database (MID) every seven days and in some cases more often. We always recommend that you carry your certificate of insurance on you, during your period of cover.

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Why choose Dayinsure short-term car insurance?

Dayinsure’s short-term car insurance is a great option when an annual policy doesn’t give you the flexibility you need – whether you want great value by the hour or something slightly longer.

Insurance from 1 hour to 30 days
Great-value cover available to buy in minutes
All policies provide comprehensive cover
Policies are underwritten by Aviva, our key partner, or other insurers
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Temporary car insurance FAQs

To make it easier for you to find the cover you need, we’ve rounded up some of the most frequent questions about the temporary car insurance we offer at Dayinsure. Take a look at the list below and if you can’t see what you’re looking for or you have further questions, check out the help and support section or get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.

How old do you need to be to get temporary car insurance?

If you’ve passed your driving test, our temporary car insurance is available for drivers aged 18 to 75. If you’re a learner driver, we can insure you from the age of 17 on our temporary learner driver insurance policy.

In some cases, it may be that you’re the right age, but we can’t insure you. This is because, as well as your date of birth, your application depends on where you live, your occupation, the type of car and how old the car is. These criteria affect our underwriters’ decisions about who we can insure.

How long does it take to get temporary car insurance?

We pride ourselves on offering a speedy service. We know that if you’re applying for temporary car insurance, you may be in a hurry as you may not have expected to be driving the car today. That’s why we can process your application and get you covered in as little as 15 minutes.

Once you’ve completed the quote form, we’ll get a price to you. You can then buy your insurance and get your journey started.

What happens if I have an accident while I have temporary car insurance?

If you have a accident, you should call the relevant claims team straight away. Check your policy documents so that you know who is covering you and follow the instructions to make a claim.

If you have a policy with Aviva, call 0800 0156 166 if you are calling from within the UK. If you are calling from outside of the UK, call (0044) 1603 603 728. Phone lines are open 24 hours a day.

If your policy is with Mulsanne, call the new claims helpline on 0333 003 3189 or the existing claims line on 01273 74190. Phone lines are open 24 hours a day.

Does temporary car insurance affect my no claims discount?

An accident won’t affect the car owner’s no claims discount. If you’re the short-term policy holder, you’ll need to declare any incidents when you renew your main insurance policy.

If you’re the car owner and someone has borrowed your vehicle, any claims they make as the short-term driver won’t affect your no claims discount. Its their duty to declare the accident if they take out car insurance in the future.

Can I get temporary car insurance alongside an annual policy?

Legally, there must be a main policy – also known as an underlying policy – for any car to be driven. You must buy insurance for your car, even if you don’t drive it.

However, short-term insurance is separate from any other type of cover on the car. If there’s already an annual policy in place, you can still use your short-term cover from Dayinsure and two people can be insured on the same car.

What is Dayinsure’s cancellation policy?

Our temporary car insurance policies are underwritten by our key partner, Aviva, along with other insurers. These policies are all available on a comprehensive basis. The cancellation policy for your cover will depend on which company – Aviva or another insurer.

However, most types of cover can be cancelled at any time if you follow the instructions in your policy documents. We recommend that you read the policy wording carefully so that you know exactly what cancelling involves and the steps you’ll need to take.

You can see some of the key documents when you scroll down this page. These give an idea of the type of cancellation policy you can expect in your own documents.

Can I extend my temporary car insurance policy?

Yes, it may be possible to extend your temporary car cover with us on a like-for-like basis. You can do it right here on the Dayinsure website – simply log into your account to see if you can extend your policy – or follow the steps in the app. If you didn’t create an account when you bought your policy, you can still extend by clicking “purchase extra days” and following the simple steps in your  email notification.

As when you took out the initial cover, any extension is subject to acceptance and underwriting criteria.

An extension to your existing short-term motor insurance policy with us can only be on a like-for-like basis. You can extend your policy three times or for up to a maximum of 30 days from the date your original policy started – whichever is sooner.

You need to request a new quote if you need to change anything else on your temporary cover or if you need to include any additional optional products.

If you have any difficulty extending your policy, it may be that you don’t meet the criteria any more. In this case, you may want to talk to us to find out more.

Can I get temporary car insurance for a vehicle I own?

Yes. Our insurance covers you short-term on any vehicle (subject to acceptance criteria).

Can I use temporary insurance to drive in Europe?

Yes. When you take out short-term cover with Dayinsure, we’ll automatically cover you on a third-party basis for trips to countries in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland – as long as the car is in the UK when the insurance starts and finishes.

You may upgrade this cover to comprehensive cover when you’re completing the application.

If you’re travelling outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland, we can’t cover you on a short-term basis.

Can I use temporary insurance for business use?

If your annual insurance policy doesn’t cover a business trip to a new location, you can use temporary insurance. Our temporary car cover insures you for full business use. It just excludes the carrying of goods or passengers for hire or reward.

Can I get temporary car insurance to drive a van?

At Dayinsure, we offer temporary van insurance. This is a separate policy from our temporary car cover, and insures you if need to borrow a van to move house, shift large items of furniture or equipment, or insure a replacement vehicle for one that’s off the road. Look at our short-term van cover to find out how to get insured today.

Can I use temporary car insurance for my MOT?

We can insure vehicles for their MOT. However, being accepted depends on other factors, so it’s worth completing the quote form so that we can let you know if you meet the criteria.

Can I get temporary car insurance on a friend or relative’s car?

Yes. We can provide insurance for most drivers who want to drive cars they have borrowed from friends or relatives.

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View key documents

You’ll be made aware of your policy underwriter as part of the quote decision process

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Want to find out more about our temporary car insurance? Look at our blogs and guides to help you get the answers you’re looking for with us and we’ll be happy to help.

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